Endoscopy is a medical procedure that uses a special instrument called an endoscope to visually examine or operate on certain internal organs and vessels of the body without the need of a large incision.
The endoscope is a long, flexible tube with a light and tiny camera attached, that when inserted directly into a hollow organ, such as the digestive tract, lets the doctor view an image of the organ’s interior on a TV monitor. This allows the doctor to easily look for evidence of disease or other problems. Depending on the type and site of procedure, an endoscopy can be performed by a doctor or a surgeon, and the patient can be either fully conscious or anesthetized for the procedure.
Endoscopy also helps doctors determine the cause of abnormal symptoms by using the endoscope to assist in the delicate procedure of performing a biopsy (tissue removal) to look for the presence of disease. During a surgical procedure like repairing a stomach ulcer or removing gallstones or tumors, the use of an endoscope gives the surgeon is able to watch the surgery on a monitor in operating room.
Endoscopy technology benefits doctors and patients beyond its examination and imaging functions. During the evaluation of a digest tract problem and the endoscope detects active bleeding from an ulcer, special devices that are able to stop the bleeding can be passed to the site through the endoscope.
The term endoscopy is most commonly used to refer the examination of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract (called esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or EGD). A gastroenterologist can use endoscopy to diagnose or treat conditions such as ulcerated colitis or Crohn’s disease. For upper endoscopy, the endoscope is passed through the mouth and throat, into the esophagus, allowing the doctor to view the esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine.
A special type of endoscopy, called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography, or ERCP, lets the doctor view the pancreas, gallbladder, and related tissue. ERCP combines upper endoscopy with Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), for a comprehensive examination the digestive tract.
Endoscopy is used frequently for a wide range of investigative and surgical procedures, with the procedure’s name modified to related to the respective specialty. Some examples: orthopedic surgeons use arthroscopy to examine or operate on the body’s joints; pulmonologist surgeons use bronchoscopy to diagnose and treat conditions of the respiratory system; surgeons use laparoscopy to examine the abdominal or pelvic areas; gastroenterologists use colonoscopy to examine the upper colon and sigmoidoscopy to examine the lower part of the large intestine (sigmoid colon) to discover or treat conditions affecting the esophagus, stomach and digestive tract. Other medical specialists, too numerous to list here, also use endoscopy to discover and treat the disorders and diseases of their particular field of medicine.