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A colonoscopy involves an examination of the entire colon with a narrow, fiberoptic video device. During the test the gastroenterologist will carefully examine the colon to detect and remove precancerous polyps. If abnormalities such as inflammation are noted, biopsies may be obtained. It’s really important that the bowel be thoroughly cleaned out with a laxative preparation the day beforehand to perform a quality exam.
Esophageal dilation is a procedure to provide relief for patients with swallowing difficulties. Patients often describe that they feel that certain foods, particularly meat or bread, seem to “stick” as it goes down the esophagus. At times they have to drink liquids to get it down and sometimes they even have to bring the food back up. This symptom, termed dysphagia, commonly occurs with patients with long-term acid reflux (GERD) after the acid injury has caused scarring in the lower esophagus. This scarring can also occur in an allergic problem in the esophagus, eosinophilic esophagitis. The goal of the dilation procedure is to stretch the scar tissue to a diameter that relieves that feeling of dysphagia. After you brought back to the procedure room, you will be asked to lie on your left side. A protective guard will be placed to protect your teeth. Then the anesthesia specialist will give you an intravenous medication to be sure you are asleep and comfortable during the procedure. The specialist will insert a small flexible fiberoptic video scope and carefully advance it to visualize the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. The specialist will assess the severity of narrowing of the esophagus and, will use instruments to carefully enlarge the diameter to help reduce the swallowing difficulties. The procedure usually takes 10-20 minutes to perform.
Endoscopic ultrasound is a fiberoptic endoscopic device with a specialized ultrasound probe attached which that allows for visualization of abnormalities in the gastrointestinal tract using ultrasound probe. Abnormalities identified on ultrasound imaging by the gastroenterologist can be biopsied.
ERCP is a specialized endoscopic examination to identify and treat abnormalities of the bile and pancreatic ducts. A special small flexible fiberoptic video scope is inserted by the gastroenterologist and advanced down to the duodenum to the location of the opening of the bile duct and pancreatic duct, the ampulla. Abnormalities such as bile duct stones can be identified and removed.
Sigmoidoscopy is the visual examination of the inside of the lower colon (sigmoid) using a lighted, flexible, fiber optic scope. This procedure does not require sedation. This test is a limited examination of only the lower colon. Colon polyps or cancer of the upper colon cannot be determined by this test.
Having an upper endoscopy is a safe procedure that can be performed as an outpatient endoscopy facility in most cases. You will be asked to not eat or drink anything for 4 hours before the test. After you brought back to the procedure room, you will be asked to lie on your left side. A protective guard will be placed to protect your teeth. Then the anesthesia specialist will give you an intravenous medication to be sure you are asleep and comfortable during the procedure. The specialist will insert a small flexible fiberoptic video scope and carefully advance it to visualize the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. If inflammation or any abnormality is identified, small samples of tissue, biopsies, may be obtained. Sometimes narrowing of the esophagus, a stricture, may be enlarged with special instruments. The procedure usually takes 10-20 minutes.
Capsule endoscopy allows for the visualization of small intestine with the use of a small “pill” camera, portion of the gastrointestinal tract that cannot be easily seen with the upper endoscope and the colonoscope. This miniature video device is swallowed by the patient and takes rapid sequence photographs that are transmitted to a wireless external monitoring device as is travels through the GI tract. Common reasons that a patient would undergo capsule endoscopy would include unexplained anemia looking for a small intestinal source of bleeding, ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease), polyps, or tumors. Typically, you would come to the office in the morning after
Common reasons that a patient would undergo capsule endoscopy would include unexplained anemia looking for a small intestinal source of bleeding, ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease), polyps, or tumors. Typically, you would come to the office in the morning after
Typically, you would come to the office in the morning after a being on liquids the previous day. The monitoring system would be attached to your abdomen with a data recorder that you wear on your belt. You would swallow the pill-sized capsule and the video imaging of your GI tract begins. You go home and do your usual activities, able to take liquids and a light meal a couple of hours after the study begins. You would then return at the end of the day with the data recorder and the approximately 50000 images are then downloaded onto a computer for review by the physician. The video capsule will pass through your intestinal tract with your bowel movements in a day or two. You will then get the results, usually after about a week.