Endoscopy & Colonoscopy

Endoscopy

Upper GI Endoscopy is a procedure that lets the doctor examine the lining of the upper part of the GI or Gastrointestinal Tract. The process includes Oesophagus, Stomach, Duodenum (the first portion of Small Intestine).

The apparatus that is used is an Endoscope, it is a thin tube that has its own lens and light source. It provides the images on a video monitor. It must be noted that this is considered to be an out-patient surgery.

Indications For Endoscopy

Persistent Upper Abdominal Pain
Nausea and Vomiting
Difficulty in Swallowing
Finding the cause of Bleeding from the Upper Gastro Intestinal Tract
Inflammation Ulcers and Tumours from the Oesophagus , Stomach and Duodenum.

What procedures can be performed during Endoscopy

Biopsy for Ulcer / Cancer / H Pylori
Brushings for Cytology
Dilatation of the Tract
Removing Polyps

What procedures can be performed during Endoscopy

It is advised not to consume any solid or liquid food for 6 hours. An empty stomach is advisable for the procedure.
The procedure is conducted under local anaesthesia which is sprayed on the throat.
Patients that are anxious can be mildly sedated to calm the nerves and ensure the procedure goes smoothly.
The duration of the procedure is 5 – 15 minutes.

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is a procedure to analyse and look into the colon and the terminal ileum. The Colonoscope is an apparatus that is flexible and is inserted into the large intestine.

With the entire length of the colon being 150cm, colonoscopy is a procedure where the entire colon is analysed.

Symptoms for Colonoscopy

Occult Blood in Stools
Frank Blood in Stools
Bowel Inflammation
Polypstumours
Cancers

Procedures performed with Colonoscopy

Biopsy in Inflammations
Polypectomies
Bleeding can be treated
Small Tumours can be cut out.
Tumour Biopsy

Preparation for Colonoscopy

It is crucial that the bowel is prepared before the surgery. It must be clean and clear of stools to ensure lesions, if any, can be identified.
Furthermore, the biopsies can be proceeded without any challenges.
To ensure that the stomach is clean and ready-for-procedure, a powder that is mixed with 2 litres of water, which is considered to be laxative, is consumed by the patient.
The stomach is cleared in a duration of 2 hours.