What is endoscopy?
- Examination of the interior of a canal or hollow organ by means of an endoscope. -From: The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Endoscopy literally means to "look into." Gastroenterologists have specialized in the technique of endoscopy for decades, initially practicing with rigid instruments which could be passed only for a limited distance into the intestinal tract via the mouth or anus. Advances in technology led to the development of flexible fiberoptic instruments in the 1970's and video-based instruments in the 1980's which allow high quality optical images of the interior of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (though the mouth) and the colon, or large intestine, and ileum (last segment of small intestine) through the anus.
Modern gastrointestinal endoscopy is painless when performed under procedural sedation. We enter and leave the body through natural openings, making endoscopy a minimally invasive procedure. Endoscopy is used both for diagnosis and for treatment. For example, during a colonoscopy a polyp may be discovered (diagnosed) and then immediately removed (treated) using endoscopic surgical techniques.
The most recent major technological breakthrough in our field has been the development of the Given Imaging capsule endoscope, or "pill camera," which allows us to view the entire length of small intestine in most cases. The endoscopy capsule consists of a digital camera inside of a vitamin-sized plastic "pill" which contains a flashing light source, radio transmitter, and battery. The small bowel endoscopy capsule takes two digital photographs each second and transmits them in a typical jpg format to a digital recorder worn outside the body. The capsule passes out of the body naturally and the recorder, which typically contains about 50,000 images is returned to the clinic for review by the gastroenterologist. Capsule endoscopy, while used in our practice for examination of the small intestine, has applications in the esophagus and colon as well.
What does a flexible endoscope look like?
Flexible endoscopes are used for upper endoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy. This photograph of Olympus flexible endoscopes shows the narrow flexible tube which we pass into the body. The insertion tube is about the diameter of a pen. The tip of the insertion tube contains a video camera (similar to a VCR) and a lighting system, which brings light from an external 300 watt xenon lamp to the inside of the body via fiberoptic cables, which provide very bright illumination without exposing the body to the heat generated by the light supply. The tip is steered by a series of cables connected to the control handle, which is operated by the doctor. Images are viewed on computer monitors by the doctor and his assistants, and digital images of key findings are recorded.
An upper endoscope insertion tube is 100 cm (3.2 feet) in length. A colonoscope is 170 cm (5.6 feet) long.
How are flexible endoscopes cleaned between patients? (click for more information)
How are patients sedated for these procedures?
Colonoscopy (click for more information)
Colonoscopy is an examination of the large intestine (colon) which is frequently performed for routine colon cancer screening, detection and removal of polyps, evaluation of symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, bleeding or constipation, and the monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.
Colonoscopy FAQs at Digestive Health
Offered at the Southwest Endoscopy Center and Mercy Regional Medical Center
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (click for more information)
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or EGD, is an examination through the mouth, of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, which is often performed for the evaluation of symptoms such as heartburn, trouble swallowing, abdominal pain or indigestion, vomiting or weight loss, or a sensation of filling up too fast. Endoscopy is also often performed in individuals who have reflux symptoms such as heartburn to screen for complications such as the potentially precancerous problem known as Barrett's esophagus.
Upper Endoscopy FAQs at Digestive Health
Offered at the Southwest Endoscopy Center and Mercy Regional Medical Center
Esophageal dilation (click for more information)
Esophageal dilation is the treatment of narrowing in the esophagus due to gastroesophageal reflux disease or other disease processes. Dilation is performed with a variety of instruments, including tapered plastic or rubber-like tubes and balloon catheters. Dilation is generally performed during an upper endoscopy.
Offered at the Southwest Endoscopy Center and Mercy Regional Medical Center
Minimally invasive hemorrhoid therapy (click for more information)
We offer both infrared coagulation (infrared light-based coagulation probe) and hemorrhoidal band ligation (placement of temporary internal rubber bands at the base of hemorrhoids) treatments. These treatments can be performed at the time of colonoscopy.
Offered at the Southwest Endoscopy Center and Mercy Regional Medical Center
Capsule Endoscopy (click for more information)
We perform capsule endoscopy procedures (pill camera examination of the small intestine) to evaluate chronic intestinal bleeding, suspected small intestinal tumors, and suspected cases of Crohn's disease, celiac disease and other problems which sometimes cannot be adequately defined on more routine testing. Capsule endoscopy is not a substitute for colonoscopy.
Offered only at Digestive Health Associates
ERCP
Click for more information about diagnostic ERCP
Click for more information about therapeutic ERCP
ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is a procedure combining endoscopy and radiology techniques in which a flexible endoscope passed through the mouth is used to pass instruments into the bile duct and pancreatic duct to allow injection of contrast for visualization by x-ray and to allow for a variety of interventions, especially the removal of bile duct stones and the placement of stents to treat blockages or leaks of the bile duct.
Offered only at Mercy Regional Medical Center
PEG
PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) is the use of a flexible endoscope passed through the mouth to place a feeding tube across the abdominal wall into the stomach. This allows fluid and electrolytes, nutrition and medication which would normally be taken orally to be given to individuals who cannot swallow, due to obstruction of the esophagus or neurologic disease affecting swallowing function.
Offered only at Mercy Regional Medical Center
Where should I schedule my procedure? (click for more information)
Additional information
Please visit the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy's patient education site for additional general information information about gastrointestinal endoscopy.
