An endoscopy procedure is conducted to allow doctors to look inside the body without performing a surgery. This is a simple and brief procedure where a thin, long and flexible instrument, which has a light and a camera chip at one end, is inserted into the body. This insertion takes place through a natural orifice like the mouth, anus, or vagina. With the help of the camera at the end of this instrument, known as an endoscope, the inner parts of the digestive system can be closely examined. The doctors use endoscopy to examine the organs and try to find the causes related to symptoms such as pain, nausea, bloating and inflammation. With the help of endoscopy, the doctors can also check for ulcers and other irritations on the organs.
There are several different types of endoscopies, however the two most common ones are upper and lower endoscopy.
Lower endoscopy is used to examine the colon and the rectum. In this procedure, the endoscope is inserted into the body through the anus. Using the endoscope, the doctor can even retrieve tissue samples and biopsies or remove cancerous growths, polyps and tumors from the organs. Internal bleeding can also be treated using this procedure.
For performing the lower endoscopy, or what is also known as colonoscopy procedure, the patient’s digestive tract needs to be clear. Therefore, the patient has to be given laxatives to clear the GI tract or an enema, the day before the procedure is to be carried out. Meanwhile, the patient will also be given some dietary restrictions. For a brief period, the patient will have to abstain from solid diet. Instead, the patient will have to consume only broths, juices and other liquids. This will last only for about two days.
Just before the procedure, the doctor will give the patient a pain killer or a sedative. This can be injected directly into the vein. The patient is asked to lie down so that the endoscope can be inserted. The entire examination will take about 30 minutes, during which the endoscope is allowed to pass into the body and capture video images. These images are captured by the doctors and a video is made. The doctor can view the images on a computer screen.
The endoscope also consists of a hollow shaft through which other instruments can be inserted. These instruments can help retrieve tissue samples and biopsies. After the test, it takes about 24 hours for the effects of the anesthetic to wear off. Therefore, for the next 24 hours, it is recommended for the patient to take complete rest.