Updated: 11-05-2025
What Is Endoscopy And Why Is It Done?
Endoscopy is a technique that uses particular apparatuses to view and work on the inner organs and vessels of your body.
This permits specialists to view issues inside your body without needing to make large incisions.
A surgeon embeds an endoscope through a small entry point or an opening in the body, for example, the mouth.
An endoscope is a particularly adaptable tube with an appended camera that demonstrates the work being carried out.
Your specialist can utilise forceps (tongs) and scissors on the endoscope to work or uproot tissue.
Why it’s done
Investigate symptoms:
- Endoscopy may help doctors determine what’s causing digestive signs and symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Diagnose:
- Your doctor may use endoscopy to collect tissue samples (biopsy) to test for diseases and conditions such as anaemia, bleeding, inflammation, diarrhoea, or cancers of the digestive system.
Treatments:
- Your doctor can pass special tools through the endoscope to treat problems in your digestive system, such as burning a bleeding vessel to stop bleeding, widening a narrow oesophagus, clipping off a polyp, or removing a foreign object.
Preparation before the test
Fast before the endoscopy:
You may be asked to stop drinking and eating four to eight hours before your endoscopy to ensure your stomach is empty for the procedure.
Stop taking certain medications:
You may be asked to stop taking certain blood-thinning medications in the days before your endoscopy.
Blood thinners may increase your risk of bleeding if certain procedures are performed during endoscopy.
If you have chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure, your doctor will give you specific instructions regarding your medications.
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