Endoscopy is the use of cameras to relay images from inside the body. The device used, known as an endoscope, is a long, thin, and flexible tube that has a camera at one end as well as a light source.
An endoscopy can be used to diagnose a wide range of conditions, and the results are interpreted by a specialist. Whether the results are good or bad clearly depends on what symptoms are being investigated, and on which part of the body the endoscopy is being performed.
Endoscopes are inserted into the body via a natural opening (the mouth, nose, or the anus). There are different types of endoscopy depending on the site and function of the procedure. For example, if the bowel is to be investigated, it is referred to as a colonoscopy; if the airways are to be examined, the procedure is referred to as a bronchoscopy.
An endoscopy can also be used for surgery, as in the case of laparoscopic surgery. In this situation, the laparoscope (a specific type of endoscope) is inserted through small incisions. Once inserted, the endoscope is able to send images from the inside of the subject’s body back to a TV screen to be examined in close detail.
Laparoscopy is performed under general anaesthetic, which relaxes the muscles and reduces pain. The surgeon makes small incisions in the abdomen and inserts a laparoscope, which is a small camera attached to the end of a thin tube, allowing the surgeon to see inside the abdomen through a projection on a TV monitor in front of them.
The first incision is made in the navel and the abdomen will be inflated in order to make the organs easier to view. A second incision may also be made at the pubic hairline, as an additional opening for surgical instruments. The surgeon uses these small instruments to perform surgery, looking at the TV monitor for a clear view of the area they need to operate on.
The procedure normally takes around 30 to 60 minutes and patients are required to stay in the recovery room for an hour after the surgery is performed. You will be mointored by a nurse and can normally be discharged about four hours after surgery.
An endoscopy is most commonly used to investigate symptoms and help to diagnose conditions relating to the digestive system, although it can be deployed to produce images and aid with many other parts of the body, including the respiratory system, the urinary tract, and the female reproductive system. An endoscope can also be used to assist with surgery.
The most common symptoms that endoscopy investigates include the following:
You may be required to avoid food and liquids for a period beforehand, depending on what type of endoscopy you are undergoing. In the case of a colonoscopy, you might be given laxatives to help you evacuate any stool beforehand. You may also be required to stop taking certain medication, such as blood thinners, to prevent excess bleeding from the procedure.
The procedure usually only causes mild discomfort, although a local anaesthetic is also sometimes used. It is normally performed with the patient conscious, although sedatives can be deployed to help you relax. Antibiotics are sometimes used to reduce risk of infection.
It is not usually painful, but it may feel uncomfortable. The procedure typically lasts between 15 to 45 minutes, which will depend on which endoscopic procedure is being performed.
A gastroenterologist will typically be responsible for performing endoscopic procedures.
If you have been given a sedative, expect to stay in hospital for up to two hours after your endoscopy procedure has finished.
Patients who undergo an endoscopy will not receive all of their results immediately afterwards, but will receive them no later than a week after their procedure.
A normal endoscopy involves the gastroenterologist inserting an endoscope through the patient’s mouth, whereas a capsule endoscopy sees the patients swallow a pill-sized capsule-like camera, which transmits images whilst it travels through the patient’s digestive tract.
It is very important that patients avoid swallowing anything six to eight hours before the procedure.
The good news is that patients will be able to eat after their endoscopy as soon as they are discharged from hospital. However, they will be advised to eat as slowly as possible and to decrease their meal size.
