Doctors use endoscopy procedures to look inside the body to make a diagnosis or to treat abnormalities. The endoscope has a tiny camera on the tip of a long tube that the doctor passes through an opening, such as the mouth or anus, or through a small incision in the abdomen or joint. Various kinds of endoscopy include laparoscopy for the abdomen, colonoscopy for the large intestine, bronchoscopy for the lungs and cystoscopy for the urinary system.
Enteroscopy
An enteroscopy is a procedure using a thin, flexible tube to visually examine and take biopsies of the small intestine. Preparation for the exam includes having nothing to eat after midnight on the day of the procedure and having only clear liquids until four hours prior to the procedure, notes MedlinePlus. Diseases of the small intestine diagnosed using an enteroscopy procedure include polyps, ulcers, Crohn's disease and lymphoma.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
An endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, is a diagnostic procedure that allows the physician to observe problems within the gallbladder, pancreas, liver and bile ducts, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. An ERCP procedure requires the swallowing of the endoscope as the physician guides it through the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. Dye inserted through the scope into the ducts allows visualization of abnormalities such as a gallstone or cancer. Preparations for an ERCP include nothing to eat or drink for six to eight hours prior to the procedure.
Endoscopic Ultrasound
The endoscopic ultrasound evaluates gastrointestinal and lung diseases. A small ultrasound transducer passed through the anus or the mouth provides images of the surrounding organs and tissues. Images of the esophagus, pancreas, gallbladder, liver and intestinal lining provide diagnostic evaluation for masses, bile duct stones and chronic pancreatitis, as well as for staging cancers, such as pancreatic, lung, rectal and esophageal cancers.
Endoscopic Treatments
Uses for the endoscope go beyond diagnostic procedures to include several types of endoscopic therapies. Transoral flexible endoscopic suturing enables the placement of stitches to increase lower esophageal sphincter pressure in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Dilation procedures to open abnormally narrowed passageways include inflating a balloon passed through the region using endoscopy. Other endoscopic treatments include destroying and retrieving problem tissue with the use of radio-frequency heat.
Enteral Stenting
Enteral stenting is an endoscopic procedure used to place a stent, or expandable mesh tube, in an obstructed area of the digestive tract. Under the guidance of X-ray, the endoscope is inserted through the anus for blockages in the lower gastrointestinal tract and through the mouth for upper gastrointestinal obstructions, explains the Rush University Medical Center. Uses for enteral stenting, a minimally invasive procedure, include correcting a fistula or delaying surgical intervention.
