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Why it's done
By Mayo Clinic staff
Endoscopy is used to diagnose and, sometimes, treat conditions that affect the upper part of the digestive system, including the esophagus, stomach and beginning of the small intestine (duodenum).
Your doctor may recommend an endoscopy procedure to:
- Investigate causes of digestive signs and symptoms. Endoscopy may help your doctor determine what's causing signs and symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing and gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Diagnose digestive diseases and conditions. Your doctor may use endoscopy to collect tissue (biopsy) samples to test for diseases and conditions, such as anemia, bleeding, inflammation, diarrhea or cancers of the digestive system.
- Treat certain digestive system problems. Using special tools during endoscopy allows your doctor to treat certain problems in your digestive system, such as bleeding from the esophagus or stomach and difficulty swallowing caused by a narrow esophagus, or to remove polyps. Endoscopy can also be used to remove foreign objects lodged in your upper digestive tract.
Endoscopy is sometimes combined with other procedures, such as ultrasound. An ultrasound probe may be attached to the endoscope to create specialized images of the wall of your esophagus or stomach. An endoscopic ultrasound may also help your doctor create images of hard-to-reach organs, such as your pancreas.
- Pasricha PJ. Gastrointestinal endoscopy. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201609212-3/0/1492/0.html. Accessed May 26, 2010.
- Kimmey MB. Complications of gastrointestinal endoscopy. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisinger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookHome&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&uniq=200844987-3. Accessed May 26, 2010.
- Upper GI endoscopy. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/upperendoscopy/index.htm. Accessed May 25, 2010.
- Upper endoscopy. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. http://www.sages.org/publication/id/PI16/. Accessed May 25, 2010.
- Preparing for an upper GI endoscopy. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/procedures/upper-gi-endoscopy. Accessed May 25, 2010.
- Upper endoscopy. Cancer.Net. http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Cancer.Net+Features/Cancer+Screening+and+Prevention/Upper+Endoscopy%26mdash%3BWhat+to+Expect. Accessed May 25, 2010.
- Picco MP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. June 10, 2010.
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