Q: How is the digestive endoscopy exam carried out?
A: Digestive endoscopy of the upper digestive tract (gastroscopy) is an examination lasting approximately ten minutes which allows the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. to perform it, the gastroscope is used, a particular endoscope, which consists of a flexible tube of different caliber and length depending on the organs under examination, at the end of which a microcamera is placed.
Q: What is the benefits?
A: The gastroscopic examination allows the execution of biopsies.
The process is simple and absolutely painless.
The procedure begins with the application of an anesthetic spray into the patient's throat, or with the application of a soft cannula for intravenous anesthesia, if requested.
At this point the gastroenterologist inserts the mouthpiece into the patient lying on his left side and the examination begins: the doctor inserts the gastroscope and first makes his way into the esophagus, then into the stomach until reaching the duodenum, the first section of the intestine tenuous.
Q: How does the gastroscope work?
A: The gastroscopy equipment consists of a monitor from which it is possible to view the images captured live by the microcamera located at the end of the endoscope.
It is also able to illuminate the gastrointestinal tract to see inside the digestive tract thanks to a light source that flows through the optical fiber along the entire length of the gastroscope.
The gastroscope, whose tip can be maneuvered in four directions by two knobs on the handle, has an operating channel that allows the use of various flexible accessories such as biopsy forceps.
Gastroscopy as an indispensable tool for the study and diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases
If the endoscopic examination of the digestive system is carried out it is to characterize a lesion, gastritis or understand why the patient presents the symptoms of helicobacter pylori.
In this case it will be possible to insert the biopsy forceps along the entire length of the gastroscope, reach the mucosa and thus carry out a biopsy, taking a fragment and withdrawing the forceps.
