Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Upper endoscopy allows for examination of the liner of the upper a part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which incorporates the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first portion of the tiny intestine). In upper endoscopy, the physician uses a skinny, flexible tube called an endoscope. The endoscope features a lens and lightweight source, which projects images on a video monitor. This procedure is additionally mentioned as upper GI endoscopy, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Upper endoscopy is usually done under sedation to assure maximal patient comfort.

Upper endoscopy helps the doctor evaluate symptoms of persistent upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. it's the simplest test for locating the explanation for bleeding from the upper alimentary canal and is additionally more accurate than X-rays for detecting inflammation, ulcers and tumors of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

A physician can also use upper endoscopy to get small tissue samples (biopsies). A biopsy helps distinguish between benign and malignant (cancerous) tissues. Biopsies are taken for several reasons, and a doctor might order a biopsy albeit cancer isn't suspected. for instance , a biopsy are often taken to check for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium which will cause ulcers and disorder , an inflammatory condition of the tiny bowel which will cause anemia, weight loss and diarrhea.

Upper endoscopy also can be wont to perform a cytology (cell) test, during which a little brush is skilled the channel of the endoscope to gather cells for analysis. Other instruments are often skilled the endoscope to directly treat many abnormalities with little or no discomfort. For instance, the doctor may stretch a narrow area (a stricture), detect Barrett's esophagus (a possibly precancerous alteration within the esophageal lining), detect and biopsy gastrointestinal cancers, remove polyps (usually benign growths), treat bleeding (with standard cautery or the newer argon plasma coagulation method), and detect and treat symptoms of esophageal reflux disease (GERD).