Endoscopies

Endoscopies are medical procedures that use an endoscope to visualize the interior of a hollow organ or body cavity. An endoscope is a flexible or rigid tube with a light source and camera, sometimes with channels to pass instruments. Images are viewed on a monitor, and tissue samples can be taken or therapies delivered through the instrument channels.

Common types include esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum; colonoscopy for the colon and rectum; sigmoidoscopy for the rectum and lower colon; bronchoscopy for the airways; cystoscopy for the bladder; and ERCP for the biliary and pancreatic ducts. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) combines endoscopy with ultrasound, while capsule endoscopy uses a swallowable camera.

Procedures are usually performed with sedation or anesthesia, though some diagnostic endoscopies are done with local anesthesia or awake. Preparation depends on the procedure; colonoscopy requires bowel cleansing, while others require fasting. During an endoscopy, a physician may take biopsies, remove polyps, control bleeding, dilate strictures, or place stents.

Risks are generally low but include bleeding, infection, perforation, and adverse reactions to sedatives; there are additional risks specific to certain procedures, such as pancreatitis after ERCP. Most patients recover from anesthesia and can resume ordinary activities as advised.

Endoscopy is performed by trained clinicians, typically gastroenterologists, surgeons, or urologists, with support from specialized nursing staff. It is used for diagnosis and for therapeutic interventions in accessible parts of the digestive tract and other hollow organs.