UPPER ENDOSCOPY
Upper Endoscopy or EGD is an extremely safe procedure, that allows your physician to obtain information that other tests would not be able to provide, by examining the lining of the upper part of your gastrointestinal tract, including your esophagus, stomach and duodenum. A small, lighted endoscope, a thin, flexible tube, is swallowed, allowing the doctor and staff to view the images of your upper gastrointestinal tract on a video monitor.
Indications for Upper Endoscopy
- Persistent nausea and vomiting
- Upper abdominal pain
- Difficulty swallowing
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Abnormal or unclear findings on an X-ray for inflammation, ulcers and tumors of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum
- To stretch or dilate narrowed areas
- Remove polyps
- Cytology test
- Remove a foreign body
- Heartburn or acid reflux symptoms
- Acid or burning sensation at the throat or chest
Your doctor may use the Upper Endoscopy to perform a cytology test, a test where the physician will also pass a small brush through the endoscope, in order to collect cells from a suspicious area for analysis. Your doctor may also use the Upper Endoscopy to perform a “biopsy”, a small tissue sample, to test and distinguish between benign or malignant (cancerous) tissue or to test for Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes ulcers.
