Have you been experiencing troubling gastrointestinal symptoms lately? An upper GI endoscopy performed by your gastroenterologists at Alaska Digestive and Liver Disease in Eagle River and Anchorage, AK, can help find the source of your problem.
How Is an Upper Endoscopy Performed?
An upper endoscopy is a procedure used to examine the lining of your stomach, esophagus, and duodenum. Although an up-close view of the upper part of your gastrointestinal system once required surgery, that's no longer necessary thanks to endoscopic technology.
During a minimally invasive upper GI endoscopy, your doctor inserts a thin scope into your mouth and slowly passes it through your stomach, esophagus, and duodenum. The scope contains a light and a miniature camera that transmits real-time images to a digital monitor. If your gastroenterologist notices anything out of the ordinary while looking at the monitor, he can pause the scope and take a closer look at a particular area.
An upper endoscopy isn't just a diagnostic procedure—your doctor can use small tools to take tissue samples, remove small growths, or stop bleeding. You'll be sedated before the procedure begins and won't remember anything that happens during your endoscopy.
Why Is an Upper Endoscopy Recommended?
During a visit to one of our gastroenterology offices in Eagle River or Anchorage, your doctor may recommend an upper GI endoscopy to:
- Find Out the Cause of Your Symptoms: The endoscopy can help your doctor figure out why you're experiencing frequent nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, or trouble swallowing.
- Open Up Your Digestive Tract: The procedure can be used to widen narrow areas in your gastrointestinal tract and remove blockages and trapped food.
- Look for Inflammation: Your gastroenterologist can clearly see inflamed areas or ulcers in the lining of the upper gastrointestinal tract during the procedure.
- Check for Cancer: An endoscopy offers a good way to spot changes that may be caused by cancer. If your doctor suspects that cancer could be the reason for your symptoms, he'll remove a small tissue sample and send it to a laboratory for testing.
- Diagnose Conditions and Diseases: Upper endoscopies help your doctor diagnose gastrointestinal reflux disorder (GERD), anemia, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and other diseases and conditions.
Do you think you may need an upper endoscopy? Call your gastroenterologists at Alaska Digestive and Liver Disease in Eagle River and Anchorage, AK, by dialing (907) 569-1333.