Admin_NHT Staff asked 6 years ago Definition: Upper endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure in which an endoscope is used to view the upper digestive tract that includes the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum ( first part of the small intestine).
Procedure:
The patient is asked to fast for eight hours before the procedure.
A local anesthetic is applied to the throat and a sedative is given intravenously.
A mouthpiece is placed in the mouth to restrict the movements of the mouth and the patient is asked to lie on the left side.
The endoscope is then entered into the mouth and the doctor views the upper digestive tract through the images sent via the camera on the endoscope.
The patient is asked to stay in the recovery room for 30 minutes and may have a sore throat for some time.
When is it done?:
It is usually done to detect the abnormal outgrowths, cancer, polyps, and narrowed regions of the upper digestive tract. Tissue samples for biopsies and small objects stuck in this region can also be taken using this procedure.