What is a gastroscopy?
Disease description:
I've been having stomach discomfort recently. After eating, my stomach feels bloated, uncomfortable, and I feel like vomiting. The hospital recommended a gastroscopy. I would like to know what a gastroscopy is.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Shen Yonghua
Gastroscopy is a common endoscopic procedure primarily used for diagnosing and treating diseases of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
A gastroscope uses a long, slender tube about one centimeter in diameter, covered with black plastic and containing light-conducting fibers. An endoscope is mounted at the front end. The tube is inserted through the patient's mouth and sequentially passed through the esophagus and stomach into the duodenum. With the strong light emitted from the light source, the gastroscope bends the light via the conducting fibers, allowing physicians to clearly observe the health status of the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Gastroscopy can be used to diagnose various diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, esophagitis, hiatal hernia, stomach cancer, and duodenal ulcers. The primary purpose of gastroscopy is to directly visualize lesions in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, especially subtle abnormalities. Additionally, biopsies can be obtained by inserting forceps through a small opening in the gastroscope. Moreover, gastroscopy can also be used to treat certain conditions such as hemostasis, polypectomy, and foreign body removal.
Although gastroscopy may cause some discomfort, such as sore throat, nausea, or vomiting, these symptoms usually disappear shortly after the examination.
