uses
Last reviewed 01/2018
Endoscopy in its various forms allows investigation of different parts of the gastrointestinal tract:
- gastroscope - stomach and proximal duodenum
- ERCP - pancreas and biliary tree
- colonoscopy - large bowel and terminal ileum
- sigmoidoscopy - rectum, sigmoid colon, descending colon
As well as visualization, an endoscope can be used to undertake a variety of therapeutic manoeuvres:
- thermal treatment of gastrointestinal neoplasms or haemorrhage
- dilation of oesophageal strictures
- retrograde sphincterotomy
- removal of foreign bodies
- siting tubes within the intestinal lumen
- sclerotherapy
- decompression of the biliary tree
- management of early gastric cancer
- polypectomy
gastrointestinal tubes (endoscopic)
thermal haemostasis (endoscopic)
thermal tissue ablation (endoscopic)