Upper Intestinal (GI) Endoscopy or Gastroscopy
Gastroscopy refers to a special technique for looking inside a part of the body. “Upper GI” is the portion of the gastrointestinal tract, the digestive system, that includes the Oro-pharynx, the Oesophagus (food-pipe), the Stomach and part of the Duodenum (small intestine). A Gastroscopy is a procedure performed by a well-trained specialist / endoscopist who uses the endoscope to diagnose and, in some cases, treat problems.
The endoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube with a tiny video camera and light on the end which is guided safely to carefully examine the inside lining of the lower GI tract.
The high-quality picture from the endoscope is shown on a TV monitor. In many cases, lower GI endoscopy is a more precise examination than X-ray studies. Tiny instruments can be passed through an opening in the endoscope to obtain tissue samples, coagulate (stop) bleeding sites, dilate or stretch a narrowed area, or perform other treatments.