Gastroscopy

Gastroscopies are along with colonoscopies one of the most frequently used digestive tests given their two aspects; diagnostic and therapeutic. It consists on the introduction of a tube through the patient’s mouth for the direct visualization of the upper part of the digestive tract (esophagus, stomach and duodenum).

The gastroscope is a flexible tube of less than one centimeter wide and an extension of over one meter. It incorporates a camera viewing high-resolution images. The tube also incorporates a working channel to introduce a broad variety of instruments for take biopsies, cauterize bleeding veins, extract alien bodies, resect polyps or expand the esophagus in diseases such as achalasia.

The diagnostic alternative would be radiological examination after the ingestion of a barium contrast to obtain images of the digestive tract. However, it would diagnose the disease in lesser cases that the endoscopy because it is neither possible to obtain biopsies nor visualize very small injuries. It could never treat a bleeding or resect a polyp. Therefore, in some cases, even after the radiologic study, it is necessary to perform a high digestive system endoscopy.

Gastroscopy is one of the main diagnostic tests, among others, of the following digestive diseases or symptoms:

Gastroscopies may only be done with local anesthesia in throat or with sedation. It does not require special preparation as for colonoscopies although it requires 6-hours fasting. No food or liquid may be ingested in the 6 previous hours.

Examination may last around 5 minutes or longer if a treatment is applied.