Gastric endoscopy

Most often, health problems begin at a time when a person does not even think about it. This is especially true for diseases of the stomach and other organs that make up the human digestive system. In order to somehow protect yourself, secure yourself and notice pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract in time, it is important to do an endoscopy of the stomach. Today, laparoscopic examinations of internal organs can be done in almost any clinic.

The term "endoscopy" ("endon" and "skopeo") is translated from Greek as: "inside" "I examine". With the help of easily bendable tubes, which are equipped with lighting and optical systems, it is possible to examine the organs of the stomach. This helps to examine even the most minor violations in a short time. Endoscopy of the stomach can be considered one of the most favorable and most frequently used diagnostic methods. Doctors will not prescribe any surgical interventions without the most extreme cases.

Endoscopy is a modern method of visual and instrumental diagnostics, thanks to which it is possible to see diseases of internal organs. An endoscope is the main research instrument with which such a procedure is performed. At one end it has an eyepiece, allowing to observe a picture of the affected area, and at the other - a camera, which transmits the seen image. With its help, qualified specialists can easily detect the problem at the earliest stage of the disease and prescribe appropriate treatment in time.

Gastric endoscopy (EGDS, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, gastroscopy) is a type of endoscopic examination, during which the duodenum, gastric mucosa and esophagus are examined using an endoscope. This device is presented in the form of a flexible tube, inside which there is a fiber-optic system. It is thanks to it that the doctor can see a complete picture of the internal organs of the stomach on the monitor, as a result of which he can print the obtained data on a printer.

Such a study is very important to find out the condition of the duodenum, stomach in case of suspected cancer. In addition, gastric endoscopy helps to study the lumen of the esophagus, notice gastrointestinal bleeding, with gastritis, esophagitis, gastroduodenitis, establish ulcer disease of the duodenum or stomach, if such are present in the patient's body. Gastric endoscopy is also performed for additional examination in some diseases, to once again clarify the diagnosis.

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Preparation for gastric endoscopy

However, this study can only be carried out based on the doctor's indications, who must have all the grounds to conduct a gastric endoscopy, which will really help in further treatment. In addition, the doctor must be aware of all allergic reactions to drugs and concomitant diseases, if they are present in a person's everyday life.

But before that, you need to undergo proper preparation for gastric endoscopy. Do not eat for several hours. Endoscopy should be performed exclusively on an empty stomach, so that food residues do not complicate the examination, which could subsequently be subject to any doubts. Therefore, the last meal before gastric endoscopy should be done eight to ten hours before the examination, no later. A special endoscopic room is allocated for gastric endoscopy, and it is performed exclusively by a specially trained endoscopist.

If such a need arises, endoscopy can be performed under the influence of sedatives and by spraying an anesthetic drug, which is used to locally anesthetize the throat and root of the tongue. General anesthesia can also be used, but it is done extremely rarely, in exceptional cases.

What should a patient do during a gastric endoscopy? First, he should be calm, even, breathing deeply. If necessary, straighten the folds of the mucous membrane. Then the doctor pumps in some air and monitors the duodenum, stomach and esophagus. He can perform a biopsy or endoscopic pH-metry, stop bleeding or remove polyps, small tumors and administer medications if the person needs it and has suitable symptoms. Endoscopy can last only a few minutes. But only after 24 hours do all the unpleasant sensations associated with this procedure completely disappear.

Modern technology allows for endoscopic examination to be performed absolutely safely and without difficulties. Some complications after the procedure may be an exception to the rule. But such examples are few. These include perforation of the walls of the organ being examined, mental disorders, damage to the walls with the development of bleeding.

Preparation for gastric endoscopy

How to prepare for gastric endoscopy?

The rules of conduct before and after endoscopy, which the patient simply must know, have already been described earlier. Now we will talk more specifically.

To do this, you need to know the following rules:

• Endoscopy is performed on an empty stomach in the first half of the day;
• If the examination is done in the afternoon, it is important not to eat for 7 hours before the gastric endoscopy;
• It is allowed to drink still water in small quantities – no more than 50 ml;
• Preparation of the patient for endoscopy also has its own characteristics, depending on the general condition of the patient and the nature of the study. It can be both planned and emergency.

If a person knows about gastric endoscopy in advance, he/she has no right to eat for at least 4 hours before the examination. The time of the last meal may vary, it is individually prescribed by the doctor. 3 hours before the procedure, the patient must take one tablet of seduxen or another tranquilizer. Half an hour before the endoscopy, premedication is carried out using anticholinergic agents (0.5-1 ml of 0.1% solution of atropine sulfate is combined with metacin or 0.2% solution of platifillin). For easily excitable patients, a dose of 2.5% solution of diprazine in the amount of 30-50 mg is prescribed, and local anesthesia is administered 5 minutes before the endoscopy. For this, the patient sits on a chair, after which he/she must open his/her mouth deeply and stick out his/her tongue. After that, doctors wash the back of the throat and the root of the tongue and treat it with a 1-2% solution of lidocaine. This is done in the form of rinsing or irrigation. Next, he is asked to make a swallowing movement to anesthetize the opening of the esophagus. After a few minutes, the patient feels numbness in the throat, certain difficulties when swallowing. These symptoms and the sensation of a foreign body inside him, make it clear that the anesthesia is working, and therefore, gives a signal that the patient is ready for examination of the stomach. The question of gastric lavage is considered quite ambiguous, since the mucous membrane is affected, and the contents of the stomach can provide additional information.

Therefore, doctors in this case recommend gastric lavage in the following cases:

1. In case of pyloric stenosis. The day before endoscopy, the stomach is washed in the morning and evening until its contents become literally clean water.
2. With cardiospasm of 2 and 4 degrees.

The most favorable position of the patient during endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract is considered to be the position on the left side. Sometimes the patient needs to change the position of his body (for example, turning over on the stomach, on the right side, etc.). For this, in addition to a separate room, a special table should be allocated, the foot and head ends of which can be adjusted, raising or lowering them, as well as turning the patient in one direction or another.

So, the person wishing to undergo endoscopy is placed on a table or couch, on the left side. His left leg should be straightened, and the right leg should be bent at the knee joint, and then brought to the stomach. The second option for the correct body position during gastric endoscopy should be as follows. Both legs should be bent and pulled up, arms pressed to the body. An oilcloth pillow is usually placed under the head. The office must be darkened.

Emergency endoscopy is performed when it is necessary to urgently identify the causes of gastric bleeding or remove various foreign bodies in the stomach. Gastroscopy is also prescribed to perform differential diagnostics of gastric diseases, identify acute surgical diseases, and establish the nature of pyloroduodenal organic or functional stenosis.

If the patient suffers from esophageal diseases that make it impossible to pass an endoscope into the stomach, then this examination is contraindicated. In cases where there is an increased risk of perforation (for example, with an esophageal burn, cicatricial structure, aortic aneurysm, etc.), emergency gastric endoscopy is also not recommended. A relative contraindication may include the patient's serious condition in general, which is certainly associated with the presence of certain concomitant diseases. However, even in the case of an acute infarction or cerebrovascular accident, esophagogastroscopy may be justified, because they are among the diseases that may pose that very threat to the patient's life.

At present, there are only two absolute contraindications to gastroscopy under anesthesia - the patient's dying condition and the patient's refusal to undergo the examination.

Many patients are wary of this procedure. However, they have no reason to worry. The use of modern endoscopes can guarantee the relative safety of endoscopy. The only thing to be wary of is the most serious complications, which involve damage to the walls of the organs being examined or perforation of the esophagus by the gastroscope. But they are observed mainly, as mentioned above, in elderly patients or patients with unstable psyche, as well as with insufficient anesthesia and poor visibility. It is also worth mentioning the damage to the mucous membrane of the stomach and the gastroesophageal junction. There are even bleedings from these injuries, but they are not so terrible. They can be stopped independently or with the help of endoscopic hemostasis. Not very good sensations in the patient can also be caused by the injection of a large amount of air into the stomach. But the good news is that such unpleasant situations are extremely rare, most of which do not pose a great threat to the life and health of patients.

Indications and contraindications for gastric endoscopy

Endoscopy of the stomach for children

Children also have stomach pains, which often cause them painful sensations. In addition, all gastrointestinal tract diseases lead to slower growth and development. One of the most common problems is the child swallowing foreign bodies, as well as stomach ailments, which are typical for early age.

In such cases, experts believe that diagnostics and consultations for infants, premature babies and patients with various chronic diseases are simply necessary. Digestive system problems, acute and chronic diarrhea, periodic abdominal pain, etc., which are common in babies, can be avoided and prevented. Just as timely treatment, diagnostics and monitoring of many problems can be provided. These include celiac disease, pancreatic diseases, chronic inflammation and infectious diseases of the digestive system, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Modern equipment helps doctors to detect and cure various diseases. This can be done with the help of:

• gastroscopy;
• colonoscopy;
• esophageal impedance measurements;
• esophageal dilation;
• removal of foreign bodies, polyps in the digestive system;
• liver and intestinal biopsy;
• endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Capsule endoscopy is one of the safest and easiest ways to obtain test results. As already written above, children should not be afraid of anything during capsule endoscopy of the stomach. This study does not cause painful sensations either during or after it.

During capsule endoscopy, children aged 5 years and older swallow the video capsule on their own. If the children are younger, aged 1 to 5 years, they will need endoscopic assistance to swallow the video capsule. But, one way or another, it is recommended to do gastric endoscopy for children if necessary, even on the advice of doctors.

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Capsule endoscopy of the stomach

For those who do not want to stick a long slippery "hose" inside themselves, an alternative procedure may be offered. It is much more pleasant than the first and is called "capsule endoscopy of the stomach." It is prescribed when the patient needs to examine the esophagus and small intestine. To do this, the patient only needs to swallow a small plastic capsule, which is equipped in advance with everything important for the examination. This includes a special micro-video camera, a micro-transmitter, an antenna and power supplies, which are designed for 8 hours of operation.

A disposable capsule can reproduce more than 50 thousand bright images, 2 photos per second, transmitted to a special device that is attached to the patient's belt. The camera shows high-quality images, and as a result - makes it possible to determine and make a diagnosis as accurately as possible. In short, during capsule endoscopy of the stomach, the capsule that the patient swallows goes the same way as the food that is swallowed every day.

This procedure does not cause any imbalance, pain or discomfort at all. When you are waiting for the result, you can do anything, in a word, lead a normal life - run, eat, sleep... The only thing you can't do is abuse fitness and heavy physical work.

To decipher the results obtained, the doctor must see and analyze more than 50,000 photographs. As a result, the resulting image consists of a film showing 24 frames per second. This entire period lasts 1.5-2 hours. After which all the data obtained appears on the screen and is then displayed on the form.

There are quite a few undesirable contraindications for examination using capsule endoscopy of the stomach in humans. These include: a difficult patient condition, intestinal obstruction. You do not need to prepare for the video capsule for hours. It is enough to eat your last meal 15-16 hours before the start of the examination and the person is ready for it.

What are the advantages of capsule endoscopy of the stomach? It helps to find the initial cause of ailments that periodically recur or foci of constant ailments, such as: abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding or anemia in cases where no other methods work. In some chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, this method helps to determine to what extent the small intestine is affected, or shows the result of the treatment already carried out.

Technique of gastric endoscopy

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Description of the gastric endoscopy protocol

In case of gastric endoscopy, the protocol description should contain the name of the medical center, endoscopic room and/or department. All personal data about the patient, including: gender, age, department, ward, category should be noted. Moreover, the device and time of the examination, and sometimes the date should be indicated. The examination number, the nature of the procedure (planned or urgent, primary or secondary), the proposed method of premedication, anesthesia should be given. If any transendoscopic interventions were performed, they should be described in detail. If the endoscopic examination was performed under general anesthesia, it is important to indicate the composition of the anesthesia team and the method of anesthesia that was used.

When conducting an endoscopic examination for emergency indications, the description of the protocol must necessarily contain not only the time of the procedure and the beginning of the procedure, but also the date and conclusions of the endoscopic examination protocol.

In the descriptive part, it is necessary to describe all the examined sections as fully and objectively as possible: the esophagus (including the cardiac sphincter), the stomach and the duodenum. There should be no "important" or "unimportant" points. In addition, the evaluation parameters, for example, the lumen of the organ, its contents, the condition of the inner surface of the wall, its elasticity are a very important point in the description of the protocol during gastric endoscopy. It is also necessary to give a full description of the motor activity of the organ, describe the changes, whether they are flat or deepened, protruding or not. If focal lesions are detected, for any of them it is necessary to provide a description of such parameters as quantity, localization, size, characteristics of the base, edge, surrounding mucous membrane.

It is necessary to use uniform terminology in the protocol description. All definitions and terms should allow visual identification of the disease. At the same time, the protocol descriptions for gastric endoscopy should be simple and easy to read.

The final part of the protocol should contain a brief summary of the results of the gastric endoscopy. It is worth remembering that the endoscopic conclusion is not a final diagnosis. In addition, it is absolutely important to write recommendations to the attending physician or the medical team on duty for further patient management, as well as the need for additional or repeated procedures.

• Endoscopic signs of gastritis
• Endoscopic signs of gastric erosions
• Endoscopic signs of gastric ulcer
• Endoscopic signs of benign gastric tumors
• Endoscopic signs of gastric cancer

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Cost of gastric endoscopy

As a result of the analysis, the doctor and the patient receive the necessary data on the condition of the entire digestive tract. Only this procedure makes it possible to fully establish the existing problems in the stomach. During gastric endoscopy, the price will vary depending on the medical center itself. Basically, they are all private. But it is also possible to do this in state clinics. After this study, a person receives not only the results of his tests, but also detailed recommendations from the doctor, as well as a video recording of the examination.

In case of gastric endoscopy, the price will not scare a person who has decided to undergo the examination. It is accessible and acceptable. But it is advisable not to smoke before the examination, so as not to cancel the results obtained later.

It is worth telling those who want to have a gastric endoscopy in the future that today there are technologies that allow you to perform a gastric endoscopy when a person is sleeping. During this procedure, a person simply falls asleep, and when waking up, he or she does not experience any discomfort or unpleasant sensations. An important role in this process is played by an anesthesiologist, who puts the patient into a 10-minute drug-induced sleep with the help of special drugs. They cannot be classified as narcotic analgesics. In this case, the price for gastric endoscopy will be slightly higher than for a regular procedure. This amount will include both the cost of anesthesia drugs and the services of an anesthesiologist. In some institutions, this amount coincides with the price of the gastric endoscopy itself.

It is advisable for every person under 40 to undergo gastric endoscopy once a year to prevent certain stomach diseases. People with esophagitis, gastritis, etc. are recommended to undergo endoscopy at least twice a year. Modern medical institutions perform endoscopic examination of the stomach. Its price will be from 200 to 1000 UAH. It will vary depending on the patient's complaints, equipment, medical center and the experience of the doctor who decides to conduct it.

Reviews of gastric endoscopy

No ultrasound, no X-ray can give such detailed and error-free results as endoscopy. Pulmology, urology, gynecology, gastroenterology - these are the areas where endoscopy is widely used. This method helps to examine the esophagus (esophagoscopy), stomach (gastroscopy), duodenum (duodenoscopy) and colon (colonoscopy). The device, the endoscope, makes it possible not only to scrupulously see the internal picture of the body, but also to do a biopsy, which consists of analyzing a piece of affected tissue, which is taken in order to understand whether there are alarming signs that threaten a person's life or not. If dangerous cell degeneration is detected at an early stage, then it is possible to avoid tragic consequences. The main thing is to see a doctor in time. At the first stages, any, even the most terrible disease can be dealt with.

Therefore, reviews of gastric endoscopy are only positive. For the sake of their health, a person will not be afraid to do it. Moreover, it is not as scary as it seems at first. It is always scary the first time. It is better to go through long preparatory procedures the day before, anxiety, unpleasant sensations when swallowing a tube and after, than to suffer from the treatment of a protracted disease later. 5-10 minutes of anxiety and that's it, the results of your health are already in your hands. Reviews of gastric endoscopy can be different, but everyone is happy that they underwent it and are now calm about their health, because they can manage it themselves.

The main condition for successfully undergoing gastric endoscopy is the mood. Patients can make the examination easier for themselves if they breathe deeply and evenly through their nose, relax, are not afraid and swallow slowly, but at the same time, do not spit out the tube, and follow all the doctor's instructions as quickly as possible. It's like when learning to drive or giving birth. Listen to the doctor's commands and then everything will turn out in the best possible way. In general, for those who are afraid of doing gastric endoscopy, people's reviews can help. They contain their impressions and advice.