Upper Endoscopy

After reviewing your symptoms and examining you, our gastroenterologist may recommend a procedure that lets him or her take a look inside your upper digestive system. During this exam, called upper endoscopy, your doctor can see if you have any inflammation, swollen veins or abnormal tissue.

Preparation

In order to provide a clear view of your upper gastrointestinal tract, you'll prepare for the test by not eating or drinking for 10 or more hours. Before the procedure begins, you'll be given a sedative that helps you relax and makes you feel sleepy.

Your doctor may also give you a solution to gargle that helps numb your throat. Then your doctor will slide a flexible tube with a camera, called an endoscope, into your esophagus, stomach and the first portion of your small intestine.

The endoscope includes a channel through which your doctor can pass instruments that can take tissue samples and take actions to stop bleeding. Other instruments can even dilate, or expand, areas of your upper digestive system that have become narrowed.

The endoscope can also carry a small ultrasound device called a transducer. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of the inside of your organs.

During the procedure, your doctor may pump a little air through the endoscope to make it easier to see the lining of your stomach.

After Your Upper Endoscopy

After the procedure is over, you may have to wait for a little bit for the sedative to wear off before you go home. Because of the sedative, you should be sure to have someone drive you home after the procedure.

Any biopsies taken during your upper endoscopy will be sent to the laboratory to be carefully examined under a microscope. The information your doctor collects through this procedure will help him or her diagnose what's causing your symptoms.