Endoscopy Exam Notes

Endoscopy Exam Notes

• Endoscopy: A procedure used to view and operate on internal organs and vessels.
• Endoscopy Use Cases: Investigating unusual symptoms, performing certain types of surgery and tissue sample removal
• Investigating Symptoms: Vomiting blood, difficulty in swallowing, persistent diarrhoea, persistent abdominal pain, unexplained vomiting, unexplained heart-related chest pain, and unexplained weight loss.
• Endoscopy Types:
  • Laparoscopy: For abdomen or pelvis
  • Hysteroscopy: For uterus
  • Cystoscopy: For bladder
  • Gastroscopy (upper GI endoscopy): For upper GI
  • Colonoscopy: For colon
  • Sigmoidoscopy: For colon
  • ERCP: Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography
  • Bronchoscopy: For lungs
  • Laryngoscopy: For larynx
  • Arthroscopy: For joints
  • Nasopharyngoscopy: For nasopharynx
  • Otoscopy: For ears
• Endoscopy Advantages: Less invasive than open surgery; allows for descriptive and photographic documentation; low morbidity and mortality.
• Endoscopy Disadvantages: Can only view the surface of the organ; only a small area is visible at a time.
• Endoscopy Diagnostic & Treatment Use: Bleeding source diagnosis, detection of polyps, abnormal tissues, inflammatory bowel diseases.
• Capsule Endoscopy: A technique using a capsule with a camera to examine the digestive tract. The capsule transmits images as it passes.
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): Combines endoscopy and X-rays to visualize the bile and pancreatic ducts, used to treat conditions affecting these ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, and liver.
• Endoscopic Ultrasound: Uses high-frequency sound waves to identify digestive and lung diseases.
• Narrowband Imaging: Uses filtered light for better visualization of internal organs.
• Chromolendoscopy: Uses dyes to identify lesions before endoscopy.

Endoscopy B

• Da Vinci Surgical System: Offers robot assistance, improving dexterity and control, and reducing hospital stay.
• Endoscopy Use Cases: Diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, malignancy, stomach ulcers, chronic constipation, pancreatitis, gallstones, tumors, infections, and hiatal hernia.
• Endoscopy Use Cases (cont.): Unusual vaginal bleeding, gastroesophageal reflux disease, unexplained bleeding in the digestive tract, and blockage of the esophagus.

Endoscopy C

• Gastroscopy Reliability: A reliable test for diagnosing upper digestive tract abnormalities (inflammation, ulcers, tumors).
• Gastroscopy Limitations: Gastroscopy is not foolproof; it may not detect very early or subtle conditions like tiny ulcers or early-stage cancer.
• Colonoscopy Procedure: Examines the large intestine and rectum to detect abnormalities, including cancer.

Endoscopy D

• Anal Canal: A short segment of the digestive tract.
• Endoscopic Examination of the Terminal Ileum: Examines the last part of the small intestine.

Endoscopy E

• Bronchoscopy: A procedure inserting a tube through the nose or mouth to visualize the airways.
• Bronchoscopy Uses: Diagnosing and treating lung conditions, performing biopsies, treating airway blockages, and removing foreign objects.
• Bronchoscopy Complications: Pneumothorax, hemorrhage, hypoxia, bronchospasm in asthmatics, complications of sedation/anesthesia, dysrhythmias.
• Bronchoscopy Contraindications: Uncorrectable hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and unstable myocardium, Uncorrectable bleeding, intractable stenosis

Endoscopy F & G - ERCP

• ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography): A specialized procedure to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the bile ducts, gallbladder, pancreas, and liver. It combines endoscopy and fluoroscopy.
• ERCP Indications: Abnormal results of barium enema, suspected causes of rectal bleeding, growth of polyps, checking rectal cancer bleeding in patients previously undergoing surgery, and treating their cancer.
• ERCP Considerations Post-procedure: Patients are monitored for an hour or more, and eating and drinking are allowed once the effects of sedation have subsided.
• ERCP Complications: Infection, pancreatitis, allergic reactions to sedation, excessive bleeding, fine puncture of the gastrointestinal tract, and, rarely, death.

Endoscopy G & H - Cystoscopy

• Cystoscopy: A procedure that allows a view of the inside of the bladder and urethra. It uses a thin, tube-like instrument called a cystoscope and images are displayed on a screen.
• Cystoscopy Indications: Frequent urinary tract infections, blood in the urine (hematuria), frequent need to urinate, unusual cells in a urine sample, painful urination, urinary blockage, abnormal narrowing of the urinary tract, stones, abnormal growths (polyps or tumors).

Endoscopy F - Proctoscopy

• Proctoscopy: A procedure using a short, rigid instrument to examine the rectum and anal canal.
• Proctoscopy Purpose: To detect diseases of the rectum or anus, evaluate abnormal results on barium enema, detect causes of rectal bleeding, and monitor growth of polyps (benign growths).
• Proctoscopy Issues Heavy blood loss, difficulty in urinating, and pain are potential complications.