Find out what problems and symptoms may warrant undergoing an upper endoscopy.
There are some stomach, intestinal, and esophageal issues that patients experience that we are unable to properly diagnose with just a simple consultation or physical exam alone. Sometimes further diagnostic testing is required to get to the heart of the problems. In some cases, our Honolulu, HI gastroenterologist may recommend an endoscopy to determine what’s going on.
What is an upper endoscopy in Honolulu, HI?
This diagnostic procedure is one of the best tools our Honolulu, HI, gastroenterologists have for examining and evaluating the digestive tract and for detecting any problems that could be causing your throat, stomach, or other digestive issues.
When is an endoscopy performed?
There are a few situations in which our team may recommend getting an endoscopy:
- If you are dealing with any digestive symptoms such as persistent heartburn, acid reflux, or abdominal pain
- To determine the extent or seriousness of a digestive disorder
- To evaluate a current digestive condition
- To take a biopsy of the lining of the digestive tract
- To perform a cancer screening for those who have symptoms or risk factors
- To remove a polyp or small tumor
- To stop internal bleeding and to determine what is causing your bleeding
What should I expect from my endoscopy?
An upper endoscopy is only minimally invasive and is the best way to diagnose a digestive condition that impacts the stomach, esophagus, or upper intestinal tract. When you come in for this procedure we will take your vital signs and then place an IV into your arm to provide you with pain medication and sedation to help you relax during your endoscopy. From there, a thin, flexible tube with a camera attached is carefully inserted into the throat and down into the stomach so we can examine the lining and look for ulcers, bleeds, or other problems. This procedure will take anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour to complete.