Endoscopy/Colonoscopy Information

Endoscopy/Colonoscopy Information

Before you read more about Endoscopy, you will nead to learn about the structure and function of the gastrointestinal tract.

The Oesophagus

The (o)esophagus receives food and saliva from the mouth and carries it to the stomach. There is a muscle (lower esophageal sphincter) at the bottom where it joins the stomach that stops stomach acid regurgitating back. Acid reflux occurs when this muscle is weak.

The Stomach

The stomach is a big muscular bag that breaks down the food and mixes it with acid and enzymes. The acid is important in killing bacteria and the enzymes start the digestion process so nutrients can be taken into the body

The Small Bowel

The first part of the small bowel is called the Duodenum and this is where Duodenal Ulcers occur. The digested food is delivered to the small bowel from the stomach. The small bowel is 5 meters long in an adult, and it’s lining is covered by many projections so that it has as much surface area as possible to absorb the nutrients our body needs.

The Colon

The colon is also known as the large bowel, it receives the remaining residue from the small bowel. Water is taken out in the colon and the stool is eventually evacuated.

The Liver

The liver makes green bile which is stored in the gallbladder, it is released during a meal to absorb fats. The liver is also important to detoxify drugs and chemicals.

ENDOSCOPY

Endoscopy is the general term used to describe looking into the gut with a flexible hose that has a camera on it’s tip, the picture is relayed to a video monitor. Hence we see the lining and lumen of the gut at the site where the endoscope is located.

The term Upper Endoscopy or Gastroscopy denotes looking from the mouth into the esophagus/stomach and duodenum, where as Colonoscopy means looking into the Colon or large bowel via the back passage. During both tests biopsies (minute pieces of tissue) can be sampled from the lining of the gut and sent away to the pathologist. You do not feel the biopsies. Polyps, which are growths on the surface of the gut can also be removed.