Upper Endoscopy

An upper endoscopy or EGD is a very safe procedure that gives your doctor information that other tests may not be able to provide. The test involves swallowing a small lighted instrument; it allows seeing the inside of the esophagus, the stomach, and the duodenum.

Indications for Upper Endoscopy:

• persistent nausea and vomiting
• upper abdominal pain
• heartburn, or acid reflux symptoms
• acid or burning sensation the throat or chest
• gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (vomiting blood or blood found in the stool)
• difficulty swallowing
• abnormal or unclear findings on an x-ray
• removal of a foreign body
• for follow-up on previously found polyps (growths), tumors, or ulcers
• to stretch or dilate narrowed areas

If the doctor sees a suspicious area, he can pass an instrument through the endoscope and take a small piece of tissue, a "biopsy". Biopsies are taken for many reasons and do not necessarily imply cancer. Other instruments can also be passed through the endoscope without causing discomfort, like a small brush to wipe cells from suspicious areas. When polyps are found a wire loop (snare) to remove polyps can also be done.