Endoscopy

In the GI laboratory, diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy is performed which includes esophagogas troduodenoscopy, colonoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). These procedures are performed to detect cancer of esophagus, stomach, colon and biliary tree. The gastroenterologist is able to diagnosed cancer, and remove precancerous lesions such as polyps with the aid of these procedures.

The bendable tube (called the “endoscope”) is about a half-inch in diameter and is long enough to reach from your mouth through your stomach and into the first part of your duodenum (small intestine). The tube has a tiny video camera and a light on the end. It also has holes in its end that allow your doctor to pump air into your intestine, squirt water to clean the camera lens, and suck out liquid or air.

You will be asked to swallow right at the time the tube is first placed into your throat; this will help guide the endoscope into your esophagus. You will likely feel pressure against your throat while the tube is in place and you may experience a “full” feeling in your stomach. The doctor or doctor’s assistant will gently push the tube so that its end moves deeper into your stomach. The doctor controls the movement of the tube by pushing and pulling on its outside end and also by steering the inside end with a remote control. The camera produces a picture that appears on a video screen. If a suspicious place is seen on the lining of the stomach or esophagus, your doctor might use some small clippers on the end of the scope to remove a tiny piece of tissue (a biopsy) to check under the microscope.

The exam itself takes only 10 to 15 minutes, but including setup time, you will probably be in the room for 40 minutes or more. The numbness in your throat will wear off in about a 30 minutes. The medicine that you are given will make you sleepy for an hour or more.

New procedures being done in the GI lab include the placement of esophageal stents and expandable biliary stents. The esophageal stents are placed into an obstructing carcinoma of the esophagus to provide a patent lumen for swallowing nourishment and oral secretions in a terminally ill patient. The insertion of an expandable biliary prosthetic device provides palliative treatment of biliary strictures caused by malignancies.

The GI Labs located in both acute hospitals provide comprehensive gastro-intestinal exams for screening and diagnostics.

San Pedro: G.I. Lab (310) 832-3311 ext. 6217
Torrance: G.I. Lab (310) 543-5849