what is a endoscopy

i hear about it a lot on the messageboard but i dont know what it is

Endoscopy is where they go down your throat with a scope to check your esaphagus and stomach. A lot of surgeons like to do these prior to surgery to make sure you don't have severe reflux problems or and stomach issues he/she needs to be aware of. Maggie

thank you for the answer maggie.i cant beleive the way you look now compared to your original pic you look great .keep it up .thanks again ...tom

Maggie! Wow girl you go! LOVE the new pic!! Robin R

Hi Tom: source: http://www.gicare.com/pated/epdgs18.htm Upper GI endoscopy is usually performed on an outpatient basis. The throat is often anesthetized by a spray or liquid. Intravenous sedation is usually given to relax the patient, deaden the gag reflex and cause short-term amnesia. For some individuals who can relax on their own and whose gagging can be controlled, the exam is done without intravenous medications. The endoscope is then gently inserted into the upper esophagus. The patient can breath easily throughout the exam. Other instruments can be passed through the endoscope to perform additional procedures if necessary. For example, a biopsy can be done in which a small tissue specimen is obtained for microscopic analysis. The exam takes from 15 to 30 minutes, after which the patient is taken to the recovery area. There is no pain with the procedure and patients seldom remember much about it. Towanda

Hi Tom: I had my first endoscopy done yesterday at St. Fran's. I was very nervous but things went very well. I don't remember any of the procedure. I did end up having a slight stricture and an ulcer. The stretched the stricture and put me on a double dose of Prilosec. I wasn't able to keep anything down so the doctor wanted me to have an endoscopy to rule out a stricture. Post op patient can have a stricture form from the new scar tissue where the new stomach meets the intestine, this isn't that uncommon.