Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for Esophageal, Stomach and Small Bowel Conditions
The most common endoscopic procedure is an upper endoscopy. This procedure is also called an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) because it looks at the:
Esophagus (esophago)
Stomach (gastro)
First part of the small intestine (duoden)
When someone speaks of having an “endoscopy,” it usually means this procedure.
Uses of EDG
Upper endoscopy is used to diagnose, monitor, biopsy and treat several digestive conditions.
EGD for Diagnosis
An upper endoscopy can help in the diagnosis of several conditions. Some of these include:
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Crohn’s disease
Difficult swallowing (dysphagia)
Chronic nausea or vomiting
Chronic indigestion (dyspepsia)
Bleeding in the upper digestive tract
EGD for Active Monitoring of Conditions
Upper endoscopy can also be used to monitor certain conditions to determine if they need medical attention:
Barrett’s esophagus
Stomach ulcers
Follow-up after stomach surgery
EGD for Biopsy
Sometimes upper endoscopy is used for biopsy by collecting small tissue samples. These samples will be looked at under a microscope to determine if the patient has any suspected conditions such as:
Esophageal cancer
Stomach cancer
Celiac disease
EGD for Treatment
Finally, a doctor can use upper endoscopy as part of another procedure to treat a condition.
Some treatment procedures that use upper endoscopy include:
Minimally invasive surgery for GERD
Esophageal dysplasia treatment
Removing early-stage cancer or precancerous growths such as polyps
Feeding tube placement
Correcting stenosis or achalasia
Draining a pancreatic cyst
Removing foreign objects from the esophagus
What an EGD Involves
Preparing for an upper endoscopy is easy. It involves fasting for a few hours beforehand. Some patients may need to stop taking certain medications a few days before their procedure. When the endoscopy is about to begin, the patient will lie on a bed with his or her head slightly raised on a pillow. The endoscope—a flexible tube with a light and camera—will gently be placed down the patient’s throat and into the esophagus.
Many patients only have their throats numbed so they won’t feel the endoscope, but some prefer light sedation or even general anesthesia. At AdventHealth Digestive Institute, we want you to be comfortable during your endoscopy and will work to achieve that. After the endoscope travels through the esophagus, it continues through to the stomach. Then it passes through to the upper part of the small intestine (the duodenum) until it is brought back out of the upper digestive tract. When the endoscopy is over, patients need little-to-no recovery time unless they were sedated or given anesthesia.
Risks Associated with EGD
There are some risks involved with upper endoscopy, but they are very rare. These include bleeding, infection and tearing of the digestive tract. Risks for complications increase if a biopsy or treatment procedure is being done as part of the upper endoscopy. However, closely following your doctor’s instructions in preparing for the endoscopy will lower the chance that a problem will occur.
Endoscopy Services
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Endoscopic Ultrasound. Comprehensive health services are offered at the AdventHealth Digestive Institute. We are invested in your long-term health goals.
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Surgical Consultations For Digestive Cancer Without The Wait
Appointments Within Five Days for Patients with Cancer
At AdventHealth Digestive Institute, we know that after being diagnosed with cancer, patients want and often need to begin treatment quickly. So we make it a priority to offer appointments for cancer surgery consultations within five business days, and often earlier.
Patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer, or have just found out they have cancer again, qualify for this priority access. Our surgeons will make themselves available to see you right away, even for a second opinion. We want to help you start your treatment as soon as possible.
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