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Endoscopic Management of GI Disorders

An endoscope is not only a camera. Bleeding ulcers can be sealed, narrowed segments widened, and swallowed objects retrieved, all through the same tube used to look. For a great many problems that once needed surgery, the treatment now happens during the examination.

Bleeding treated during the same procedure
Narrowings widened without surgery
Foreign bodies retrieved endoscopically
Available as an emergency

Stay

Day care or inpatient, depending on the problem

Duration

20 to 60 minutes

Anaesthesia

Sedation

About Endoscopic Management of GI Disorders

Therapeutic endoscopy covers several distinct treatments delivered through the scope: injecting, clipping or cauterising a bleeding ulcer, banding varices in the food pipe, dilating a narrowed oesophagus, placing a feeding tube, or removing something swallowed. Each avoids an operation, and each is usually done at the same sitting as the diagnostic look.

Bleeding is treated at the moment it is found
Narrowings can be stretched, often repeatedly over time
Feeding tubes can be placed endoscopically
Avoids surgery for many problems that once required it

Before you read on

Everything here is general information about endoscopic management of gi disorders. Whether it suits you, and how it would be done in your case, is a decision for your doctor after examining you.

Your consultant's instructions always take precedence over anything written on this page.

When is it recommended?

Situations in which a doctor may suggest endoscopic management of gi disorders.

Bleeding from a stomach or duodenal ulcer
Varices in the food pipe from liver disease
Difficulty swallowing from a narrowed oesophagus
A swallowed foreign body
Need for long-term feeding access
Obstruction that can be relieved endoscopically

Procedure details

The usual sequence, from first consultation through to follow-up.

Assessment and stabilisation

If you are bleeding, resuscitation comes first: fluids, blood if needed and medication, before the endoscope is used.

Diagnostic look

The endoscope identifies the source of the problem, which is often not where the symptoms suggested.

Treatment through the scope

Depending on the finding, the bleeding point is injected, clipped or cauterised, a narrowing is dilated, or the object is retrieved.

Observation

You are monitored afterwards, for a few hours in a day case or overnight and longer after significant bleeding.

How to prepare

What to sort out before you come in.

For a planned procedure, fasting as instructed beforehand
Emergencies are done without preparation, which is expected and safe
Blood thinners must be declared, as they change the approach
Bring a list of medication and previous endoscopy reports
Arrange somebody to accompany you home for a planned procedure

Preparing for Endoscopic Management of GI Disorders

Recovery

What to expect afterwards, and roughly when.

Observation ranges from a few hours to a few days depending on what was treated
After treatment for bleeding you may be kept on a drip and on acid-suppressing medication
Diet is reintroduced gradually, starting with fluids
A repeat endoscopy is often arranged to confirm healing
Report black stools, vomiting blood, fever or severe pain immediately

Why choose Humayun for therapeutic endoscopy

Bleeding from the gut is an emergency, and the endoscopy has to be available when it happens rather than on the next list.

Emergency endoscopy available rather than waiting for a routine list
Haemostasis equipment, clips and bands held on site
Blood bank access and intensive care in the same building
Surgical gastroenterology on hand for the minority where endoscopy is not enough

Endoscopic Management of GI Disorders at Dr. Humayun Speciality Hospital

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Before you decide

Common questions about endoscopic management of gi disorders.

Can bleeding really be stopped through an endoscope?

Yes, in the large majority of cases. Injection, clips and heat all work through the scope, and this has replaced surgery as the first treatment for most gastrointestinal bleeding.

Will the narrowing need dilating again?

Often yes. Dilatation is frequently repeated at intervals, and the interval usually lengthens over time. Your gastroenterologist will explain the expected pattern.

Is it more dangerous than a diagnostic endoscopy?

The risks are slightly higher because tissue is being treated, but they remain low, and are considerably lower than the surgery these procedures replace.

How soon can I eat afterwards?

It depends what was done. After dilatation, fluids first and then soft food. After treatment for bleeding, you may be kept without food for a period and told exactly when to restart.

Still have questions?

If your question is not answered here, our team is happy to talk it through with you.