Endoscopy, The Exact Way to Diagnose Digestive Disorders

Digestive disorders are a common health problem in both children and adults. However, we often do not know or tend to ignore the digestive problem until it becomes more serious or develops a variety of complications.

The advanced development of health technology has discovered innovations to detect digestive abnormalities from an early age, including endoscopy. Endoscopy is a sophisticated method using a specialized sliding tube-shaped device and equipped with cameras that can be used to examine various parts of the gastrointestinal tract ranging from the oral cavity, the esophagus, the stomach, the colon to the rectum and the anus.

The endoscopy examination aims to help doctors evaluate the condition of the gastrointestinal tract in the patient directly through images displayed by the camera in real-time and also facilitate the sampling of tissue or biopsy on the intestinal canal without undergoing surgery if necessary, to then be further analysed so as to determine the proper diagnosis and therapy for the patient.

The endoscopy function is used to establish the diagnosis of abnormalities that occur in the digestive tract. Endoscopy is indicated for a number of conditions, including:

1. Bleeding and mucous fluids for more than 1 month
2. Anemia without an apparent cause
3. Changes in large fluids
4. Risk factors (brother or family suffering from cancer)
5. Body fat decreases by 10% in 2 months accompanied by chronic diarrhoea or blood vomiting
6. Chronic or recurrent stomach pain, along with nausea or vomiting.

Before performing an endoscopy, you can:

1. Make sure you have consulted with your doctor regarding the medical condition you are experiencing, as well as inform the doctor if there is a history of allergies or medications, so that the doctor can determine the appropriate steps to prevent complications during performing the Endoscopy.
2. Doing a fast the night before, when a person gets a gastric endoscopy operation until the procedure is done, but for the consumption of white water is still allowed up to six hours before the procedure was done. Avoid drinking red or orange-coloured drinks.
3. Wear comfortable clothes and avoid the use of jewelry, and are asked to remove glasses and fake teeth

For Friends Hermina who want to do the endoscopy examination, at Hermina Samarinda Hospital have available the Endoscopy Tool and of course with the accompaniment of the Doctor Specialist of Internal Diseases who is already expert in his department to carry out endoscope examination.

Reviewed by : dr. dr. Aditya Indra Mahendra,Sp.PD, M.Biomed

Source  : Kaminang (2016), Endoskopi Gastrointestinal
Healthline. Diakses pada 2023. How to Prepare for an Endoscopy.

Mayo Clinic. Diakses pada 2023. Upper endoscopy.