Reasons You May Need an Upper Endoscopy

An upper endoscopy is a simple, yet state-of-the-art gastrointestinal procedure. Why would you need this test? The reasons are many, making endoscopy one of the most versatile and reliable diagnostic tools your gastroenterology doctor in Henderson delivers. According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, almost 7 million American adults undergo an endoscopy annually, helping doctors uncover GI disease and to treat it properly. At Comprehensive Digestive Institute of Nevada, count on expert, compassionate care from our team of board-certified gastroenterologists during upper endoscopy or other GI procedures you may need.

What happens during an upper endoscopy?

During an upper endoscopy, you will be lightly sedated and lie on one side. Your physician will anesthetize the back of your throat and introduce a thin, lighted tube which has a miniature video camera. As the tube travels down your esophagus to your stomach and duodenum (upper intestine), your doctor views real-time color images on a monitor. He is able to see areas of bleeding, growths, malformations, hernias and other irregularities.

In addition, your Henderson gastroenterologist may take small tissue samples for biopsy (analysis for cancer and Heliobacter pylori), perform tissue ablation to destroy areas of irregularity (such as Barrett's Esophagus) or bleeding or to stretch strictures that narrow the GI tract.

The entire procedure takes about 30 minutes, and the vast majority of patients tolerate it very well. Because of the sedation, a responsible adult must drive you home afterward. At home, you can eat and resume light activity right away, but you may feel a bit bloated because of the air introduced by the endoscope during the procedure.

Why would you need an upper endoscopy?

When patients present with symptoms of unexplained pain, digestive issues, nausea, vomiting or bleeding, the GI doctor may order an upper endoscopy. While X-rays render a good visualization of structures in the GI tract, irregularities such as polyps, bleeding and inflammation are detected better with endoscopy, says the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Plus, the test is a minimally invasive, comfortable way to take biopsies for cellular analysis.

Rest assured

At Comprehensive Digestive Institute of Nevada, our professional staff knows the literal ins and outs of upper endoscopy. Your procedure will be safe, accurate and comfortable. If your primary care physician wants you to have an upper endoscopy, contact our office staff at (702) 483-4483. We have locations in both Henderson and Las Vegas, NV.

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Las Vegas, NV Gastroenterology Doctor

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Henderson, NV Gastroenterology Doctor

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed