subject: Some Lower GI Endoscopy Procedures [print this page] Some Lower GI Endoscopy Procedures Some Lower GI Endoscopy Procedures
The term of lower GI endoscopy is mainly used for describing a specialized medical examination inside the lower gastrointestinal tract of individual. This type of examination combines two lower gastrointestinal exams, the sigmoidoscopy and the colonoscopy. In addition, this type of endoscopy is used for identifying specific problems in the lower bowels.
Lower GI endoscopy is aimed to view inside the gastrointestinal tract by using a thin and flexible tube which is equipped with a video camera and a light. In this certain exam, it performs a sigmoidoscopy which is known as sigmoid portion or colon exam and a colonoscopy which is known as a colon exam. This kind of examination can only be performed by a trained physician so that he can train the result more accurately.
Someone needs to take a lower GI endoscopy when he gets gastrointestinal problems. Unexplained bleeding and constant changes in bowels can be the symptoms. This exam is able to diagnose colitis which is known as colon inflammation. In some cases, it is able to detect rectal or colon cancer. In addition, it can be used for taking tissue samples and examining and removing polyps from bowels wall.
Before undertaking a lower GI endoscopy, you have to do some procedures for your preparation. For the preparation, you need to drink clear liquid only and are not recommended to consume food for 24 hours before the exam. You will also require an enema and laxative for the exam.
Before the procedure, the arm of the patient is given an IV line and sedating medication. Then, an endoscope is inserted into the rectum for examining the inner walls of lower gastrointestinal system. The endoscopy will transfer the picture of inside the body to the screen. This picture can be saved for further diagnosis and analysis. After the examination is over, the patients can directly go home. In addition, the examination for the tissue will take several days to test.
