What is a digestive endoscopy?
Digestive endoscopy is a medical analysis to explore, visualise and treat the internal cavities of certain organs of the body. Most often, it is used for diagnosing infections, diseases or cancers related to the gastrointestinal system (duodenum, stomach, colon, rectum, etc.).
A digestive endoscopy is performed by introducing an endoscope, a tube equipped with an optical fibre, to illuminate, visualise and photograph abnormalities inside the organ. Endoscopy is also used to perform biopsies (surgical sampling), and to ablate certain anomalies (tumours, polyps, etc.). Depending on the parts to be analysed, the examination is usually performed under general anaesthesia and by natural pathways. The digestive endoscopies that we offer provide efficient diagnoses (diagnostic endoscopy). We offer two different tests: colonoscopy and digestive fibroscopy. These tests provide the most reliable analyses to determine the causes and abnormalities in the gastrointestinal system.
How to prepare for colonoscopy?
You must have been fasting (no eating, drinking or smoking), unless otherwise advised by the physician performing your examination. The colon must be perfectly clean, to allow a precise examination and to perform useful therapeutic procedures. To achieve this, you will be given an oral intestinal cleansing solution prior to the examination. Please follow exactly the instructions that will be given to you for this preparation.
How to prepare for a fibroscopy?
You must have been fasting (no eating or drinking) for six hours prior to the examination, unless otherwise advised by your physician. You should not smoke (smoking increases gastric secretion and can complicate anaesthesia).
The examination uses a flexible thin device called an endoscope that is introduced through the mouth or nose, sometimes after a local anaesthetic. Most of the time, you will be placed lying on your left side. The examination is not painful. You will not have difficulty breathing because the endoscope is not inserted into the lungs. However, you should continue breathing normally during the examination to prevent nausea. You should also avoid swallowing your saliva, by letting it flow out of your mouth onto a protected surface. During the examination, air is pumped in to expand the folds in the organ’s walls, which can cause belching and gas. Samples will be taken if your physician considers it necessary.
To improve your tolerance of the examination, a general anaesthetic may be administered. In this case, the anaesthetist will answer any questions you may have regarding this area of expertise.
