Endoscopy
Basics
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Summary
Endoscopy is a procedure that lets your doctor look inside your body. It uses an instrument called an endoscope, or scope for short. Scopes have a tiny camera attached to a long, thin tube. The doctor moves it through a body passageway or opening to see inside an organ. Sometimes scopes are used for surgery, such as for removing polyps from the colon.
There are many different kinds of endoscopy. Here are the names of some of them and where they look.
- Arthroscopy: joints
- Bronchoscopy: lungs
- Colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy: large intestine
- Cystoscopy and ureteroscopy: urinary system
- Laparoscopy: abdomen or pelvis
- Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: esophagus and stomach
Related Issues
- Ensuring the Safety of Your Endoscopic Procedure (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) Also in Spanish
- Sedation for Your Endoscopy (American College of Gastroenterology)
Specifics
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Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health Topic
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
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Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also in Spanish
- Laparoscopic Adrenal Gland Removal (Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons)
- Laparoscopic Surgery - What Is It? (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) Also in Spanish
- Laparoscopic Ventral Hernia Repair (Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons)
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Laparoscopy
(National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Understanding Capsule Endoscopy (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) Also in Spanish
- Understanding EUS (Endoscopic Ultrasonography) (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) Also in Spanish
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Upper GI Endoscopy
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also in Spanish
- Ureteroscopy (National Kidney Foundation)
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What is Bronchoscopy?
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in Spanish
Images
- Laparoscopic surgery - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Laryngoscopy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Pelvic laparoscopy - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Endoscopy
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- ASGE: Find a Doctor (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
Children
- Laryngoscopy (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
- Upper Endoscopy for Kids (North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) - PDF Also in Spanish
Women
- Hysteroscopy (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Bronchoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cystoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Diagnostic laparoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- EGD discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Endoscopic ultrasound (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Hysteroscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish