EGD allows the doctor to examine the lining of the upper GI tract. The main indications include heartburn, indigestion, dysphagia, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain and anemia.
If a patient suffers with acid reflux, indigestion, an ulcer, difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain or anemia, we may perform upper endoscopy, or EGD.
When performing EGD, we use a small, flexible instrument to examine the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine, typically on an outpatient basis. Patients usually go home within an hour after the procedure. Though the exam is not painful, we usually sedate patients to prevent gagging. An EGD procedure allows our physicians to look for the causes of conditions such as:
- Abdominal pain, bloating
- Difficult, painful swallowing
- Ulcer
- GI bleeding
- Nausea, vomiting
- Heartburn ir GERD, esophagitis
- Weight loss
Upper endoscopy also allows ours physician to dilate, or stretch, narrowed areas of the esophagus and stomach, take tissue samples to check for inflammation, infection and cancer, remove growths and foreign bodies or food stuck in the GI tract and treat bleeding lesions with medication, cauterization or special clipping devices.
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