Endoscopy is the generic term for all the medical procedures that end in “-skopie” and whose designation is derived in each case from the mirrored area, e.g. gastroscopy (mirroring of the stomach), rectoscopy and colonoscopy (rectum and colon), laparoscopy (abdomen), bronchoscopy (respiratory tract), urethroscopy and cystoscopy (ureter and urinary bladder), arthroscopy (joint).
What they all have in common is that a tube-shaped device is used to look inside a person through body orifices (naturally existing or made by a doctor). The tube contains a number of different devices, depending on the design of the endoscope and the purpose for which it is used. A miniature camera is usually installed at the tip of the endoscope, which illuminates the area under examination and transmits its images electrically through the tube to a monitor. In this way, photos and video recordings of the inside of the body are possible. In addition, a wide variety of small devices can be accommodated in the examination head of the endoscope, which can be used, for example, to take samples from the region being examined.
…and in therapy
While the main use of endoscopy was initially limited to finding out about a person’s illness, the increasing miniaturization of optical and surgical devices soon made therapeutic activities in the examined organ possible as well. For example, bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract can be stopped by means of a laser, or polyps on the vocal cords or in the colon can be ablated endoscopically. Constricted areas, for example in the esophagus or bile duct, can be widened, and stones that obstruct the outflow from the gallbladder can be removed or destroyed. In recent years, more and more operations are no longer performed on the opened body, but endoscopically as “keyhole surgery”. Because of the ability to insert a wide variety of tiny devices through endoscopes, the number of surgical and other therapeutic procedures is now almost unlimited.
What can be examined using endoscopy?
Endoscopic examination procedures have become indispensable in many medical fields, and here are some examples:
- Internal medicine: for physicians dealing with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the examination of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum and colon is everyday business. The gallbladder and pancreas are also accessible for examination during a special combination of endoscopy and X-ray examination called ERCP.
- Orthopedics: orthopedic surgeons can examine their patients through arthroscopy (specifically knee endoscopy), although these examinations also require making an incision through which the endoscope can be brought to its destination.
- Surgery: if the interior of the abdomen is to be viewed, a laparoscopy is performed. Here, the abdominal cavity is opened through a small incision and inflated with air using a tube so that the doctor can view abdominal and pelvic organs with his endoscope. This procedure is often used to remove the gallbladder.
- In gynecology, the uterus is viewed with hysteroscopy. Urologists use urethroscopy and cystoscopy to examine the urethra and urinary bladder. And even the ear, nose and throat specialists can not do without the optical tubes: they examine the mouth, nose, sinuses and throat in the panendoscopy.
