ENDOSCOPY: A NON-INVASIVE WAY TO LOOK INSIDE
An endoscope is a fiber-optic tube that is used to look down into either the esophagus or trachea through the mouth. It is a non-invasive way to look into the stomach (and sometimes small intestine) or the airways. Common reasons to use endoscopy are to look for foreign objects, remove small objects, biopsy masses, collect specimens for culture and look for structural or functional problems in these areas.
We have 2 endoscopes in our hospital; the gastroscope is generally used to look into the intestinal tract and the bronchoscope to look into the trachea and airways. They function the same way but the bronchoscope is smaller in diameter. Using one or the other, we are able to perform both bronchoscopy and gastroscopy on most cats and dogs. Although the procedures require general anesthesia, they do not involve surgery and are therefore less invasive. We may see something while scoping that requires surgical repair, or we may collect samples that lead to further treatment. Often the endoscopy procedure itself provides all the information we need for treatment.
We have 2 endoscopes in our hospital; the gastroscope is generally used to look into the intestinal tract and the bronchoscope to look into the trachea and airways. They function the same way but the bronchoscope is smaller in diameter. Using one or the other, we are able to perform both bronchoscopy and gastroscopy on most cats and dogs. Although the procedures require general anesthesia, they do not involve surgery and are therefore less invasive. We may see something while scoping that requires surgical repair, or we may collect samples that lead to further treatment. Often the endoscopy procedure itself provides all the information we need for treatment.
