Your doctor may want to perform an endoscopy if you’re experiencing any of the following:

• Difficult or painful breathing
• Discolored or bloodied stool
• Intense abdominal or chest pain
• Persistent nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Pain in your abdomen
• Persistent hoarseness
• Problems swallowing or worsened throat pain
• Serious heartburn
• Unexplained anemia
• Unexplained and severe weight loss

At Redwood Memorial Hospital, we use several types of endoscopy procedures.

A gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is a medical procedure used to look at the lining of your upper digestive tract. A small, flexible tube with a camera is threaded down your esophagus and into your stomach. The camera allows your doctor to examine the lining of your digestive tract. Endoscopies are used to prevent, treat and diagnose digestive diseases.

A colonoscopy is a screening test for colon cancer. The procedure uses a long, flexible tube inserted into your rectum. A video camera on the tube is used to look at your colon.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a screening test that looks at your gallbladder, bile system, pancreas and liver. It uses both X-rays and a gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Esophageal manometry is a procedure that looks at how well your esophagus is functioning. It uses a small tube inserted through your nose.

A capsule endoscopy is used to look at your small intestine. It is one of the newest procedures Providence Redwood Memorial Hospital uses. Instead of inserting a tube, you swallow a capsule that contains a camera. The doctor looks at your small intestine through thousands of photographs captured by the capsule's camera.

If you are having an endoscopy, your doctor will probably ask that you do not eat or drink for several hours beforehand. Your procedure may include the insertion of a small tube down your esophagus. We provide a general anesthetic and a sedative to calm the gag reflex and numb your body. After the procedure, you will head to the recovery room as you begin to wake up from the anesthesia. Your nurse and doctor will let you know when you can expect results and what to do after you leave.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to your doctor. We want to make sure you feel as comfortable as possible throughout every stage of your procedure.