Endoscopy: Purpose and Procedures

Dr. Jonathan Elihú Pedraza Tinoco

Endoscopy is an ambulatory procedure that allows the medical team to observe the interior of a specific cavity of the human body through tubular equipment that is easy to manipulate, called an endoscope. Endoscopes have a camera and light source at their tip and are controlled by a specialist. There are different types of endoscopies for different organs.

As a surgeon and specialist in digestive endoscopy, I specialize in endoscopy with a focus on the gastrointestinal tract. Our digestive system suffers continuously, thanks to our eating habits and the constant stress of our daily lives.               

The most common procedures for me are:

• Upper digestive endoscopy or panendoscopy: it aids in diagnosing and treating ailments such as:
  • Gastritis,
  • Reflux,
  • Foreign body retention in the digestive tract (for example, children who obstruct their gastrointestinal tracts while eating foreign objects)
  • Esophagitis (inflammation of the digestive tract that goes from the throat to the stomach)
  • Esophageal varices (abnormally swollen veins in the gastrointestinal tract from the throat to the stomach, generally related to liver problems).
  • Upper digestive tract bleeding
  • Helicobacter pylori infection (a bacteria found in the digestive system and causes symptoms such as pain, nausea, loss of appetite, swelling, and inflammation.)
• Colonoscopy: Helos to diagnose and treat diseases of the rectum and large intestine in its final part. Some of the ailments can be diagnosed, and treated are:
  • Diverticula (small bags that are formed in the internal wall of the intestine. Diverticula occur when these bags swell up or are infected.)
  • Hemorrhoids,
  • Lower digestive tract bleeding,
  • Polyps (a group of cells found in the colon in the form of a lump, some of them can become cancerous).
  • Inflammatory bowel disease,
  • Fistulas or Infections,
  • Fissures,
  • Irritable Bowel,
  • Colitis.
• ERCP: Helps in the detection and management of diseases of the biliary tract, stones in the biliary ducts, and tumors of the biliary tract.
• Abdominal surgery for laparoscopy and mini-laparoscopy: resolving problems such as appendicitis, gallbladder disease, hernias, and intra-abdominal tumors.