Gastroscopy is advised if the patient has hyperacidity, pain or burning sensation in the stomach, vomiting, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing, blood vomiting, etc. The diagnosis of Peptic Ulcer, Acid Reflux Disease[GERD], H. Pylori infection, tumors & cause of bleeding is precisely diagnosed. If necessary, tissue samples ( Biopsy) can be collected. Many Endoscopic treatments can also be performed, like stopping internal bleeding, removing foreign bodies, widening narrowed digestive tract, etc.

The patient should be fasting for 5 hours. His throat is made temporarily numb by local anesthetic spray. The patient is made to lie on the right side & endoscope is passed through the mouth into the upper Digestive tract. Usually, the examination takes about 5 to 10 minutes. No pain or choking is experienced. Typically no General anesthesia is required. Half an hour after the test patient can have food. Hospital admission is not required except for very sick patients.

Diagnosis of Colitis ( swelling & irritation of the colon), tumor, polyp or cancer, diverticulitis, piles & fissure, etc., are diagnosed by Colonoscopy. In Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colonoscopy findings are normal. Patients with a family history of Colon Cancer should undergo a colonoscopy checkup once in 2 to 3 years to detect early cancer. Through Colonoscope, internal bleeding can be stopped & some tumors can be removed without a major operation.