What Is Endoscopy? What Is An Endoscope?

Following is an educational excerpt from one of the articles on MNT. For complete article, click link at the bottom.

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An endoscopy involves examining the inside of a person's body using an endoscope. An endoscope is a medical device consisting of a long, thin, flexible (or rigid) tube which has a light and a video camera. Images of the inside of the patient's body can be seen on a screen. The whole endoscopy is recorded so that doctors can check it again. Endoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic medical procedure. It is used to examine the interior surfaces of an organ or tissue. The endoscope can also be used for enabling biopsies and retrieving foreign objects. It is a noninvasive alternative to surgery for foreign object removal from the gastrointestinal tract. An endoscopy is often used to confirm a diagnosis when other devices, such as an MRI, X-ray, or CT scan are considered inappropriate. To learn more about this topic or an Endoscope the patient swallows - wireless capsule endoscopy please check out the complete article via What Is Endoscopy? What Is An Endoscope?.