Internal Medicine
Gastroscopy & colonoscopy
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- A gastroenterology specialist performs the endoscopy personally.
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- Polyps can be removed and resected the same day.
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- Consultation with other departments is available on the day of your examination (orthopedics, neurosurgery, general surgery (thyroid, breast), obstetrics & gynecology, cardiology, nephrology, urology and more).
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- Disinfected more thoroughly with a high-performance endoscope reprocessor.
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- An anesthesiology specialist is always on site for safer sedation endoscopy.
Endoscope cleaning and disinfection
What is gastroscopy?
Gastroscopy is an examination in which an endoscope is inserted through the mouth to look directly inside the esophagus, stomach and duodenum and identify lesions accurately. Unlike an upper gastrointestinal series, in which a contrast agent is swallowed or injected before X-ray imaging of the esophagus, stomach and small intestine, endoscopy allows a biopsy to be taken as soon as an abnormality is found, giving a more accurate diagnosis and greatly helping to determine the course of treatment. Gastric cancer is common in Korea, so endoscopy is also very important for its early diagnosis. Advances in endoscopic equipment now make it possible to detect early gastric or esophageal cancers only a few millimeters in size.
Gastroscopy
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- Gastroscopy examines the upper digestive tract, including the stomach and duodenum.
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- An endoscope is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus to diagnose gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastric bleeding and more.
It is a long tube-shaped instrument with an optical lens and a light at the tip, allowing direct observation of the lining of the digestive tract.
In this examination the scope passes through the esophagus and stomach to the middle of the duodenum, allowing esophageal, gastric and duodenal disease to be identified and diagnosed.
It also allows early diagnosis when polyps or tissue suspicious for early gastric cancer or esophageal cancer is found.
Conditions detectable by gastroscopy
It can also diagnose various conditions such as erosive gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, reflux esophagitis, duodenal diverticulum and gastric polyps.
Precautions before and after gastroscopy
- Fast for at least 8 hours before the test.
- No alcohol, water or smoking.
- Patients with diabetes must stop insulin injections and diabetes medication.
- Take blood pressure medication at least 3 hours before the test.
- On the day of the examination, avoid hot or spicy food and refrain from alcohol and smoking.
- There may be throat pain for 2-3 days after the test.
Duration of gastroscopy
Gastroscopy generally takes about 5 minutes. It may take a little longer if secondary tests such as a biopsy are performed.
Why gastroscopy is needed
Stomach conditions often have vague symptoms. It is therefore impossible to diagnose which disease is present from symptoms alone.
Common symptoms of stomach disease include upper abdominal discomfort or pain, acid belching, abdominal pain on an empty stomach and heartburn; there may also be weight loss, dizziness, intermittent black stools and even vomiting of blood. In such cases a gastroscopy must be performed, and even without specific symptoms, regular gastroscopy helps protect stomach health by detecting malignant lesions early.
When regular gastroscopy is needed
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- If you have a family history of gastric cancer
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- If lesions such as atrophic gastritis are found
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- If you are 40 or older
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- If you are in a high-risk group with findings such as Helicobacter pylori infection
From your 40s, when the incidence of stomach cancer rises, it is advisable to have a gastroscopy once a year regardless of symptoms. Even in your 20s and 30s, if you have a family history of stomach cancer or symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, you should have a gastroscopy regularly every 1~2 years.
What is a colonoscopy?
In this examination an electronic endoscope on the end of a thin, flexible tube is inserted through the anus to view the entire large intestine and the terminal part of the small intestine on a monitor. The scope is advanced back through the rectum, sigmoid colon, descending, transverse and ascending colon to the cecum and the end of the ileum. It is the most accurate method of diagnosing a wide range of colorectal lesions, including colorectal cancer, hemorrhoids, colon polyps, colitis and chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
If an abnormality is found, a biopsy may be performed, in which forceps are inserted to take a piece of tissue for examination under the microscope. Advances in colonoscopes and surgical techniques allow even very small early colorectal cancers to be diagnosed, and large polyps can be removed endoscopically without open surgery.
Diseases that can be diagnosed by colonoscopy
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Intestinal lymphoid tumor
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Intestinal tuberculosis
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Colonic diverticulum
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Ischemic colitis
Various other colon lesions can also be diagnosed.
Precautions before and after colonoscopy
- You must take a bowel-cleansing agent before the examination to clean out the colon.
- For 3 days before the examination, avoid fruits and vegetables with seeds, whole grains, and seaweed such as laver and kelp.
- Be sure to take your blood pressure medication with about half a cup of water at 5 AM on the day of the test.
- Patients with diabetes must not take insulin or diabetes medication the day before the examination.
- If you have bloody stool or severe abdominal pain, please visit the hospital.
- If you had a biopsy, please eat soft porridge.
- You may feel bloated; passing gas will relieve the discomfort.
- On the day of the examination, avoid driving or operating machinery, and rest for a day if possible.
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- You will have diarrhea from the evening before until morning; on the day, it is normal for the stool to be clear liquid with no solids, so there is no need to worry.
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- If you are taking other medication, please let us know before the examination.
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- If you had a biopsy you may drink water after 1 hour; if you had a polypectomy, please eat soft porridge after 4 hours.
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- Biopsy results take about one week.
Colonoscopy duration
A colonoscopy takes about 10 minutes. It may take a little longer if a biopsy or polypectomy is performed. Regular colorectal and anal endoscopy is the most useful way to prevent, detect early and treat colorectal cancer, which has been increasing rapidly.
When a colonoscopy is needed
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- Symptoms such as abdominal pain or bloating
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- If a barium enema shows abnormal findings
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- In cases of inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
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- When stools are black or hemorrhoids are present
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- Chronic constipation, diarrhea or blood in the stool
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- To diagnose colitis, colon cancer or colon polyps
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- When diarrhea of unknown cause persists
Why a colonoscopy is needed
Colon polyps that can progress to colorectal cancer, and early colorectal cancer, have no particular warning signs, so a regular colonoscopy should be performed every 5 years from the age of 50. In particular, if a family member has had colorectal cancer or colon polyps, screening should begin from the 30s. Regardless of age, a colonoscopy should also be performed if there are various symptoms of colorectal disease or warning signs such as unexplained anemia or weight loss.
What is an ultrasound examination?
Ultrasound waves are transmitted into the body and the waves reflected from the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidneys, spleen and other organs are converted into images viewed on a monitor or photograph. It is a simple examination that is comfortable for the patient and harmless to the body, making it the most fundamental of all imaging tests. Ultrasound can also show moving structures in real time.
Ultrasound can examine congenital heart disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, ischemic disease, angina, aortic aneurysm and other heart conditions.
* Valvular heart disease / Cardiomyopathy / Congenital heart disease / Angina and myocardial infarction / Aortic aneurysm / Pericarditis / Congenital heart disease
Ultrasound is used to examine the organs of the upper and lower abdomen. Upper abdominal ultrasound can detect tumors and inflammation of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys and spleen, and can check for abnormalities of the bile ducts and the lymph nodes around solid organs. Lower abdominal ultrasound can detect various tumors and diseases of the uterus in women and the prostate in men.
* Cholecystitis / Gallstones / Gallstones / Gallbladder cancer / Kidney cancer / Pancreatic cancer / Acute appendicitis / Diverticulitis / Lymphadenitis
Precautions before and after ultrasound examination
- The evening before the examination, eat a light dinner by 8 p.m. and eat nothing after 9 p.m.
- After the test, the remaining gel is wiped off.
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- For an accurate examination it is important to cooperate by controlling your breathing and changing and holding positions as the doctor instructs.
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- Depending on the situation, pressure may be applied to the area being examined for an accurate diagnosis.
Duration of ultrasound examination
The time required depends on the area examined. It usually takes about 10~15 minutes, and longer for interventional procedures.
Why ultrasound examination is needed
Besides echocardiography and abdominal ultrasound, there are many other ultrasound examinations. Because ultrasound is the most basic of examinations, the attending doctor decides which to perform according to the type and nature of the disease. Related examinations include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
