In addition to polyclinic services, all gastroenterology procedures for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes are performed in the field of endoscopy. For diagnostic purposes, esophagogastroduodenoscopy is performed for the upper gastrointestinal system, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for bile ducts and pancreas examinations, colonoscopy and rectosigmoidoscopy for large intestine examinations. Another procedure performed for diagnosis is liver needle biopsy.
ENDOSCOPY
Endoscopy is performed in cases where diseases of the esophagus, duodenum, and stomach are suspected. If you have symptoms such as bitter taste in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, heartburn, gnawing sensation, bloating, indigestion, or suspicion of bleeding, you must undergo an endoscopy procedure.
Especially if you have these chronic complaints, undergoing endoscopy plays an important role in the treatment process:
- Diarrhea
- Bad breath
- Difficulty swallowing
- Reflux
- Stomach pain
- Indigestion
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Weight loss
- Burning sensation in the middle of the chest
Before endoscopy, nothing should be eaten or drunk for at least 12 hours. The procedure usually takes between 10 – 30 minutes.
COLONOSCOPY
Colonoscopy is used to examine intestinal complaints or findings and for screening colon and rectal cancer. Colonoscopy allows examination of the rectum and large intestine with the help of a long, flexible, tube-shaped instrument equipped with a light source and optical imaging device at its tip.
One or two days before the colonoscopy, the patient should follow a liquid, soft diet and also take laxative medications for bowel cleansing as instructed by their physician. The patient should arrive fasting and, if possible, stop taking blood thinners (such as aspirin, heparin, or coumadin) 4-7 days before the procedure.
- Colonoscopy is performed in the following cases:
- Routine intestinal screenings for people over 50 years old
- Presence of fresh blood from the rectum
- Detection of occult blood in stool
- Family history of colon cancer or colon polyps in first-degree relatives
- Suspicious appearance detected during radiological imaging
- Unexplained abdominal pain and weight loss cases
- Presence of chronic diarrhea or constipation
- Colon diverticula
- Abnormalities observed in blood vessels
- Unexplained anemia and iron deficiency
- Follow-up of diagnosed colon cancer cases
- Follow-up and removal of existing polyps in the intestines
- Presence of inflammatory bowel diseases
- Chronic inflammatory bowel conditions
