Endoscopy is the process of examining different parts of the digestive tract with the help of fiberoptic cables and is a very useful diagnostic method that has been in the service of humanity for about 40 years. Thanks to this procedure, early diagnosis of diseases of the esophagus, stomach and intestines can be made, and treatments can be applied in the same session with interventional procedures.
There have been many developments in the field of endoscopy over these years. First of all, effective and safe drugs have been developed in recent years, which are used for sedation during the procedure. These enable the patient to sleep in a short time, the patient sleeps during the procedure, and the patient wakes up quickly after the procedure and continues his daily life. During the procedure, the patient’s heartbeat, blood pressure and blood oxygen level are constantly monitored, so possible risks from sleep are minimized.
Thanks to the advances and innovations in endoscopy technology in image sharpness, the diagnosis of early lesions, which are the precursors of cancer in the stomach and intestinal wall, has become more possible. Lesions detected in this way can be removed by endoscopic methods, and a significant contribution is made to the patient’s life. Again, such lesions can be eliminated by burning treatment methods such as argon plasma laser applied with endoscopy.
Gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the areas where endoscopy is most used in treatment. Methods such as finding a bleeding wound (ulcer) or vein, injecting drugs that stop bleeding, or tying it with metal clips are often life-saving. In addition, thanks to these treatments, the need for blood donation to the patient is reduced and the hospitalization period of the patient is shortened.
Another area of use that has been increasingly accepted all over the world in recent years is colonoscopy screening in colon cancer. Colon cancers are among the most common cancer types in both men and women. Colon tumors mostly develop on the basis of polyps; that is, they go through a polyp stage first, and then they turn into cancer. Polyps are benign formations originating from the intestinal wall, starting from a few millimeters in size and increasing gradually. Their diameter is 1 cm. When the temperature exceeds, there is a risk of developing cancer cells (dysplasia) in them, and in the following time they turn into overt colon cancer. Here comes the benefit of colonoscopy; Polyps seen in the large intestine can be removed during the same colonoscopy session and the patient is protected from colon cancer very effectively. For this reason, in many western countries, colonoscopy screening is applied to the entire population after the age of 50 at certain intervals.
Capsule Endoscopy
One of the most important innovations in the field of endoscopy in recent years is capsule endoscopy. The main purpose of this procedure is to examine the small intestines. Images taken through a vitamin-sized capsule are recorded on a receiver device carried on the body. The recording lasts for 8 hours, during which the person continues his daily activities. At the end of the examination, the capsule is excreted spontaneously with feces. Small intestine image recordings taken at the end of the day are analyzed on the computer. Thanks to this method, the diagnosis of diseases such as inflammatory diseases of the small intestine (Crohn’s disease), bleeding in the digestive system of unknown origin, small intestine tumors is made.
Another capsule method that has been developed recently is colon capsule endoscopy or capsule colonoscopy. The most definitive method in the diagnosis of large bowel diseases is undoubtedly standard colonoscopy. However, it can be tried in patients for whom this is not possible, for example in patients for whom sedation, that is, to sleep, is inconvenient, or in patients who absolutely refuse colonoscopy. The advantage of the method is that the patient can continue his daily activities during the procedure, just like in small bowel capsule endoscopy.
In recent years, telemetric capsules have been used in the diagnosis of reflux disease. Reflux disease may sometimes not produce typical symptoms; There may be no complaints such as burning and souring. Instead, symptoms such as cough, hoarseness, chest pain that do not directly suggest reflux may occur. In such cases, acid measurement is made for 48 hours with the help of a small capsule placed at the lower end of the esophagus, and the recordings are sent via radio waves to a receiver carried in the body. The patient continues his normal life during these 48 hours. The capsule then falls into the stomach and is spontaneously excreted in the feces. The records that were recorded to the receiver for 48 hours are also examined on the computer to investigate the presence of reflux, and the correlation of reflux attacks with the patient’s complaints is examined.
Capsule methods, both capsule endoscopy and pH monitoring capsule, are noninvasive endoscopy techniques with very useful diagnostic contributions and are expected to be used more widely in the future as methods applied without adversely affecting patient comfort.
