Endoscopy describes the use of endoscopes (a camera on the end of a flexible, steerable stick) to examine internal areas of the body that are not accessible otherwise.
Diagnostic endoscopy is primarily used to examine and take samples from:
The specific technique is named based on the organ examined, for example cystoscopy (into the bladder), gastroscopy (into the stomach) and bronchoscopy (into the lungs).
Interventional endoscopy (or therapeutic endoscopy) involves the use of endoscopes (sometimes combined with other imaging guidance) to perform treatments. The most common techniques we perform are:
Interventional endoscopy is a rapidly developing field and I have been lucky to spend time with a number of human endoscopists allowing me to offer new techniques that are not offered anywhere else in the UK.
The most notable of this is endoscopic biliary interventions (removal of bile duct stones, bile duct stenting, ERCP, sphincterotomy), which has been standard practice in human medicine for some time. There are a small number of centres in the world that now offer this in dogs and cats, and we are the only centre in the UK. It is a very new technique and is still in development but potentially offers minimally invasive treatment options for procedures that would previously have required open abdominal surgery. Watch this space for more info!
Diagnostic endoscopy is primarily used to examine and take samples from:
- The gastrointestinal tract including the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum (first part of the small intestine), ileum (last part of the small intestine) and large intestine.
- The respiratory tract (the nose, airways and lungs).
- The urinary tract (vagina, urethra, bladder and sometimes the ureters and kidneys).
The specific technique is named based on the organ examined, for example cystoscopy (into the bladder), gastroscopy (into the stomach) and bronchoscopy (into the lungs).
Interventional endoscopy (or therapeutic endoscopy) involves the use of endoscopes (sometimes combined with other imaging guidance) to perform treatments. The most common techniques we perform are:
- Balloon dilation of oesophageal and other gastrointestinal strictures.
- Balloon dilation of nasopharyngeal stenosis.
- Laser ablation of ectopic ureters (abnormal position of the tubes from the kidney to the bladder) under cystoscopic guidance.
- Cystoscopic ureteral stenting.
Interventional endoscopy is a rapidly developing field and I have been lucky to spend time with a number of human endoscopists allowing me to offer new techniques that are not offered anywhere else in the UK.
The most notable of this is endoscopic biliary interventions (removal of bile duct stones, bile duct stenting, ERCP, sphincterotomy), which has been standard practice in human medicine for some time. There are a small number of centres in the world that now offer this in dogs and cats, and we are the only centre in the UK. It is a very new technique and is still in development but potentially offers minimally invasive treatment options for procedures that would previously have required open abdominal surgery. Watch this space for more info!