| Before we talk about treatment, let's start with a discussion about the human body and about your medical condition.
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Your doctor has recommended that you have a lower GI endoscopy. But what does that actually mean? |
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A lower GI endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure used by your doctor to inspect the inside of your rectum and colon. While it's considered a surgical procedure, endoscopy does not involve an incision. |
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Instead, your doctor will pass a flexible tube, called an endoscope through your anus and into your rectum and colon. |
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This tube has a tiny video camera mounted on its tip. |
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It also contains a small tool used for taking tissue samples. |
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Your doctor can use the endoscope to inspect the entire lower half of your digestive system. |
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In some cases, the shape of the colon makes it impossible to pass the endoscope as far into the body as the doctor would like. |
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Your doctor may decide to take a series of x-rays - or even to perform surgery - in order to inspect the hidden area. |
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Reasons for undergoing a lower GI endoscopy vary. You may have been suffering from one or more of a number symptoms - including blood in your stool, weight loss, chronic irregularity or other problems associated with the digestive system. |
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Some gastrointestinal symptoms can be warning signs of serious medical problems and you should take your doctor's recommendation to have an endoscopy very seriously. |
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Luckily, the vast majority of medical problems diagnosed by endoscopy are treatable and you should look forward to improved health and comfort as a result of the information gathered during the procedure. |
So make sure that you ask your doctor to carefully explain the reasons behind this recommendation. |
