Do you know that good health is indeed the most priciest possession one can have? In fact, the price of health can be so high that even money could not even buy. However, as humans, we will get sick at some point in our life. This is why health screening is important to detect early health problems and getting the right treatment when needed. Medical procedures such as enteroscopy and endoscopy are among common procedures used in diagnosing diseases or treatment. This article emphasizes the difference between enteroscopy and endoscopy.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a medical procedure where a doctor uses a tube-like instrument to get a direct view of the internal organs. Endoscopy itself can be a tool for diagnosis and a treatment option for some conditions. Endoscope is a term used to describe the tool used in endoscopy. Endoscope is the long and thin tube equipped with small camera.
There are many types of endoscopies used. The type of endoscopy used will depend on the symptoms or organ affected. Among the common endoscopy are colonoscopy (through the bottom to check for bowel), gastroscopy (through mouth to check the oesophagus, stomach and part of small intestine), bronchoscopy (through mouth to check respiratory airways and lungs), cystoscopy (through the urethra to evaluate bladder), hysteroscopy (through the vagina to check the womb), arthroscopy (through skin to check joint) and laparoscopy (through skin to check abdomen). Newest endoscopy such as capsule endoscopy is a procedure where a patient swallows the tiny wireless camera in the form of a capsule. This will then take pictures or video while travelling through the digestive tract.
Beside the endoscope itself, there are other tools that may be used together during the endoscopy procedure. This includes forceps and brushes. Flexible forceps and biopsy forceps enable doctors to obtain small tissue samples or to remove suspicious growth. Cytology brushes are also used to obtain cell samples. Suture removal forceps is used to remove stitches from previous surgery.
Enteroscopy
Enteroscopy is a procedure that is used to examine the small bowel and treat it. Enteroscopy is designed to examine within intestines. There are few types of enteroscopy which are single balloon enteroscopy, double balloon enteroscopy and motorised spiral enteroscopy.
- Single balloon enteroscopy is a simplified version of double balloon procedure that uses one small balloon at the endoscope. It is also called a push enteroscopy.
- Double balloon enteroscopy sometimes known as push-and-pull enteroscopy. It uses two tiny balloons with each end of the tube a balloon. It is alternately inflated and deflated to further move the endoscope.
- Motorised spiral enteroscopy works almost the same with balloon enteroscopy but it mainly uses the spiral instead of balloons. This spiral rotates while going further down the intestine. This is said to benefit patients with limited intestinal areas.
Now that you know roughly what endoscopy and enteroscopy is, what makes the differences between the two? Endoscopy can be used to examine a lot of systems in the body and is able to become a treatment while enteroscopy is specifically used to check the intestine. This means that endoscopy usage is wide when compared to enteroscopy. Another difference between endoscopy with enteroscopy is the other tools used or equipped during the procedure. Endoscopy may be equipped with or use tools such as brush and forceps together. Enteroscopy is often used with balloons or spirals. Endoscopy procedures usually take shorter time than enteroscopy but time needed to complete any of the two procedures will depend on the severity or complexity of the case.
Both endoscopy and enteroscopy use endoscope as its main tool. Both procedures require the patient to make preparations before the procedure. It is common for patients to avoid eating or drinking for at least 8 hours before the procedure. Thus, patients are often advised to fast the night before the procedure. Specific medications may need to be stopped prior to the procedure such as blood thinner and aspirin. However, it is best for patients who already have their regular medication to ask their doctor if they are able to take it as usual before the procedure. Both procedures are done with sedative. Endoscopy and enteroscopy are both known as safe procedures but it may also pose risks such as bleeding, pierced holes or punctures to the area examined and soreness to the entry site of the endoscope.
It can be concluded that there are differences between enteroscopy and endoscopy. Both of these procedures are able for diagnosis and treatment. Endoscope is used in both procedures. Endoscopy usage is not limited to the intestine as it can be used in many parts of the human body. Both procedures require the patient to make several preparations to ensure the procedure runs smoothly. It is important for patients to follow all advice or instructions provided by a healthcare provider before the procedure. Any questions or worries related to the procedure should be addressed to the doctor before the day of the procedure.
