What’s an Upper Endoscopy, or Flexible Endoscopy, and why you might have one
An upper endoscopy assesses the inside of the body with cameras. Specifically to inspect the lining of your oesophagus, stomach and around the first bend of your small intestine. The technology and equipment used to perform endoscopy have improved considerably in the last 20 years. The tubes and cameras are now flexible and much thinner than the older rigid cameras of the past. This means they are much more comfortable for the patient and can often be performed under local anaesthetic spray. The procedure is usually performed in an endoscopy suite with the help of specially trained nurses. The patient lies on their left [...]
What is an OGD Procedure?
An OGD procedure, or test, is short for OesophagoGastroDuodenoscopy which is quite a mouth full to pronounce! This is a special endoscopy which views the: O – oesophagus (also known as the gullet or food pipe) G - gastro (is the medical word for stomach) and D – duodenum (this is the first part of the small bowel) The other name for this procedure is an Upper GI endoscopy – as it examines the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The procedure is carried out in the endoscopy department and patients are advised to stop eating for 6 hours before the test to make sure the stomach [...]
Common questions about acid reflux and hiatus hernia surgery
Luckily, acid reflux and heartburn are usually temporary problems. However, when they become part of your daily or weekly routine it's time to seek specialist advice... At times of overindulgence, such as Christmas parties, almost everyone can suffer from acid reflux. Commonly referred to as heartburn and caused by acid coming back up the gullet from the stomach. For most patients, it's a sensation which lasts only a few minutes, but for others in can be a persistent problem with every meal. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) can affect men and women of any age and can get progressively worse. Specialist Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon Mr Ewen [...]
How to find out if you need anti-reflux surgery
What to do when you get severe heartburn or indigestion: John came to my clinic recently to discuss his heartburn. Medically this is known as gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. It's when acid from the stomach ‘refluxes’ up the oesophagus and causes symptoms. John was finding his symptoms of burning in the lower chest were made worse after: Eating a large meal, Drinking lots of tea or coffee At night when lying down in bed Some patients occasionally taste acid at the back of their throats especially when bending over. Like many patients, John had been to his GP to discuss the issue and been put on [...]
What is Barrett’s oesophagus?
Barrett’s Oesophagus is a condition where the normal lining, coating the lower part of the gullet (oesophagus) changes to being a different lining which is more like than found in the stomach or intestine. This condition was named after a London surgeon called Norman Barrett in the 1950’s. He was among the first to discover it. What causes Barrett’s Oesophagus? The cause of the condition is not known. It is believed that many years of reflux of stomach contents into the gullet (sometimes perceived as heartburn) causes injury to the lining of the gullet (oesophagitis). This inflammation may lead to damage to the gullet cells, [...]
Oesophago-gastric cancer
One of my main interests is oesophageal and gastric cancer. Compared to other cancers the prognosis isn't great and doesn't seem to be improving like it is in other countries for some reason. One of the ways we can improve the prognosis is to catch the disease at a much earlier stage. Echoing the main messages of the UK Governments 'Be clear on cancer' campaign from 2015, the main messages were 1. Having heartburn, most days, for 3 weeks or more could be a sign of cancer – tell your doctor 2. Food sticking when you swallow could be a sign of cancer – tell [...]
