A therapeutic gastroscopy is a general term that is used to describe any type of procedure that is carried out inside the upper gastrointestinal tract that involves using an endoscope. Therapeutic gastroscopy is also known as therapeutic endoscopy of the stomach.
The gastrointestinal tract
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the medical term for the digestive system. The upper GI tract consists of:
- the mouth,
- the oesophagus (also known as the gullet) - which is a tube that runs from the mouth, down the throat, and into the stomach,
- the stomach, and
- the duodenum - which is the first section of the small intestine.
What is an endoscope?
An endoscope is a thin, flexible tube that is about the width of your little finger. It has a light and a camera on one end. The camera can relay images of the inside of your body to a monitor (screen). Tiny instruments can be passed down the endoscope to carry out a range of surgical procedures such as:
- repairing bleeding ulcers and veins,
- widening the upper GI tract if there are blockages,
- providing nutrition, in cases where a person is unable to eat food in the normal way, and
- removing non-cancerous growths (polyps), or early stage cancerous tumours.
An endoscope can also be used to diagnose problems with the upper GI tract. For more information about this see the Health A-Z topic about diagnostic gastroscopy.
How common are therapeutic gastroscopies?
A therapeutic gastroscopy is a very common procedure. There are an estimated 136,000 procedures carried out by the NHS each year in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Due to the nature of the conditions that are treated using a therapeutic gastroscopy, most procedures are carried out in people who are 60 years of age, or over, with the average age being 74.
Complications
As with all surgery, a therapeutic gastroscopy carries a risk of complications, which are estimated to occur in 1 in every 100 cases.
Complications can include:
- perforation of the GI tract,
- bleeding, and
- infection.
See the ‘risks’ section for more information about complications and how they can be treated.
