Gastroenterology and endoscopy

Colorectal cancer screening is a very good way to detect this disease at an early stage and thus to be able to treat it much more effectively. More than 50,000 patients in Germany develop colorectal cancer every year. Early detection is therefore enormously important in order to be able to help many people. 

Colorectal cancer is a very common tumor disease in women and men. The frequent cause is the alteration of intestinal polyps, which are basically harmless but can become malignant. Colorectal cancer in family members or inflammatory bowel disease mean higher risks.

With colonoscopy (endoscopy), an effective examination method is available to make accurate diagnoses.

The endoscopy of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract is carried out with a thin flexible glass fibre instrument at the tip of which a tiny video camera is located. The images are transferred to a television monitor. The patient can also view these pictures. If desired, these examinations can be carried out in sedation (twilight sleep) so that the examination is painless. All endoscopic examinations require you to appear sober. In the case of intestinal examinations, additional intestinal cleansing must be carried out beforehand according to instructions.

Endoscopy of oesophagus, stomach and duodenum, in particular to assess inflammation, ulcer, tumour, heartburn)
Duration of examination no more than 5 min, with preparation and follow-up up to 30 min.

After preparation, the entire colon is examined up to the junction of the small intestine. This provides a reliable assessment of whether there is inflammation, polyp or tumour, or whether the bowel is completely healthy. This examination is usually carried out in sedation so that you do not feel any pain. The examination takes 15-30 minutes, but the preparation at home takes several hours, the aftercare in the practice up to 1 hour.

Polyps are sometimes found in both gastroscopy and, in particular, colonoscopy. These are immediately removed without any pain during the appropriate examination, as malignant tumours can develop from them.

Tissue samples are taken from all regions of the body (oesophagus, stomach, duodenum, large intestine, small intestine), this is completely painless - even without sedation. After all endoscopic examinations with sedation, you will be monitored in the recovery room before you can only go home accompanied. As already mentioned above, independent driving is only possible the following day, when all endoscopies are carried out using high-definition television equipment.

• The underlying organs can be examined by placing an ultrasound probe on the skin from the outside. The size of the organs and the assessment of their structure can provide information on the state of health of the organs. Duration of examination: 10 min.
  

Representation of:

• liver
• gallbladder
• pancreas
• kidneys
• spleen
• abdominal artery
• urinary bladder
  

Functional examinations:

• Gastrointestinal transit time measurements (Hinton test, 13C and H2 breath tests)
• H2 breath test (lactose, fructose, sorbitol intolerance, bacterial overgrowth)
• Pancreas function tests (e.g. 13C triglyceride test)