Orlando Regional Medical Center provides both outpatient and inpatient services to people of all ages with digestive tract diseases. Endoscopy is an examination used to determine the overall health of the inside walls of your digestive system.

Some endoscopic tests look at the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract - which is the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine. These tests are helpful in diagnosing problems such as ulcers, hiatal hernia and gastroepsophageal reflux disease (GERD). During this procedure the doctor uses a thin instrument, called an endoscope, to look at the lining of your esophagus and stomach. You will be given a sedative to make you drowsy. The endoscope will be inserted into your mouth and gently guided into your stomach as the doctor watches on a monitor.

Other tests examine the lower GI tract (colon and rectum) and can help diagnose hemorrhoids, polyps, colorectal cancer, diverticulitis and Crohn’s disease. During this test you will be given a sedative to make you drowsy. The doctor will use a colonoscope, which is a small flexible tube that can bend around the curves of your colon. The scope will blow air into the colon allowing the doctor to examine the lining of your bowels and rectum.

These tests give a more accurate picture of the GI tract when compared with other tests and are an excellent method to help diagnose or confirm various conditions or diseases.