Endoscopy and Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders

Abstract

Few would have predicted the revolution in clinical practice than began with the development of flexible endoscopy approximately 50 years ago. Procedures that facilitated the diagnosis of various gastrointestinal disorders have been progressively upgraded to include endoscopic therapy for gastrointestinal bleeding, endoscopic sphincterotomy for bile duct stones and various stents for benign and malignant strictures of the biliary system and gastrointestinal tract. Most general surgeons will be competent at upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and the endoscopic management of gastrointestinal bleeding. Only a minority will feel competent at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography [ERCP] or stent insertion, but these procedures can be performed by experienced endoscopists in tertiary centres with high success rates and few complications.