Gastroscopy
Gastroscopy is a test which allows the doctor to look directly at the lining of the oesophagus (the gullet), the stomach and around the first bend of the small intestine – the duodenum. (See diagram opposite). In order to do the test a gastroscope is carefully passed through your mouth into the stomach. The gastroscope is a long flexible tube, with a bright light at the end. Looking down the tube, the doctor gets a clear view of the lining of the stomach and can check whether any disease is present. Sometimes the doctor takes a biopsy, a sample of tissue, which is removed painlessly through the gastroscope, using tiny forceps. This is then sent to the laboratory for further tests.