What is an endoscopy? It is a way for a doctor to look inside part of your digestive tract with a thin, flexible tube and a camera. There is no surgical incision. In everyday conversation, people often mean an upper endoscopy, also called an upper GI endoscopy or EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy). That exam looks at the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases describes it as a diagnostic and, in some cases, treatment procedure. It is not the same as a colonoscopy, which examines the colon. It is also not a guarantee of a specific finding.
Discuss an endoscopy with the Eastside team
What an endoscopy actually examines
An endoscope is a long, flexible tube with a light and a camera at the tip. During an upper endoscopy, the doctor guides it through the mouth, down the esophagus (the food pipe), into the stomach, and into the duodenum. Air or carbon dioxide may be added through the scope so the lining is easier to see. You are usually lying on your left side, and a mouth guard protects your teeth. The exam itself often takes about 5 to 20 minutes, though arrival, sedation, and recovery make the visit longer.
The word "endoscopy" is broader than one test. A colonoscopy is a type of endoscopy of the large intestine. Bronchoscopy looks in the airways. When a clinician at a general surgery practice says "endoscopy" in the context of reflux, trouble swallowing, or stomach symptoms, they are usually talking about an upper endoscopy. Eastside offers both EGD and colonoscopy. The right exam depends on your symptoms and history, which is decided in a consultation, not from a web page.
The camera shows the lining in real time. The doctor can look for redness, ulcers, a narrowed area, a hiatal hernia, or an unusual growth. A normal-looking lining does not always rule out every cause of symptoms, and an abnormal-looking area still needs context. That is why the visit includes your history, not only the pictures.
Why a doctor may recommend one
Doctors use upper endoscopy when symptoms are new, unexplained, or not improving. Common reasons include heartburn, upper abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. Trouble swallowing, food feeling stuck behind the breastbone, and regurgitation also lead people to this test. So can unexplained anemia, black or tarry stools, or vomiting blood. Bleeding symptoms need prompt medical attention. Do not wait on a routine scheduling conversation for those.
The same visit can sometimes treat a problem as well as look for one. Tools passed through the scope can take a tissue sample, clip or remove a polyp, widen a narrowed esophagus, stop bleeding from an ulcer, or remove a swallowed object. NIDDK also notes that some weight-loss procedures are done through an endoscope. Not every endoscopy includes treatment. Many are done only to look and, if needed, to biopsy.
Persistent acid reflux is one reason people in the Atlanta area ask about this test. Reflux happens when stomach contents move back into the esophagus. An endoscopy can look for irritation, a narrowing, Barrett's esophagus, or a hiatal hernia, but it does not by itself decide whether you need surgery. Eastside's acid reflux care page explains how evaluation, medicine, and procedures fit different situations. If your question is how often a colonoscopy is due, that is a separate topic covered in how often you may need a colonoscopy.
What a biopsy can and cannot tell you
A biopsy is a small tissue sample taken through the scope and looked at under a microscope. You do not feel the sample being taken while you are sedated. A biopsy can help check for inflammation, infection such as H. pylori, celiac disease, Barrett's esophagus, or cancer. It is not an instant answer in the recovery room. Pathology review takes time, and your clinician explains what the sample was sent for and when to expect the report. A biopsy of one spot does not screen the entire digestive tract.
How to prepare, and what the visit is like
Preparation is specific to you. Do not copy a generic fasting or medicine list from the internet and treat it as your instructions. Your care team needs your health history, allergies, and the full list of prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements. NIDDK specifically calls out aspirin, arthritis medicines, diabetes or blood pressure medicines, blood thinners, iron, and NSAIDs such as ibuprofen and naproxen as items to review. You may be asked to pause some of them. Only the clinician who knows your medicines should tell you which ones to hold.
To see the lining clearly, many people are asked not to eat or drink for up to 8 hours beforehand. MedlinePlus describes a common pattern of nothing by mouth after midnight for a morning exam, or at least 8 hours before an afternoon exam. Your written instructions override that general pattern. Arrange a ride home before the day of the test. Sedation has to wear off before it is safe to drive. Do not plan to work or make important decisions that same day unless your clinician says otherwise.
On the day of the exam, staff check your breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen. You receive medicine through a vein to help you relax. Many people sleep through the exam and do not remember it. A local anesthetic spray in the mouth is used less often. It can make swallowing feel strange for a short time. Dentures come out before the scope goes in. You may feel bloated afterward from the air used to open the view. That pressure usually eases as the gas passes.
A simple order for the day of the exam
- Arrive with your ride already planned, your photo ID, and your medicine list.
- Check in so staff can review allergies, medicines, and the reason for the test.
- Change if asked, remove dentures, and have your blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen checked.
- Receive sedation through a vein, then lie on your left side with a mouth guard in place.
- After the scope is done, rest in recovery until you are awake enough for discharge instructions.
- Go home with your driver. Eat only what the discharge sheet allows, and do not drive.
What people usually ask before the day
- Will it hurt? With sedation, most people do not feel pain during the exam and do not remember it. A sore throat or bloating afterward is common and usually short-lived.
- Will I be asleep? You are typically sedated, not under a general anesthetic that requires a breathing tube. The exact plan depends on your health and the facility.
- How long will I be there? The scope time is often 5 to 20 minutes. Plan on a longer visit for check-in, sedation, and recovery.
- Who does it? A physician trained in endoscopy, often a gastroenterologist or a surgeon who performs these exams, does the procedure. At Eastside, Dr. Aliu Sanni's practice discusses EGD and colonoscopy as part of general surgery care in Snellville.
Results, recovery, and when to call
Right after the exam, the doctor can often describe what the lining looked like. That first impression is not the full result if biopsies were taken. You will be told when you can eat again. Many people start with a light meal once they are awake and the gag reflex has returned. Throat soreness, mild hoarseness, or gas pain can last the rest of the day. Do not drive, operate machinery, or drink alcohol until the sedation has worn off and you have followed the discharge instructions.
Serious complications are uncommon, but they are the reason the discharge sheet lists warning signs. NIDDK notes possible reactions to sedation, a tear (perforation) in the digestive tract, and bleeding. Most bleeding is minor. Call the office or seek emergency care for severe chest or abdominal pain, fever, trouble breathing, vomiting blood, black stools, or bleeding that does not stop. Do not wait for a routine follow-up slot if those symptoms appear.
A normal exam is useful information. It can lower concern for a visible ulcer, a large growth, or severe irritation. It still leaves room for other causes of symptoms, including medicine side effects, diet, or a condition that does not show on the lining. An abnormal finding, such as inflammation, a polyp, or a narrowing, leads to a plan. That plan might be medicine, a repeat exam later, referral, or a conversation about a procedure. It is not an automatic path to surgery.
How this fits care at Eastside
Eastside Bariatrics & General Surgery sees adults from Snellville and the wider Atlanta area. The office is at 2085 McGee Road in Snellville. Care includes weight-loss treatment, general surgery, and screening endoscopies. The screening endoscopies page is the place to start a conversation about whether an EGD or a colonoscopy matches the reason you are being evaluated. Bring your symptom timeline, prior test results, and medicine list. The team confirms which exam, if any, is appropriate and gives preparation instructions for that exam and your health history.
If you are still sorting out what kind of visit you need, start with the general surgery and screening endoscopies overview. It groups hernia, gallbladder, reflux, and endoscopy questions so you can name the concern before you call. Questions about cost or insurance coverage are individual. This guide does not quote prices. Ask the office what your plan or self-pay arrangement requires before you schedule.
Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy at a glance
People often hear both names in the same conversation. This table only separates the two exams. It is not a guide to which one you need, and it does not cover screening intervals or bowel-prep steps.
| Question | Upper endoscopy (EGD) | Colonoscopy |
|---|---|---|
| What it looks at. | Esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. | The large intestine, also called the colon. |
| How the scope enters. | Through the mouth. | Through the rectum. |
| Common reasons. | Reflux, trouble swallowing, upper abdominal pain, bleeding, or unexplained anemia. | Colorectal screening, bowel changes, bleeding, or follow-up of a prior colon finding. |
| Typical prep idea. | Fasting and a medicine review. Your written instructions control the details. | A bowel prep plus a medicine review. Instructions are specific to you. |
| Where to read next. | This guide, then a consult about EGD. | Eastside's article on how often a colonoscopy may be needed. |
Eastside can discuss either exam. The consultation connects the reason for the test with your history. Neither column is a recommendation by itself.
What the pictures can show, and what they miss
An upper endoscopy is good at showing the surface lining. A doctor can see redness from acid exposure or an ulcer crater. The view may also show a ring or stricture that narrows the esophagus, a hiatal hernia, or a polyp. A hiatal hernia means part of the stomach sits above the diaphragm. The scope can also reach a site of bleeding so it can be treated during the same visit. Those are visual findings. They still need your story. A small ulcer in someone who just started a new pain reliever is a different conversation from the same ulcer in someone with weight loss or trouble swallowing.
Some important problems do not announce themselves as an obvious lesion. Celiac disease, H. pylori infection, and Barrett's esophagus are examples where the lining may look only mildly abnormal, or even nearly normal, and the biopsy is what clarifies the diagnosis. That is one reason a "normal" comment in recovery can still be followed by a later lab report. Ask what was sampled, if anything, and how you will hear about it.
The exam does not measure how often acid comes up. It does not replace a pH study or a swallowing study when those are the questions. It also does not look at the colon, the gallbladder, or most of the small intestine beyond the duodenum. If your main symptom is pain after fatty meals, a change in bowel habits, or a bulge in the abdominal wall, say so. Those concerns may point to gallbladder care, colon evaluation, or a hernia visit rather than an upper endoscopy. Naming the symptom clearly is more useful than asking for a scope by name.
Sedation deserves its own planning. Tell the team about sleep apnea, previous trouble with anesthesia, or pregnancy. Also mention any condition that affects breathing or the heart. Bring the names and doses of blood thinners and diabetes medicines. Do not list them only as "a pill for my stomach." If you use a CPAP machine, ask whether you should bring it. These details change how the facility monitors you. They are not paperwork for its own sake.
After you are home, give the rest of the day a light schedule. Many people do well with sips of water, then a small meal, once they are fully awake and the discharge nurse has said eating is allowed. Avoid alcohol and do not sign legal papers or make financial decisions while you still feel groggy. A mild sore throat can be soothed with cool liquids. Call if swallowing becomes more painful instead of better, or if you cannot keep liquids down.
Bring a short written list of questions to the consult if you already know an endoscopy was suggested elsewhere. Useful questions include why this exam rather than another test, what a normal result would change, whether a biopsy is likely, and how results will reach you. You can also ask what symptoms should send you to urgent care before the appointment date. Eastside's role is to match the exam to the reason you came in. You do not need to arrive already certain that you need a scope.
Book an appointment to talk through your symptoms
Frequently asked questions
Is an endoscopy the same as a colonoscopy?
No. Both use a flexible camera, but they look at different places. An upper endoscopy looks at the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum through the mouth. A colonoscopy looks at the large intestine through the rectum. Some people need one, some need the other, and some need both for different reasons. Your clinician chooses based on symptoms, age, family history, and prior results.
Is an endoscopy painful?
Most people receive sedation and do not remember discomfort during the exam. Afterward, a mild sore throat or a bloated feeling from air in the stomach is common and usually fades within hours. Pain that is severe, or pain with fever, vomiting, or bleeding, is not typical. Contact the care team or seek urgent care if that happens.
How long does recovery from an endoscopy take?
Many people feel back to their usual selves later the same day, once sedation wears off. You still need a ride home, and you should follow the instructions you were given about eating, medicines, and activity. Biopsy results, if samples were taken, come later and are a separate step from feeling recovered.
What are common findings on an upper endoscopy?
Findings vary with the reason for the test. Clinicians may see irritation from reflux, a hiatal hernia, gastritis, an ulcer, a narrowing, or a polyp. They may also see a normal lining. A normal exam does not mean your symptoms are imagined. It means the lining did not show a problem that explains them, and the next step is a conversation about other causes.
Do I need a referral before I call Eastside?
Call the Snellville office and describe the symptoms or the test you were told you might need. Staff can tell you what records help and whether a consultation is the right first step. The public office number is 770-559-0778. Bring questions about benefits, risks, and alternatives to that visit rather than deciding from general reading alone.