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When Do You Need an Endoscopy for Peptic Ulcers?
Published: Feb 03, 2024
An endoscopy is a procedure that allows doctors to see inside your stomach and small intestine. For people with peptic ulcers, this test can be crucial for diagnosis and monitoring treatment progress.
What Happens During an Endoscopy?
During an endoscopy, a thin, flexible tube with a camera is inserted through your mouth and into your stomach. This allows the doctor to see any ulcers directly. The procedure is usually quick and performed under mild sedation. Your doctor can take small tissue samples (biopsies) if needed to check for H. pylori bacteria or rarely, cancer.
When Is an Endoscopy Recommended?
Not everyone with suspected peptic ulcers needs an endoscopy. It's often recommended for people over 50, those with alarming symptoms like weight loss or bleeding, or when initial treatments don't work. For stomach ulcers, a follow-up endoscopy is usually done after 8-12 weeks of treatment to ensure the ulcer has healed.
Follow-Up Endoscopies: When and Why
While most healed ulcers don't require further endoscopies, some cases do. Your doctor might recommend a repeat procedure if your symptoms persist, if the ulcer was very large, or if there's concern about possible cancer. For duodenal ulcers (in the small intestine), repeat endoscopies are less common unless symptoms return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most people experience little to no discomfort due to sedation.
The procedure itself usually lasts 15-30 minutes.
Serious complications are rare, occurring in less than 1 in 1,000 procedures.
The Value of Visualization
While not always necessary, endoscopy can provide valuable information for diagnosing and managing peptic ulcers in certain cases.
References
- ASGE Standards of Practice Committee, et al. The role of endoscopy in the management of patients with peptic ulcer disease. Gastrointest Endosc 2010; 71:663.
- Gisbert JP, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis: is 1-week proton pump inhibitor-based triple therapy sufficient to heal peptic ulcer? Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2005; 21:795.
This article has been reviewed for accuracy by one of the licensed medical doctors working for Doctronic. Always discuss health information with your healthcare provider.
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