Endoscopy - Endoscopic Procedures

Endoscopy is the ability to look inside the body, using a variety of very small cameras attached to either a flexible or rigid tube. The procedure allows the doctor to actually see within a body cavity or within a given organ. Directly viewing the interior of an organ is often very helpful in determining the cause of a problem and / or helpful in establishing a diagnosis.

The endoscope is 7.9 mm in diameter, allowing it to be used on very small pets.

A Flexible Veterinary Endoscope

The endoscope can also be used more aggressively to take biopsy samples or to perform minimally invasive surgery. This has the advantage of being less traumatic (than standard surgery) to the patient and allows for a faster recovery.

In veterinary medicine, all endoscopy procedures are performed under general anesthesia. Due to the nature of endoscopy procedures, the amount and duration of anesthesia is much less than would be needed for a standard surgical procedure.

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Gastrointestinal means stomach and intestines, and gastrointestinal endoscopy is the endoscopic exploration of the organs that make up the digestive tract. The instrument used for this examination is a very flexible endoscope that is filled with tiny fiberoptic wires. A viewing device allows the surgeon to clearly view the procedure.

Animals have very long intestines and the scopes used for gastrointestinal procedures are 5-7 feet long. Using control knobs, the endoscope can be directed to a specific location. To the doctor, the visual effect of GI endoscopy is much like walking through a long narrow pink cave. Different instruments can be passed through the scope, allowing for biopsy procedures and removal of foreign objects. In veterinary medicine, gastrointestinal endoscopy is most commonly used to remove fish hooks from animals' stomachs, bones from the intestines, perform cancer biopsies, and to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease, stomach ulcers and colon polyps. The endoscope can also be used to place long-term feeding tubes into the stomachs of animals that cannot eat.

The Interior of the Digestive Tract Seen Through an Endoscope

Arthroscopy

Advances in human medicine and the interest in minimally invasive diagnostic and surgical techniques have led to the use of arthroscopy in veterinary medicine.

Arthroscopy provides superior optical viewing through magnification and illumination of interior joint structures through an arthroscope. Arthroscopic examination is performed with the use of a rigid endoscope that has flexible fiber optic bundles and a light guided attachment.

Many of the new endoscopes have been developed with smaller diameter arthroscopes, providing for veterinary applications while drastically improving direct visualization of joint structures.

Arthroscopic evaluation of joints has been utilized as an adjunct to clinical and radiographic examinations. Degenerative changes in joint structures can be examined directly with an arthroscope.

The elbow joint is perhaps the easiest joint for arthroscopic evaluation. Diagnostic procedures may be performed with minimal trauma to the joint and surrounding structures. Surgical correction of joint abnormalities can also be performed with less trauma.

The shoulder joint is another area where arthroscopy is a beneficial. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is frequently diagnosed in large breed dogs. These lesions may not be evident on radiographic examination of the joint and can be diagnosed and surgically corrected through the use of arthroscopy.

The knee joint is a common area for injuries and abnormalities. Cruciate ligament injuries can be readily diagnosed with arthroscopy.

  
Interior of a Joint Viewed Through an Arthroscope

Arthroscopy provides minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment with improved recovery time for your pet.

Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is the use of an endoscope to examine the throat and large airways inside the lungs. The scope used for this procedure is a long flexible one, similar to that used for gastrointestinal endoscopy, but much smaller in diameter. The small diameter tubing allows for better penetration through the small passageways of the lungs.

Bronchoscopy is an excellent technique for diagnosing infections and performing bacterial cultures of the lungs. It is also very useful for diagnosing many types of lung cancers, inflammatory processes, as well as to remove foreign objects that have been inhaled into the lungs.

View of the Lower Respiratory Tract Through an Endoscope

View of the Upper Respiratory Tract Through an Endoscope

Rhinoscopy

Rhinoscopy is the exploration of the nasal passages and the back of the throat with a very small ridid endoscope. The scope used for this procedure is 1-2mm in diameter and 18 inches long. Using this instrument allows the veterinarian to explore the entire nasal passage of all dogs and most cats.

The nasal cavity contains multiple small passages which are often beds to infection and tumors. Rhinoscopy is not only the best way to look into the nasal passage, it is basically the only way. Through rhinoscopy, the veterinarian can take accurate biopsies, remove foreign objects, control bleeding from ruptured vessels, and perform many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Interior of the Nasal Passeges through an Endoscope

Cystoscopy

Cystoscopy is the exploration of the urinary bladder and its appendages using an endoscope. This is a revolutionary way of diagnosing many lower urinary problems such as bladder stones, inflammatory conditions and bladder cancer. Prior to the availability of cystoscopy, doctors were left with options such as surgery (not always desirable), x-rays (seldom diagnostic), and ultrasound (diagnostic, but not nearly as accurate or as precise as cystoscopy). Cystoscopy is the only method to accurately stage bladder cancer and to decide on the exact location for surgery.

Interior of the Bladder through an Endoscope