how to perform egd?

For esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), patients are typically placed in left lateral decubitus with neck flexed forward. A bite block is placed in the mouth before the endoscope is inserted into the oral cavity. The endoscope is introduced into the mouth and to the base of the tongue under direct visualization.

EGD stands for “esophagogastroduodenoscopy." Phew! Let’s break that down.

Working backward through the word, “scopy” means an examination with a visual instrument. A “scope” is that instrument (as in “telescope” or “microscope”). During an EGD test, medical examiners use something called an endoscope to examine the inside of your body. It’s a small, lighted camera on the end of a long, flexible tube.

After you're given medication to make you comfortable, an endoscope is passed down your throat, through your esophagus (swallowing tube) and into your stomach. The camera sends images to a computer screen showing your esophagus, stomach and duodenum (the upper part of your small intestine).

That’s where the rest of the word comes from. “Duodeno” means the duodenum, “gastro” means the stomach, and “esophago” means the esophagus.

There are many types of endoscopy procedures. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is just one of them. All endoscopies use the same tool — the endoscope — to examine different parts of the body. The exams are named differently to describe the different parts they are looking at.

An EGD test looks at what healthcare providers sometimes call the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract: the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. This is the part of your digestive system that the endoscope can reach from the top down. Sometimes an EGD is also called an upper endoscopy.

An EGD is primarily a diagnostic procedure, but it can also be used therapeutically, to treat problems that are found during the exam.

Your healthcare provider might suggest an EGD test to look for possible causes of symptoms you may be experiencing related to your upper GI tract. Symptoms such as:

The endoscope provides a clear view of the inside lining of your upper GI tract, including the color and any abnormal textures or growths. It also allows enough visibility and access for doctors to perform small procedures during the exam.

Sometimes an EGD can be targeted to treat a problem. Maybe you or your child swallowed something that needs to be removed. Or maybe your healthcare provider spotted something on an X-ray that needs further investigating. They might want to take a tissue sample to examine in the lab (biopsy). They can do these things with the endoscope.

By attaching tiny tools to the endoscope, EGD technicians can often fix small problems on the spot. For example:

Some things they might look for include:

Abnormal test results could indicate: