The stomach examination process – stomach examinations should be performed on an empty stomach whenever possible.
During endoscopic examinations, after swallowing a local anaesthetic liquid, the patient has to swallow a thin fibre-optic instrument a few millimetres wide, through which the doctor gets an image of the inner surface of the stomach and can take tissue samples from any changes, or, using ultrasound, can also examine the layers of the stomach wall and its surroundings (including the pancreas).
Therapeutic procedures (stopping bleeding, polyp removal, removal or ablation of the lining, dilation) can also be carried out with endoscopic methods. In special cases, these examinations can also be performed under intravenous sedation.
Radiological examinations require swallowing a contrast agent, which makes visible the movement of the stomach and certain changes in the lining.
Some functional tests also require swallowing thin instruments through which resistance can be measured.
Isotope examinations require imaging under a special isotope camera after swallowing isotope-labelled test meals or substances: they are painless but take longer.
