Internal Medicine Service Details
To learn more about any of the services below, simply select the topic to reveal more information.What is an Endoscopy?
Endoscopy allows our Internal Medicine Specialists to visualize the internal organs of patients by using a scope that projects the live image on to a monitor. We can visualize the patient’s internal organs, in real time, just like live television.
What Are The Different Types of Endoscopic Procedures?
There are several different types of endoscopic procedures offered by our Internal Medicine Specialists at VRCC. What type of “scope” your pet needs depends on the symptoms that they are showing. For instance, if your pet is consistently vomiting, a gastrointestinal “scope” might be recommended to get an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s illness. Once a diagnosis is made, proper therapy can begin to get your pet feeling well and enjoying the quality of life that you want for them.
Flexible Endoscopy
Flexible endoscopes are used to examine the gastrointestinal tract and are commonly used in people to look for ulcers in the stomach or polyps in the colon. Flexible endoscopes are passed through the oral cavity to closely examine and/or biopsy the esophagus, stomach and small intestines, or passed through the rectum for colon biopsies. As their name implies, the scopes are able to move in several directions and are bendable. They are excellent for moving around the intestinal tract with minimal trauma to the tissues. There are also smaller flexible bronchoscopes that can be passed into the trachea to examine the main airways leading to the lung. Biopsy specimens, foreign body removal, and fluid aspirates can all be collected through a flexible endoscope. Endoscopic procedures do require general anesthesia. However, with this non-invasive procedure most pets are able to rejoin their families the same day and will have minimal to no exercise restrictions following the procedure.
Rigid Endoscopy
Rigid endoscopy is common in human medicine as well as specialty veterinary medicine. Rigid endoscopy is used to closely examine the abdominal cavity, urogenital tract and nasal cavities. With an abdominal endoscopic exam, the scope is passed through a small incision made in the abdomen. Another small incision is made, creating a “port” through which biopsy or manipulation instruments can be inserted to collect biopsies, fluid, or to gently move organs for a thorough visual exam. The advantages of rigid endoscopy over surgery allow for the closer inspection of organs, minimal incision size or no incision at all, less discomfort and a faster recovery post procedure.