Endoscopy- A Medical Revolution

Endoscopy is an advanced medical technology for diagnosis and treatment. The meaning of it is looking into the body for medical reasons using an instrument endoscope. The term ‘Endo’ signifies the interior and ‘scope’, visualization. The beginning of the era of modern endoscopy was with the developments of telescopes incorporating a number of lenses towards the end of nineteenth century. By the middle of the 20th century the introduction of the optical fibers made this technology highly advanced and useful. Then endoscopy became a largely using technique to see the interior of the body and conduct many types of surgeries.

A diagnostic endoscope consists of an illuminating channel for projecting light in the inside by the way of light pipe which is a fiber optic bundle, and a suitable system for viewing and examining the interior from a diagnostic stand point. An auxiliary arrangement for supplying oxygen to the inside also is required. A surgical endoscope is different from this. It has arrangements for surgery too.

The endoscopes were earlier inserted to the human body through natural openings like mouth, nostrils, anus etc. But the advanced equipment allows it to go through small hole, slightly bigger than injection holes. So, endoscopic surgery can be done through small incisions and the pain will be very less, when compared with the normal surgeries. This will reduce the duration of the hospital stay and highly beneficial for the patient. Laparoscopic surgery which uses this technique, is nowadays very common, and is getting done in the abdomen and chest. The operations done in this way on joints are called arthroscopic surgery. Most endoscopic arrangements have attachments to take out the tissue or fluid samples for laboratory tests. Bronchoscope examines the large airways inside the lungs. The duration of the endoscopy procedure varies.

The endoscopic instruments offer a wide range of vision by rotating the eye piece, which is highly helpful in surgeries. In such surgeries more than one cavity will be required to insert all equipments and arrangements. But as the holes are so small, it will not give much pain. Certain examinations can be done without holes too by making use of the natural openings in the body. It allows ready recording of all the procedure too.

The invention and development of endoscopic instruments was a real revolution in the medical field.

Linus Orakles
http://www.authorclub.info/