Small Bowel Enteroscopy

Small Bowel Enteroscopy is a test performed to evaluate gastrointestinal bleeding, small bowel tumors, polyps or other small bowel diseases.

How to Prepare:

Preparation is relatively simple.

Always tell your physician what medications you are taking — especially those that may affect blood clotting — or if you have any medical conditions like diabetes, pregnancy, lung or heart conditions. Also, be sure to share any allergies with your physician.

Please do not eat any solid foods after midnight the night before your procedure. You may consume clear liquids but do not consume any red or purple liquids or alcoholic beverages. The day of your procedure, stop drinking clear liquids 6 hours prior to your exam.

What to Expect During the Procedure:

During the Small Bowel Enteroscopy, your physician will use a flexible tube, an endoscope, to examine the lining of your esophagus, stomach, duodenum (top portion of your small bowel) and jejunum (middle portion of the small bowel). If any abnormalities are found, your physician may remove, or biopsy, the abnormal tissue for further examination. Removal of tissue is painless.

What to Expect After the Procedure:

Your physician will explain the findings to you. If any biopsies were performed, you will get the results within about one week. You may feel a bit of discomfort following the procedure, similar to the feeling of having gas, but it quickly goes away. Please do not drive or operate machinery for at least 6 hours. On the day of the procedure, you should plan to have someone drive you home. If you have any excessive bleeding, severe abdominal pain, fever or chills, call our office right away.

What is an Endoscope?

An endoscope is a flexible tube with a tiny, computer chip at the end. As the physician moves it through the upper gastrointestinal tract, electronic signals are transmitted from the scope to a computer that displays the images on a video screen. An endoscope has an open channel that allows other instruments to be passed through it to take tissue samples, remove polyps and perform other exams.