Indications for Upper Endoscopy:
•  persistent nausea and vomiting
•  upper abdominal pain
•  heartburn or acid reflux symptoms
•  acid or burning sensation the throat or chest
•  gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding (vomiting blood or blood found in the stool)
•  difficulty swallowing
•  abnormal or unclear findings on an x-ray
•  removal of foreign body
•  for follow-up on previously found polyps (growths) tumors or ulcers
•  to stretch or dilate narrowed areas

If the doctor sees a suspicious area, he can pass an instrument through the endoscope and take a small piece of tissue, a “biopsy”.  Biopsies are taken for many reasons and do not necessarily imply cancer.  Other instruments can also be passed through the endoscope without causing discomfort, like a small brush to wipe cells from suspicious areas.  When polyps are found a wire loop (snare) will be used to remove polyps.