Endoscopy

Endoscopy is the ability to look inside the body, using a variety of very small cameras and either flexible or rigid glass tubes. This allows the veterinarian to actually see within a body cavity, or within a given organ, and directly visualize what is causing a problem, and very often to take biopsy samples or to fix the problem surgically at the same time. This has the advantage to the patient of being relatively non-invasive, and of allowing very rapid and very accurate diagnosis of most diseases. All endoscopic procedures are performed under general anesthesia, but this is often much shorter than would be needed for a surgical procedure. Bear Valley Animal Hospital provides specific types of endoscopy:

 Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Gastrointestinal means stomach and intestines, and thus this is the endoscopic exploration of the organs that make up the digestive tract. The instrument used for this examination is a very flexible tube filled with tiny fiberoptic wires. A video camera is attached to the end of the scope so that the entire procedure can be seen on a television monitor. Animals have very long intestines, and the scopes used for these procedures are 5-7 feet in length. Using control knobs, the scope can be driven and directed exactly where in the body it will go. To the doctor, the visual effect of GI endoscopy is much like walking through a long pink cave. Different instruments can be passed through the scope to allow for biopsy of masses, removal of foreign objects, etc. Using GI endoscopy it is possible to remove fish hooks from the stomach and bones from the intestines without surgery, to biopsy cancer, and to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease, stomach ulcers, colon polyps, etc.

Rhinoscopy

This is the exploration of the nasal passages and the back of the throat with a very small, ridid endoscope. The scope used for this procedure is 1-2mm in diameter, and 18 inches long. Using such an instrument it is possible to look through every aspect of the nasal passage of all dogs and most cats. Within the nasal cavity of animals are multiple small passages, and these frequently will collect pockets of infection, foreign objects (grass or string), tumors, etc. Rhinoscopy is not only the best way to look through the nasal passage, it is really the only way. Through the rhinoscope the doctor can take biopsy samples of masses, remove foreign objects, stop bleeding from ruptured vessels, and perform many other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Cystoscopy

Cystoscopy is the exploration of the urinary bladder and its appendages using an endoscope. This is a revolutionary way of diagnosing many lower urinary problems such as bladder stones, inflammatory conditions, bladder cancer, etc. Prior to the availability of cystoscopy, doctors were left with options such as surgery (not always desirable), X-rays (seldom diagnostic), and ultrasound (diagnostic, but not nearly as accurate or as precise as cystoscopy). Cystoscopy is also the only way to accurately stage bladder cancer and to decide on the exact location of surgery.

Lararoscopy/Thoracoscopy

These terms are used for the examination of the abdominal cavity (laparoscopy) or the chest cavity (thoracoscopy) using a small, rigid endoscope. This can be used for diagnostic purposes, or for actual surgery (termed minimally invasive surgery). These two procedures have truly revolutionized surgery in the veterinary field, and allow for procedures such as lung biopsy, which previously involved a very involved and complicated surgery. These procedures have become standard for many surgerical procedures in humans, such as hysterectomy, gall bladder removal, internal organ biopsy, etc., and have greatly reduced the surgical recovery of the patient. Currently Mountain View Animal Hospital is proud to be one of the very few veterinary hospitals in the country with this capability.

Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is the use of an endoscope to examine the throat and large airways inside the lungs. The scope used for this procedure is a long, flexible one, similar to that used for GI endoscopy, but much smaller in diameter so as to allow better penetration through the small passageways of the lungs. Bronchoscopy is the best way to diagnose and culture infections of the lungs, and is very useful for many types of cancer in the lungs, inflammatory processes, to remove foreign objects that have been inhaled into the lung tissue, etc.