  thumb|a physician training to use an endoscope endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope, an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ. there are many different types of endoscope, and depending on the site in the body and the type of procedure, endoscopy may be performed by a doctor or a surgeon, and the patient may be fully conscious or under general anaesthetic. endoscope can also refer to using a borescope in technical situations where direct line of-sight observation is not feasible. ==components== an endoscope can consist of: *a rigid or flexible tube. *a light delivery system to illuminate the organ or object under inspection. the light source is normally outside the body and the light is typically directed via an optical fiber system. *a lens system transmitting the image from the objective lens to the viewer, typically a relay lens system in the case of rigid endoscopes or a bundle of fiberoptics in the case of a fiberscope. *an eyepiece. modern instruments may be videoscopes, with no eyepiece, a camera transmits image to a screen for image capture. *an additional channel to allow entry of medical instruments or manipulators. the procedure requires sedation, which includes its own risks, including permanent cognitive impairments. ==indications== a health care provider may use endoscopy for any of the following: *investigation of symptoms, such as symptoms in the digestive system including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing and gastrointestinal bleeding. *confirmation of a diagnosis, most commonly by performing a biopsy to check for conditions such as anemia, bleeding, inflammation, and cancers of the digestive system. *giving treatment, such as cauterization of a bleeding vessel, widening a narrow esophagus, clipping off a polyp or removing a foreign object. specialty professional organizations which specialize in digestive problems advise that many patients with barrett's esophagus are too frequently receiving endoscopies.{{citation |author1 = ameri
Endoscopy