The first gastroscopes were rigid pipes using common optics, and an examination with these instruments was time-consuming and difficult for patient and physician alike.
Modern instruments use fiber optics or digital video recording.
These instruments are pliable and flexible, and result in a less painful examination for the patient and a faster, easier procedure for the physician. An advantage with gastroscopy is that it is possible to directly observe changes in the mucous membrane, while an X-ray examination, even when well performed, provides only indirect information. Gastroscopy also provides an opportunity to obtain a specimen of the mucous membrane for microscopical examination. This report examines the value of gastroscopy for one of the most common reasons for a physician visit in Sweden - stomach pain or dyspepsia. Dyspepsia is a condition characterized by a diffuse feeling of discomfort in the upper abdomen, from pronounced pain which may or may not be associated with eating, to prolonged feelings of discomfort which are difficult to describe.