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It is extremely important that your colon be thoroughly cleaned before your colonoscopy. This will let the doctor see any abnormalities, such as colon polyps, during the procedure. Polyps are small growths in the colon that could later turn into cancer. Cleansing the colon before a colonoscopy is called bowel preparation, or “prep.” It involves taking medication that causes frequent, loose bowel movements to empty the colon. The medication is taken by mouth, and typically comes in liquid form. You will also need to change what you eat during the day or two before the colonoscopy.

Capsule endoscopy is a test that uses a pill-sized camera that you swallow in order to examine the inside of the small intestine. The small intestine is the middle portion of your gastrointestinal tract, located between your stomach and your large intestine (colon). The small intestine is made up of three parts — the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

Colonoscopy is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure that lets your doctor examine the lining of your large intestine (colon) for abnormalities. During colonoscopy, your doctor inserts a thin, flexible tube into your rectum and slowly moves it through the entire length of the colon. This instrument, called a colonoscope, has a camera and light source and allows your doctor to look at the lining of your colon and rectum.

Diet plays an important role in your overall health. Your diet can affect some common gastrointestinal conditions, including diverticular disease, hemorrhoids and constipation.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, is a specialized technique used to study the bile ducts, pancreatic duct and sometimes, the gallbladder. Ducts are drainage tubes or channels. The drainage channels from the liver to the intestine are called bile ducts and those from the pancreas to the intestine are called pancreatic ducts.

Gastroenterologists perform esophageal manometry to determine the strength and function of a patient’s esophagus and esophageal sphincter. It measures pressures and muscle contraction patterns in the patient’s esophagus.

PEG stands for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, a procedure in which a flexible feeding tube is placed through the abdominal wall and into the stomach.

Upper endoscopy lets your doctor examine the lining of the upper part of your gastrointestinal tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first portion of the small intestine). Your doctor will use a thin, flexible tube called an endoscope, which has its own camera lens and light source. This transmits the images to a video monitor. You might hear your doctor or other medical staff refer to upper endoscopy as upper GI endoscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).