What you need to know

Gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures are performed daily at Mater with an increasing emphasis on interventional work.

An upper endoscopy (also known as gastroscopy) is a procedure that enables your doctor to examine the lining of the upper part of your gastrointestinal tract—the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum (first portion of the small intestine)—using a thin flexible tube with its own camera.

A colonoscopy is a procedure where the Gastroenterologist (specialist doctor) looks at the inside of the large bowel (colon) using a special camera called a colonoscope.
A mild general anaesthetic will usually be used for this procedure. The endoscope is a long flexible tube that has a light and a camera on the end of it.