In popular imagination, “having an endoscopy” has become synonymous with examining the stomach. In medicine, however, endoscopy is a whole family of examinations; the same imaging technology that diagnoses through the nose, throat, or bladder has also transformed modern surgery. This guide explains, in simple language, what each exam is and what it is for.

📰 Source: Go Scope — Newsroom
Author: Go Scope Team
Date: 14/09/2026

Ask anyone what endoscopy is and the answer will probably involve fasting, sedation, and a stomach. The association makes sense: upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is one of the most performed tests in the country. But it is only one member, the most famous one, of a much larger family. Endoscopy is any technique that allows the doctor to visualize the inside of the body through an optical instrument with illumination and camera, introduced through natural orifices or by minimal incisions. What changes from one exam to another is the destination and, with it, the name, the preparation, and the specialist who performs it.

A technology. Different possibilities.
Endoscopy allows for the precise visualization of different body regions, helping doctors in diagnosis and, in some procedures, also in treatment. Learn about some of its main applications:

Video-laryngoscopy
Visualization of the larynx and vocal cords by an endoscope inserted through the mouth or nose. It assesses the anatomy and movement of the vocal cords and identifies lesions. It can be requested in cases of persistent hoarseness, voice changes, a feeling of a foreign body in the throat, or frequent choking.

Nasal endoscopy (nasofibroscopy)
Examination of the nasal passages and the nasopharynx with a thin endoscope, performed in the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor’s office, usually without sedation. This allows for visualization of abnormalities, enlarged adenoids, polyps, and signs of inflammation. It can be requested in cases of persistent nasal obstruction, recurrent sinusitis, snoring, nosebleeds, or changes in the sense of smell.

Gastroendoscopy (upper gastro endoscopy)
The most well-known of the family: examines the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, usually under sedation, also allowing biopsies. Diagnoses inflammation, ulcers, reflux, and other lesions of the upper digestive tract.

Hysteroscopy
Direct visualization of the interior of the uterus through a thin endoscope inserted through the vaginal canal. It examines the uterine cavity and, in many cases, allows treatment to be performed in the same procedure, such as the removal of polyps.

Cystoscopy
Examination of the urethra and bladder using a delicate endoscope. Identifies inflammation, stones, strictures, and lesions of the lower urinary tract.

Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy of the joints, knee and shoulder are the most common, performed through small incisions. It allows diagnosing and treating joint injuries at the same time, such as meniscus and ligament injuries.

Video-surgery (laparoscopy and related procedures)
Here, the camera no longer serves only for diagnosis; it turns into the surgeon’s eyes: operations are performed through incisions of a few millimeters, with the image magnified on a monitor. This allows for performing surgeries with less surgical trauma. The decision between open surgery and minimally invasive surgery is always individual, made by the surgeon according to the case.

The recent history of surgery is, in large part, the history of the camera. In 1985, the German surgeon Erich Mühe performed the first cholecystectomy via laparoscopy; in 1987, the Frenchman Philippe Mouret performed the procedure with the help of a video camera, consolidating videolaparoscopy worldwide. Brazil was early in this history: the first videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy in South America was performed in São Paulo in July 1990. The success of the technique has expanded to include appendectomies, hernia repairs, bariatric, thoracic, gynecologic, and urological surgeries, consolidating videothoracic surgery as one of the fields of surgical development of the last three decades. The principle driving this transformation is the same that drives all the examinations in this subject: the better the doctor sees, the less the need for surgical intervention.

The signs and symptoms mentioned here are educational examples, not a list of self-diagnosis. Each examination has specific indications, contraindications, and preparations, and the decision to request it is always up to the doctor, based on the individual assessment of each patient. If any of the described symptoms are part of your routine, the right course of action is to consult a doctor, not to perform the examination on your own.

At Go Scope, we developed portable endoscopic imaging technology because we believe that specialized diagnosis should not depend on where the patient lives or what equipment the healthcare service has. Understanding what an endoscopic examination is, and what it can reveal, is the first step in ensuring that more people claim access to it.

Sources
Brazilian Society of Digestive Endoscopy (SOBED): sobed.org.br
Principles of laparoscopic surgery – Journal of Surgical and Clinical Research (UFRN), 2024: periodicos.ufrn.br