Upper GI Surgery
Alternatives to Upper GI Endoscopy
Barium swallow or meal
This involves drinking a white liquid containing barium sulphate, which coats the upper GI tract so that it shows up on an X-ray. There are fewer risks with a barium swallow than with an upper GI endoscopy, but it’s not as successful in spotting problems as the doctor can't do a biopsy.
Acidity test
A thin wire is passed through the nose and into the oesophagus, where it's left for 24 hours. The wire measures how acidic the oesophagus is and the results are displayed electronically.
Radiolabeled technetium
Compounds containing radioactive atoms are introduced into the body to show how an organ is working.
