MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY PRESENTATION

EURYDICE CARDONA

Medical Procedures of the Digestive System

The Digestive System

The digestive system, also called the gastrointestinal system (abbreviation GI) is responsible for the ingestion and digestion of the food we eat as well as the absorption of nutrients for the body.

The organs of the GI system are the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon.

The accessory organs which aid in the digestion process are the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and salivary gland.

Organs of the digestive system

Medical procedures

There are different procedures necessary to detect and diagnose certain conditions related to the digestive system and also to treat them.

I will present four medical procedures: the colonoscopy, lavage, extraction and anastomosis.

Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is a procedure which consists of inserting a colonoscope, which is a flexible fiberscope, through the anus, rectum, and colon to view and examine the upper portion of the colon.

A colonoscopy helps find ulcers, colon polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding.

During a colonoscopy, tissue samples can be collected (biopsy)and abnormal growths can be taken out.

A colonoscopy can also be used as a screening test to check for cancer or precancerous growths in the colon or rectum (polyps).

Colonoscopy

A. Position of the colonoscope in the colon.

B. Endoscopic view of the colon.

C. Detail of the colonoscope tip.

Lavage

A lavage is a medical procedure which consists of washing out the stomach with the use of a nasogastric (NG) tube inserted through the nose, down the throat and to the stomach.

It is often used to eliminate dangerous substances which have been ingested.

Lavage

Extraction

An extraction is a dental procedure which consists of removing or “pulling” out the teeth.

Teeth can be extracted if they are too damaged for repair or if they block other teeth from coming in, like wisdom teeth.

Anastomosis

Anastomosis is a surgical procedure which creates a connection between two organs or vessels.

Anastomosis can be performed after a section of the intestine is removed to join the two cut ends together for example.