Endoscopy

My Mom's having one...just so you have an idea how it is:

Definition:
An endoscope is a medical device consisting of a camera mounted on a flexible tube. Small instruments can be used to take samples of suspicious tissues through the endoscope. In gastrointestinal endoscopy, this device is inserted through the mouth or anus. For other areas, small incisions are made.

An ultrasound probe can be added to a gastrointestinal endoscope. This is called an endoscopic ultrasound. Depending on the area of interest, this device can also be passed through the mouth or anus.

How the test is performed:
There are many types of endoscope, and they are named in relation to the organs or areas they explore. Endoscopes used to look directly at the ovaries, appendix, or other abdominal organs, for example, are called laparoscopes (laparoscopy).

Other endoscopes are inserted through incisions to look at joints (arthroscopy) or the lungs (bronchoscopy), and still others are used to view the inside of the bladder (cystoscopy)...And in my mom's case, the doctor's gonna take a look at her liver.