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What are biopsies and why are biopsies taken during an endoscopy?

Biopsies are small tissue samples from the throat, stomach, or intestines that doctors examine under a microscope. These samples are taken if doctors see an abnormal area in your digestive tract or as a routine part of an endoscopy, even if no abnormalities are seen. 

Doctors will almost always take biopsies during an endoscopy, even if your digestive tract appears normal. These biopsies are extremely useful in ruling out dangerous conditions such as cancer and are very low risk. 

Biopsies are used to diagnose infections, cancer, and many diseases that make swallowing difficult. The areas of tissue that are removed for a biopsy are very small and heal quickly without any special treatment.

What happens during an endoscopy?

Why would my doctor perform an upper digestive tract endoscopy?

What conditions are diagnosed with an upper digestive tract endoscopy?

How long does an upper digestive tract endoscopy with biopsy take?

How do you feel after an upper digestive tract endoscopy?

How long does it take to get the results of an upper digestive tract endoscopy and biopsy?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

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