Intraoperative endoscopy to identify lesions

Intraoperative endoscopy is an important adjunct to surgical therapeutics. Endoscopy can improve the efficiency of operative interventions by localizing lesions and defining the extent of pathology. Different techniques can be employed to facilitate intraoperative endoscopy including sterile scope and nonsterile scope methods. Lesion marking can be accomplished using endoscopic or endoscopically guided surgical means. Air insufflation can often be utilized for easily accessible regions of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach, rectum, and distal sigmoid colon). Carbon dioxide insufflation is most useful for extended procedures and accessing more difficult locations of the gastrointestinal tract. Commonly lesions identified endoscopically for surgical resection include gastric ulcers and tumors, small bowel lesions, and colon pathology.