If patients have upper abdominal pains, heartburn or difficulty eating or swallowing then their doctor may recommend a gastroscopy (sometimes called endoscopy).  This is a long camera that is inserted down the gullet or oesophagus to look at the stomach and duodenum.  It is very useful for diagnosing ulcer disease, gastritis, hiatus hernia and gastric and oesophageal cancer and biopsies can be taken of anything suspicious.  Patients are usually given the option of a local anaesthetic throat spray or intravenous sedation.