Upper Digestive Bleeding originates from the esophagus, stomach, or the first part of the small intestine. Gastroscopy should be performed for its diagnosis and treatment. Through it, we determine if the cause is an ulcer, an erosion (a scrape), a tumor, or a vascular lesion. Each of these diagnoses has a specific treatment that can be given during gastroscopy when necessary. For example, an ulcer with a bleeding artery can be cauterized to stop the bleeding. A vascular injury can also be cauterized or endoscopic clipped, which is like a surgical staple or suture that squeezes the blood vessel.

High bleeds can manifest as bloody vomit or black stools, or it could be less obvious and only lead to anemia as a manifestation.

Low Digestive Bleeds originate from the colon, rectum, or small intestine. It is manifested by stools with frank blood; it could also produce black stools; give anemia or just a positive stool test for occult blood. The usual study required is the colonoscopy that confirms the cause of most causes of low bleeding in patients, and if the bleeding is active, it allows endoscopic treatment to be given and thus stop it immediately.

The causes of low bleeding can be hemorrhoids, anal fissures, vascular lesions, bleeding diverticula, or tumors among others. As the possible causes include pathologies that are potentially dangerous, the performance of the colonoscopy is almost an inescapable necessity. And a complementary gastroscopy is often required to complete the studies.

In our clinic, we have extensive experience managing upper and lower digestive bleeding and we have all the equipment required for this purpose.

In this issue, we make a real difference with other centers, which lack some highly complex equipment, such as the possibility of applying electrocautery with Argon Plasma. We put ourselves at the level of hospitals and clinics with a high level of complexity, which are able to provide optimal management with the appropriate equipment. This is because we have the equipment and it is available to our patients. We are proud to bring technology and resolution capacity closer to Alajuela and neighboring areas.