Endoscopic evaluation of the postoperative stomach.

The endoscopic assessment of the postoperative stomach is one of the most challenging areas in endoscopy. This is a function of the plurality of disease entities and anatomic variations with which the endoscopist must be familiar in order to interpret the findings in this setting. At the same time, the diagnostic and therapeutic use of endoscopy in the postoperative environment is magnified because of the opportunity it provides to achieve information and relieve disability in situations of inherently significant morbidity. With the continuing maturation of endoscopic techniques, it is likely that the endoscopist of the future will have an increasingly significant role in the pre- and postoperative assessment and treatment of the patient with foregut pathology.