Gastroenterology

Endoscopy that respects your comfort

We use a 5.4 mm transnasal gastroscope (Olympus GIF-XP 290N) — thin enough that you can talk with the doctor during the examination. For colonoscopy (Olympus CF-HQ 290I) we insufflate with CO₂ instead of room air, so you feel far less bloating afterwards. Both scopes provide advanced, clear images and diagnostic capability comparable to — or better than — a general hospital.

We have performed endoscopic polypectomy since 2015. If capsule endoscopy or advanced procedures are needed, we refer you to a specialist at the National Cancer Center — on the same day where possible, so a bowel preparation is never wasted.

Helicobacter pylori: testing & eradication

The director is a Helicobacter pylori Infectious Disease Certified Doctor. H. pylori treatment for chronic gastritis has been covered in Japan since 2013 — the first country in the world — but the rules about what insurance covers are confusing. Here's how it works:

• Positive result from a company health check? Bring the report. With a gastroscopy (covered by insurance) that finds gastritis and no cancer, eradication is indicated and covered — we explain the risks of leaving it untreated (gastric cancer, gastric and duodenal ulcers), prescribe the course, and re-test afterwards, since eradication succeeds in about 80% of cases, not 100%.
• Symptoms + evidence of infection? A Helicobacter test alongside gastroscopy is required and covered.
• Testing only, without gastroscopy (urea breath test, blood or urine antibody) is not covered by insurance — our rapid urine antibody test gives results within 20 minutes for ¥8,500.

Our endoscopy in numbers

Most examinations use CO₂ gas; about half of colonoscopies use the non-loop insertion method. As a recent example year: 94 colonoscopies including 22 polyp resections — see the full four-year surgical table on emergency & others.

Patient survey: of over 100 colonoscopy patients surveyed, 80% said the examination was painless or nearly painless; 0.8% reported pain — most patients said they felt comfortable enough to return.