A doctor performs an upper GI endoscopy in a hospital or an outpatient center. Before the procedure, you will likely get a sedative or a medicine to help you stay relaxed and comfortable during the procedure. The sedative will be given to you through an intravenous IV needle in your arm. In some cases, the procedure can be done without getting a sedative. You may also be given a liquid medicine to gargle or a spray to numb your throat and help prevent you from gagging during the procedure.
The health care staff will monitor your vital signs and keep you as comfortable as possible. The doctor will carefully pass the endoscope down your esophagus and into your stomach and duodenum.
A small camera mounted on the endoscope will send a video image to a monitor, allowing close examination of the lining of your upper GI tract. The endoscope pumps air into your stomach and duodenum, making them easier to see.
The upper GI endoscopy most often takes between 15 and 30 minutes. The endoscope does not interfere with your breathing, and many people fall asleep during the procedure. You should follow all instructions. Some results from an upper GI endoscopy are available right away. Your doctor will share these results with you or, if you choose, with your friend or family member. A pathologist will examine the samples of tissue, cells, or fluid that were taken to help make a diagnosis.
Biopsy results take a few days or longer to come back. The pathologist will send a report to your health care professional to discuss with you. An endoscopy is not usually painful, but it can be uncomfortable. Most people only have mild discomfort, similar to indigestion or a sore throat.
The procedure is usually done while you're awake. You may be given a local anaesthetic to numb a specific area of your body.
This may be in the form of a spray or lozenge to numb your throat, for example. You may also be offered a sedative to help you relax and make you less aware of what's going on around you. The endoscope will be carefully put into your body. Depending on the part of your body being looked at, it may be put into your:. An endoscopy usually takes between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on what it's being used for.
You can usually go home the same day and do not have to stay in hospital overnight. You swallow a small capsule with a camera and light in it. The capsule sends images of the inside of your body to a computer for a doctor to look at.
This will allow time for any preparations that may need to be made before you have the endoscopy. You will be asked to change into a hospital gown and your medical history will be reviewed.
Please make sure to bring a list of all of your medications and let the staff know what you have taken that day. At this time, the procedure will be explained to you, including what the doctor plans to do, what the risks and benefits are, what alternatives may exist, what the expected outcome is, and what limitations may exist to achieving the goals of the procedure.
Usually there is no need for laboratory tests prior to the exam, but depending on your circumstances, you may need a pregnancy test. Next, an intravenous line IV will be started so that you can receive fluids and medications through it.
Now you will be ready for the procedure. Once in the procedure room, you will be asked to lie on your left side on the exam table. Next, a mouth guard will be placed in your mouth so that the endoscope will not damage your teeth. At this point, if you are receiving sedation, you will start to be sleepy and will most likely remain asleep throughout the procedure, which generally takes about 10 to 20 minutes. Because of the sedation medication, patients are generally unaware of what is going on and do not remember anything when they wake up.
Once you are sedated, the doctor will guide the flexible gastroscope, which is about the same thickness as a finger, through the esophagus, into the stomach, and then into the duodenum. There is a light and lens on the end of the tube that sends images back to a TV monitor, so the doctor can visualize the tissue of your GI tract.
During this time, any additional procedures that are needed, such as removing a foreign object, taking a biopsy, or dilating a narrow portion of the esophagus, will be done. These procedures are not painful.
The most discomfort you may experience during or after the procedure is usually bloating that results from air that is pushed into the GI tract to expand areas for better visualization or for passing of the tube. Once everything is completed, the tube will be removed and you will be allowed to wake up from the sedation. After the endoscopy, you will be given time to fully wake up. Once alert enough, you will be given something light to eat and drink. You might still feel a little fuzzy and have difficulty concentrating.
This is just residual effect from the sedation that will wear off. However, most doctors will require that you have someone drive you home, because the medications you have been given can decrease your reflexes until they are completely cleared from your system. You will also be asked to not return to work, not use heavy machinery, and not make any major decisions for the rest of the day. You should not feel any pain after an endoscopy.
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