Gastroscopy is the procedure of examining the upper digestive tract with a long, tube-shaped, flexible instrument that has its own light source and a camera at its tip. The upper digestive tract begins at the mouth and takes in the gullet (the oesophagus), the stomach and the first part of the small bowel, called the duodenum.

When is gastroscopy needed?

Gastroscopy is needed if you have:

Problems to do with swallowing and chewing,
Continuing heartburn and burning in the stomach,
Abdominal pain,
Bleeding from the upper digestive system,
Vomiting,
Abnormal findings on X-rays taken of the stomach and bowel.

How do you prepare for a gastroscopic examination?

Nothing should be eaten for six to eight hours before the procedure. Listen to anything else your doctor advises you. Nothing further is needed for the local anaesthetic.

The clinic’s consent form will be signed.

How is a gastroscopy done?

Before the procedure begins, a local anaesthetic is sprayed into your mouth to prevent retching. In patients who are under a good deal of stress, a sedative may need to be given into a vein (midazolam). Once the anaesthetic team has put you to sleep, the doctor passes the gastroscope in through your mouth and down, and examines the gullet (the oesophagus), the stomach and the duodenum (the twelve-finger bowel) with the video endoscope, looking for any infection (gastritis), ulcer or abnormal growth; if need be, samples of tissue are taken and sent for testing, and if there are abnormal growths such as polyps they can be removed.

With gastroscopy, bleeding in the upper digestive system can be stopped, and foreign bodies that have been swallowed (a pin, for instance) can be taken out. When the examination is finished the doctor draws the gastroscope back and removes it. The procedure generally takes about ten minutes.

What can happen after a gastroscopic examination?

After the procedure you are kept under observation for a time (about half an hour). If a sedative was injected into a vein during the procedure, nothing is eaten or drunk for four hours; during that time you must also not drive, which means someone should be with you to take you home. There may be slight burning in the throat after the procedure.

Ask your doctor what you should do afterwards.

What are the benefits of gastroscopy?

The procedure lets your doctor make a more accurate diagnosis, and allows certain problems to be treated.

What risks can this procedure carry?

The local anaesthetic given before the procedure may not be enough, and you may feel some discomfort.
Tears can occur in the throat, the stomach and the duodenum, and surgery may be needed.
There can be a risk of infection and of bleeding.

Ask your doctor what these risks are.

When should you telephone your doctor?

Telephone the doctor in these circumstances:

If you have pain that keeps getting worse
If your nausea and vomiting continue
If you develop a fever