Gastroscopy

What is a gastroscopy?

A gastroscopy is an examination of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.

The procedure is done with a gastroscope, a tube with a miniature camera at the tip. The scope enters the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum through your mouth and throat. If necessary, we can take tissue biopsies.

Your gastroenterologist will perform the examination at the Diagnostics and Treatment Center (OBC).

Gastroscopy - how does it work?

You will be lying down on the examination table on your left side during your gastroscopy. If you prefer, we can numb your throat, or give you a sedative to help you feel less anxious about the procedure.

We will place a ring between your jaws and place the scope in the back of your throat. You will need to swallow several times while we lead the tube through your throat into the esophagus.

Now we can examine the inside of your esophagus, the stomach lining, and the duodenum (the first part of the intestine), and take tissue biopsies for further analysis, if needed.

Taking tissue biopsies won't hurt.

Preparations

Please do not eat or drink after 22:00 on the evening before your exam. If your gastroscopy is scheduled in the afternoon, you can have a light breakfast like a cracker and a cup of tea.

Consultation

Your physician can tell you what medication you can take before the exam. You can come in during one of our walk-in consultations to hear more about how you can prepare for this procedure.

Anesthesia

We can give you a numbing spray to numb your throat, which can help counter the feeling of discomfort brought on by the tube. If you prefer, we can give you a sedative to help with anxiety.

During the procedure

You can continue to breathe normally during this procedure. The tube will not prevent you from breathing. Your physician may pump some air into the stomach during the examination for a better view of the stomach lining. This may cause bloating.

After the procedure

If your throat was numbed during the procedure, you should not eat or drink for one hour after the procedure due to an increased risk of choking.

Bring support

If you were given a sedative, you will need to spend an hour at our recovery room. You cannot drive after taking the sedative, so please consider bringing someone with you who can take you home.

Results

If your physician did not find any abnormalities, you will receive your results immediately after the procedure. If any abnormalities were found, it will take approximately 10 weekdays to analyze the tissue biopsies. We will schedule a consultation to discuss the results at the clinic.