What it is used for
- Investigating heartburn, upper abdominal pain or persistent indigestion
- Diagnosing ulcers, gastritis and oesophagitis
- Taking biopsies for Helicobacter pylori, coeliac disease or eosinophilic oesophagitis
- Investigating difficulty swallowing or food impaction
- Looking for the cause of iron deficiency anaemia
- Treating bleeding lesions, dilating strictures or removing polyps
How it is done
Sedation is given by an anaesthetist, so you sleep through the examination and remember nothing of it. A thin flexible endoscope is passed through the mouth and the oesophagus, stomach and first part of the small bowel are examined.
The examination itself takes only a few minutes. Total time in hospital, including preparation and recovery from sedation, is around two hours.
Preparation
- Complete fasting for at least eight hours, including fluids
- Come with someone: sedation means you cannot drive for the rest of the day
- Tell us about your usual medication, especially anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs
- If H. pylori is being sought, stop acid-suppressing medication two weeks beforehand
Afterwards
After a period of observation you can go home. Some throat discomfort or a sensation of trapped air for a few hours is normal. You can eat normally once you have recovered from the sedation, unless told otherwise.
You receive the report with images the same day. If biopsies were taken, results take a few days and we discuss them at the follow-up appointment.