Gastroscopy Q&A
How long do the results take to come back from the lab?
Depending on what happens during the gastroscopy, the doctor may reveal the results with you during the procedure itself. For example, if they spot an ulcer, they may tell you there and then.
If the doctor takes a biopsy, however, it could take a few days for the results to come back. The results may be sent directly to your GP, or you may have to go back to the hospital to receive them. Whatever happens, you will be told when to expect the results and where to go for them before you leave the hospital.
Why do I need a gastroscopy?
Your GP may have recommended a gastroscopy if you have symptoms, such as chronic indigestion or heartburn, vomiting, upper abdominal pain and bleeding.
A gastroscopy also looks for signs of cancer of the stomach or oesophagus, as well as stomach or duodenal ulcers and acid reflux damage (erosion caused by acid from your stomach travelling up your oesophagus and burning it).
You should have an immediate gastroscopy, if you have indigestion and a lot of blood in your stools, or if you're having indigestion, as well as vomiting blood (File 1).
You should also have a gastroscopy within two weeks if you have indigestion combined with one of several other symptoms, including unexplained weight loss, frequent vomiting, swallowing difficulties, blood in your stools, an upper abdominal lump or anaemia (iron deficiency) (File 1).
The above symptoms are possible signs of stomach cancer - though only around one in every 50 people going to the doctor for the first time with these symptoms will have stomach cancer (2).
If you're 55 or over and are getting bad indigestion without any obvious cause - and your symptoms only started within the last year - you should also have a gastroscopy within two weeks of seeing your doctor, as stomach cancer is commoner in older people who have indigestion (File 1).
If you have swallowing difficulties, your symptoms may be caused by a condition called Barrett's oesophagus, where acid reflux damage has caused a narrowing of your oesophagus.
Are there any other tests?
There are other tests used to diagnose diseases of the stomach, duodenum and oesophagus. For example, a barium meal involves drinking a white liquid containing a substance called barium that coats your digestive system, so that it shows up on an X-ray.
A barium meal X-ray is a less reliable diagnostic method than gastroscopy, however, so you may have a barium meal followed by a gastroscopy, if the results of the barium meal are inconclusive.
Gastroscopy is also more reliable at diagnosing stomach cancer because early stomach cancers are missed as the tumours are too small for a conventional X-ray to pick up.
Other diagnostic methods for digestive problems include non-obstetric ultrasound and MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging).
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