Risks of gastroscopy 

A gastroscopy is a safe, simple procedure and complications are uncommon.

The following are the most usual risks encountered:

  • You may have a sore throat for a day or two afterwards, if the endoscope scraped your throat during the test.
  • There is a small risk that the endoscope might tear the lining of your oesophagus or stomach, which is known as a perforation.
  • Risk of chest infection or pneumonia (1) is also slightly higher than normal following a gastroscopy, while a very small number of people can have an allergic reaction to the sedative. There is finally a low risk of damage to crowned teeth or bridgework caused by the endoscope.
  • The risk of any serious complication occurring in a diagnostic gastroscopy is less than one in every 10,000 (2). 

NOTE: If you develop symptoms, such as abdominal pain that gradually gets worse (or is worse than you had before the test), high temperature, breathing difficulties or coughing up or vomiting blood after having a gastroscopy, you must see your doctor immediately.

 
 

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