Gastroscopy 

Stomach problems, such as severe heartburn or indigestion, may require you to have a gastroscopy - a diagnostic procedure that allows doctors to look at the upper part of your digestive system.

The doctor will use an endoscope (a tiny camera on the end of a flexible tube) to examine this region of your digestive system.

A gastroscopy is also known as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or an upper endoscopy or simply an endoscopy. It may also be referred to by doctors as an OGD (oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy).

A gastroscopy involves feeding a thin, flexible telescope (called an endoscope) into your mouth down through your oesophagus (the tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach) and into your stomach and duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine).

The tip of the endoscope houses a light and a camera that transmits images to a TV or computer monitor. The images show details of the lining of your oesophagus, stomach and duodenum and help your doctor diagnose the cause of your problem. 

What else is a gastroscopy used for?
A gastroscopy also allows your doctor to perform biopsies - small tissue samples are removed by a special tool on the endoscope for analysis by a hospital laboratory. This is performed by using small cutting instruments attached to the endoscope. 

The doctor will also perform therapeutic procedures during a gastroscopy. If there are any foreign bodies or growths, such as polyps, in your oesophagus, stomach or duodenum, the doctor may remove them.

How long does a gastroscopy take?
A gastroscopy usually takes between five and 20 minutes (PDF 1) to perform and is usually performed as an outpatient procedure, which means you are not admitted to hospital for it and can go home the same day.

You will be asked to refrain from eating anything for at least six hours (PDF 1) before the gastroscopy, as your stomach must be empty during the examination.

If you are taking an anti-ulcer drug, such as lansoprazole, ranitidine or omeprazole, you must stop taking it two weeks before your gastroscopy appointment.

If you have been diagnosed with Barrett's Oesophagus, do not discontinue this medication. 

If you are taking warfarin please contact your GP or Hospital Doctor, as special arrangements may need to be taken before, during and after the gastroscopy.

The gastroscopy procedure
If you are nervous about the procedure, you may be given a light sedative to help you relax. The sedative will be given in the form of an injection in the back of your hand. You will still be awake while the gastroscopy is being performed, however.

Lying on your left side, the doctor or nurse will give you a plastic guard to put in your mouth, which stops you biting the endoscope and protects your teeth from being damaged by the instrument.

To make swallowing the endoscope easier, you may also be given an anaesthetic spray or a lozenge to numb the back of your throat.

Once in your stomach, the nurse or doctor will pass air through the endoscope to stretch the stomach lining. This makes it easier to spot any lumps, redness or holes in the lining of your stomach or duodenum through the endoscope camera. The inflation process can make some people feel slightly uncomfortable or nauseous.

If the doctor spots anything unusual, s/he may take a biopsy, which can either be a small sample of tissue or just a few cells. The procedure is completely painless. The sample is sent to the lab for further analysis.

Once the examination is over, the endoscope is carefully and slowly removed, which may make you gag or retch.

Infolinks:

Barretts Oesophagus Foundation

Ref:

1) West Suffolk Hospital Trust Patient Leaflet (PDF)