Gastroscopy

What is a gastroscopy?

During a gastroscopic examination, you get a flexible tube with a camera (gastroscope) on the end through the mouth into the oesophagus and on to the stomach and duodenum. This examination is mostly used to find out the reason for swallowing difficulty, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, abdominal pain or chest pain.

Other instruments can be inserted through the gastroscope. Thus, tissue samples can also be taken during the examination and polyps or strictures can be removed.

Preparing for the examination

Other points of interest before the examination:

• You should not eat or drink starting six hours before the examination.
• Report if you have clotting problems and/or are taking anti-clotting medication. You may not be allowed to take these (temporarily).
  • How to stop blood thinners? Contact your primary care physician and/or gastroenterologist to discuss this.
• Report if you have heart or lung disease. In this case, certain precautions may be necessary.
• Bring your medication list with you.

The examination

At the beginning of the examination, the back of your mouth and throat will be numbed locally with a spray. You must swallow this spray. It serves to suppress the vomiting reflex. The examination lasts five minutes. 

Aftercare

You may leave the hospital after the examination. Because of the local numbness of the mouth and throat, you may not eat or drink until the anaesthesia wears off. This takes about 30 minutes. Because air is blown in and fluid is aspirated, you may have a slightly bloated abdomen on the day of the examination. Your throat may feel slightly irritated.