THE DAY OF YOUR GASTROSCOPY
When you arrive at the hospital you need to check in at registration on the main floor by the entrance and then go to the endoscopy unit on the 3rd floor.
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An intravenous will be started and then you will be placed on a stretcher and wheeled to the hallway outside the procedure room. The anesthetist will meet you and review your history.
Please remove any dentures at this time. We will give you a receptacle.
To begin the procedure monitors for your vital signs will be placed and a plastic mouth guard will be placed in your mouth to protect your teeth. It is hard to talk once this is in. You will be asked to turn onto your left side.
The anesthetist will then begin giving you the sedative. This medication can burn in the arm for a short period as it goes in. We will then perform the gastroscopy. This portion takes only a few minutes and most people do not remember having the tube inside at all. Many wake up wondering if the procedure was actually done.
During the procedure small samples (biopsies) may be taken. These will be sent to the laboratory for examination by the pathologist. The testing may include looking for a bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori which is associated with an increased risk of ulcers.
AFTER YOUR GASTROSCOPY
Dr. Mandelbaum will speak with you once you are awake in the recovery room to give you results. A follow up plan will be made.
The nurses will then prepare you for discharge. You will be in the recovery area for about 45 to 60 minutes while the sedation wears off.
If you have sedation, you must have a responsible adult to drive you home or accompany you in a taxi. We do not allow you to go home by public transport or to take a taxi on your own. You cannot drive or operate dangerous machinery or go back to work that day. You should avoid making important decisions during this period.
The following day you are fit to return to all usual activities.
All medications you regularly take can be resumed once you are discharged.
The effects of the sedation can last for the rest of the day leaving you feeling drowsy. During this time you should avoid alcohol. You may have a sore throat and this normally resolves in a day or two. You can use lozenges for this. Most people feel a bit bloated from the introduced air.
You should not have pain or any other worrying symptoms after the gastroscopy. You should contact Dr. Mandelbaum, your family doctor or go to the emergency department at the nearest hospital if you are concerned.
