What is upper endoscopy

Upper endoscopy helps your doctor evaluate symptoms of persistent upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. It's the best test for finding the cause of bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract. It's also more accurate than X-ray films for detecting inflammation, ulcers and tumors of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. Your doctor might use upper endoscopy to obtain a biopsy small tissue samples.

A biopsy helps your doctor distinguish between benign and malignant cancerous tissues. Remember, biopsies are taken for many reasons, and your doctor might order one even if he or she does not suspect cancer. For example, your doctor might use a biopsy to test for Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes ulcers.

Your doctor might also use upper endoscopy to perform a cytology test, where he or she will introduce a small brush to collect cells for analysis. Upper endoscopy is also used to treat conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Your doctor can pass instruments through the endoscope to directly treat many abnormalities - this will cause you little or no discomfort. For example, your doctor might stretch dilate a narrowed area, remove polyps usually benign growths or treat bleeding. An empty stomach allows for the best and safest examination, so you should have nothing to eat or drink, including water, for approximately six hours before the examination.

Your doctor will tell you when to start fasting as the timing can vary. Tell your doctor in advance about any medications you take; you might need to adjust your usual dose for the examination. Discuss any allergies to medications as well as medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease. You may be asked to sign a consent form that gives permission to do the procedure. Read the form carefully and ask questions if anything is not clear. Tell your healthcare provider if you are sensitive to or allergic to any medicines, latex, tape, and anesthesia medicines local and general.

You will be asked not to eat or drink for 8 hours before the test. This usually means no food or drink after midnight. You may be given additional instructions about following a special diet for 1 or 2 days before the procedure. Tell your provider if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant. Tell your provider if you have a history of bleeding disorders. Let your provider know if you are taking any blood-thinning medicines, aspirin, ibuprofen, or other medicines that affect blood clotting.

You may need to stop taking these medicines before the procedure. Your healthcare provider will give you instructions on how to prepare your bowel for the test. You may be asked to take a laxative, an enema, or a rectal laxative suppository.

Or you may have to drink a special fluid that helps prepare your bowel. If you have a heart valve disease, you may be given disease-fighting medicines antibiotics before the test. This may be recommended in certain situations, such as when dilation is being performed. It is not needed for a standard upper endoscopy. You will be awake during the procedure, but you will take medicine to relax you a sedative before the test.

Someone will have to drive you home afterward. Follow any other instructions your provider gives you to get ready. What happens during an upper GI endoscopy? Generally, an upper GI endoscopy follows this process: You will be asked to remove any clothing, jewelry, or other objects that may interfere with the procedure. If you wear false teeth dentures , you will be asked to remove them until the test is over.

If you are asked to remove clothing, you will be given a gown to wear. An IV intravenous line will be started in your arm or hand. A medicine to relax you a sedative will be injected into the IV. Your heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen level will be checked during the procedure. You will lie on your left side on the X-ray table with your head bent forward.

Numbing medicine may be sprayed into the back of your throat. Healthcare professionals may also call the procedure endoscopy, upper endoscopy, EGD or esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Doctors use upper GI endoscopy to help diagnose and treat symptoms and conditions that affect the esophagus , stomach , and upper intestine or duodenum. During upper GI endoscopy, a doctor obtains biopsies by passing an instrument through the endoscope to obtain a small piece of tissue for testing.

Biopsies are needed to diagnose conditions such as. Doctors are also starting to use upper GI endoscopy to perform weight loss procedures for some people with obesity. You should talk with your doctor about your medical history, including medical conditions and symptoms you have, allergies, and all prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take, including. You can take most medicines as usual, but you may need to adjust or stop some medicines for a short time before your upper GI endoscopy.

Your doctor will tell you about any necessary changes to your medicines before the procedure. For safety reasons, you can't drive for 24 hours after the procedure, as the sedatives used during the procedure need time to wear off. You will need to make plans for getting a ride home after the procedure.

To see your upper GI tract clearly, your doctor will most likely ask you not to eat or drink up to 8 hours before the procedure. A doctor performs an upper GI endoscopy in a hospital or an outpatient center.

Before the procedure, you will likely get a sedative or a medicine to help you stay relaxed and comfortable during the procedure.

The sedative will be given to you through an intravenous IV needle in your arm. In some cases, the procedure can be done without getting a sedative. You may also be given a liquid medicine to gargle or a spray to numb your throat and help prevent you from gagging during the procedure.

The health care staff will monitor your vital signs and keep you as comfortable as possible.