Should I be nervous about an endoscopy?

It's normal to be nervous before your endoscopy but knowing what to expect can help you feel more comfortable during the procedure. Your doctor will give you detailed instructions on what to do, and what not to do, during that period leading up to your procedure.

Should I be scared for endoscopy?

Endoscopies are common and very low risk, and therefore there's no need to feel anxious. You will usually only experience slight discomfort, and experiencing endoscopic pain is very rare. Endoscopies are very safe and do not usually require anaesthetic.

How can I calm my nerves before an endoscopy?

General relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness are also fantastic ways to keep yourself relaxed.

How long does an endoscopy take from start to finish?

An upper endoscopy takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes. A colonoscopy takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes.

Will I be conscious during endoscopy?

Most, but not all, people are sedated during the procedure, and will remember little to nothing when they wake up; and very few people have any complications. So, if you are scheduled for an upper endoscopy procedure, here is an overview of what you can expect.

Endoscopy Introduction - The Patient Journey

Will I throw up during endoscopy?

During the test, you may feel very drowsy and relaxed from the sedative and pain medicines. You may have some gagging, nausea, bloating, or mild cramping in your belly as the tube is moved.

What kind of sedation Do they give you for endoscopy?

A medication called propofol is typically used. At very high doses, it can achieve “general anesthesia” as used in surgeries. Deep sedation requires closer patient monitoring during endoscopy. In many places, its use requires anesthesia personnel and may involve additional patient costs through insurance.

How will I feel after endoscopy?

There is minimal recovery involved with the upper endoscopy procedure, and little discomfort. Post-procedure symptoms may include grogginess from the sedation, a feeling of bloating, sore throat, nausea, difficulty swallowing, and mild pain where the IV was inserted. These usually resolve within 48 hours.

What type of cancers can an endoscopy detect?

This procedure is used to check for stomach cancer. An upper endoscopy—called endoscopic gastroduodenoscopy (EGD)—is a procedure that helps find most stomach cancers. During this test, a doctor looks inside your stomach with a thin, lighted tube called an endoscope.

What diseases can be detected by an endoscopy?

Is it better to have sedation or throat spray for endoscopy procedure?

If patients who are anxious about the procedure are advised to choose sedation, those who nevertheless opt for topical throat spray alone find the endoscopy just as comfortable. If the endoscopy were to be repeated, 73% of the spray group and 77% of the sedation group would make the same choice again.

Can I do endoscopy without sedation?

Both upper endoscopy and colonoscopy can be performed without sedation when a patient is highly motivated to do this and is willing to bear temporary discomfort, which in some cases can be significant.

Why am I having a endoscopy?

Your doctor may use an endoscopy to collect tissue samples (biopsy) to test for diseases and conditions, such as anemia, bleeding, inflammation, diarrhea or cancers of the digestive system.

What age should you get an endoscopy?

Endoscopy is recommended for dyspeptic patients over the age of 45, or those with certain “alarm” symptoms. We have evaluated the effectiveness of age and “alarm” symptoms for predicting major endoscopic findings in six practising endoscopy centres.

Do doctors always take biopsies during endoscopy?

Your doctor might use upper endoscopy to obtain a biopsy (small tissue samples). A biopsy helps your doctor distinguish between benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tissues. Remember, biopsies are taken for many reasons, and your doctor may take a biopsy even if he or she does not suspect cancer.

Will I be tired after an endoscopy?

Most patients tolerate endoscopy very well and feel fine afterwards. Some fatigue is common after the examination, and you should plan to take it easy and relax the rest of the day.

How long will I be groggy after endoscopy?

Endoscopic examinations such as colonoscopy and gastroscopy require sedation. The sedation is to promote comfort to the patient, but will make the patient groggy for several hours and slow reflexes for up to 12 hours.

Does a stomach endoscopy hurt?

Upper endoscopy is used for treatment as well as diagnosis. Endoscopes give your doctor the ability to send medical instruments into your upper GI tract to treat abnormalities within your body. Discomfort is minimal in these cases.

How strong is sedation for endoscopy?

The usual total dose for GI endoscopy is 2 to 10 mg. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid agonist with powerful analgesic but only mild sedative properties, is highly lipid soluble and 80 times more potent than morphine. The usual total dose is 50 to 200 µg.

Is endoscopy sedation safe?

Propofol has been shown to be safe and effective for sedation during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic ultrasonography and small bowel enteroscopy because these procedures require more time and patient co-operation[15-19].

Are you intubated during an endoscopy?

[1] The time tested general anesthesia and airway management techniques are largely considered “overkill” in GI endoscopy; thus, endotracheal intubation, or laryngeal mask airway is mainly for rescue and inhalational anesthesia is impractical.

Does endoscopy trigger gag reflex?

The endoscope is then passed through the mouthpiece and gently brought up against your throat by the examiner's finger. At this point you will be asked to swallow the tube. At first that seems to be a tall order! It is normal to gag, but the reflex usually settles once the tube is passed.

Is Ultrasound better than endoscopy?

Placing the transducer on the tip of an endoscope allows the transducer to get close to the organs inside the body. Because of the proximity of the EUS transducer to the organ(s) of interest, the images obtained are frequently more accurate and more detailed than the ones obtained by traditional ultrasound.

How do I stop my gag reflex during an endoscopy?

“However, the discomfort related to gagging during an endoscopic procedure can be avoided, particularly by numbing the back of the throat and using sedatives,” said Dr. Perino. “As long as you are adequately sedated, you will not gag.”

Do they give you oxygen during endoscopy?

During these procedures, patients typically receive intravenous propofol for sedation while supplemental oxygen is administered via nasal cannulae. The nasal cannula often becomes an ineffective tool for providing supplemental oxygen when the patient's mouth is open and the endoscopy probe is in place.