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When food or fluids are swallowed they pass through a tube called the oesophagus (which is approximately 23 - 25 cm in length & lies mostly in the chest) to enter the stomach which is a bag-like reservoir to store & digest food. The stomach empties into the tubular structure called the duodenum (about 25 cm long) which goes on to become the small intestine. This is 4.5 - 9 metres in length & is coiled up to fit into the abdominal cavity (tummy). The small intestine empties into the colon (large bowel) which is 1.8 metre long. This then empties into the rectum (12 - 15 cm long) & anal canal (2.5 - 3.5 cm). Click on Diagram of the Gastro-intestinal (Digestive) Tract to see picture. Gastroscopy is the examination of the oesophagus, stomach & duodenum with a flexible (bendy) telescope. It is a very useful procedure - able to detect a variety of conditions associated with indigestion, e.g. inflammations such as Gastritis, Duodenal Ulceration & cancers. What it involves for the patient: You should not eat or drink anything at all for at least 6 hours prior to the examination. For this examination, you will need to come into hospital, usually to the Endoscopy Unit, about ½ hour prior to the procedure. The nurses will take your details & ask you some questions about your health, including about any medicines that you take & any allergies to them. Your blood pressure will be taken. You will be asked to change into a gown. Your throat is sprayed with an anaesthetic fluid - which does not taste particularly nice & is quite bitter. You should gargle before you swallow it. It will numb your throat which may feel rather strange but don't worry, this effect is transient & will not harm you. In the Endoscopy Unit, the nurse will place 2 small tubes close to your nostrils to deliver oxygen. A small soft sensor clip will be attached to one of your fingers to monitor your pulse and oxygen levels. These are routine procedures & should not alarm you. A small needle is inserted into a vein in your hand or forearm for the injection of sedatives. You then lie on your left side & gently bite on a mouthpiece which is designed to protect the delicate scope during the examination. Sedatives are injected into your vein to make you relaxed & sleepy. The gastroscope is inserted into your mouth through the mouthpiece. You may slightly feel this in the back of your throat. To help it go through you should keep swallowing when instructed - even though you are sedated & sleepy. Your swallowing action always helps to pass the scope easily into the oesophagus. During the procedure you should breath through your nose, try to relax, take your mind off the procedure, think about pleasant things &, best of all, try & drift into sleep. After the procedure is complete, you rest or, more usually sleep, for a couple of hours. After you have recovered (usually 2 hours) you can go home but you cannot drive, operate machinery or drink alcohol that day and it would be best if someone can accompany you home. You can carry on normally the following day. If biopsies have been taken the results will not be available for 1 - 2 days. The full result can be communicated to you by telephone as soon as they are available, if this is before your follow up appointment. Your throat may feel a little sore after the procedure but this normally settles in a day or so. Common conditions that can be detected by this procedure are:
For the examination itself you will need to come into a hospital, usually the Endoscopy Unit, about an hour before the expected time of the procedure. A nurse will ask some questions about your health and as also ask you to change in to a gown. In the endoscopy room you will lie on a trolley on your left side. The nurse will place 2 small tubes close to your nostrils to deliver oxygen. A small soft clip will be attached to one of your fingers to monitor your pulse and oxygen levels. These are routine procedures & should not alarm you. During the procedure, and sometimes before, a soft sticky pad may be placed on your thigh - this is necessary in case anything in your colon needs to be diathermied (brunt off). Two nurses will be present throughout the procedure. A small needle is placed into a vein in your hand or forearm & sedatives are injected to make you sleepy & relaxed. This is not a general anaesthetic & is referred to as "sedation". While you are lying on your left side, The colonoscope which has been lubricated with a clear jelly is gently inserted into your anus (back passage) & advance slowly. During the examination you may feel a little bloated & may experience some cramp-like wind pains, which is due to air passing into your colon from the colonoscope. There is often no real discomfort. You may get the sensation of wanting to go to the toilet to pass motions but this is just a sensation because the bowel is empty and there is no danger of this happening. You may pass a lot of wind during the procedure, but please don't be embarrassed, as this is the air that has been placed into your colon, and its escape is inevitable. During the procedure it is important for you to relax as much as possible & take your mind off the procedure by thinking about more pleasant things. Best of all try and drift into sleep. After the colonoscopy is complete, you rest or, more usually sleep, for a couple of hours. You may feel bloated, and pass wind. After you have recovered (usually 2 hours) you can go home but you cannot drive, operate machinery or drink alcohol that day and it would be best if someone can accompany you home. You can carry on normally the following day. If biopsies have been taken the results will not available for 1 - 2 days. The full result can be communicated to you by telephone as soon as they are available, if this is before your follow up appointment. |
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