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Gastroscopy is the technique of visual examination of the stomach lining. The procedure is also called oesophago-gastroduodenoscopy (OGD). The gastroscope is a flexible tube about the thickness of your little finger with a camera and light source at the end. It contains 2 narrow channels to allow the endoscopist (doctor performing the gastroscopy) to suck out any fluid from the stomach and insert a grasping instrument to remove any polyps or take biopsy.
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You will need to abstain from eating solid foods for 6 hours. However, you can still continue to drink clear liquids (such as black tea or soft drinks) up to an hour before the examination. Please inform the clinic staff if you are taking any medication to prevent normal blood clotting, commonly called "blood thinners". If you are taking strong "blood thinners", the doctor cannot take samples from your stomach if needed. Some common "blood thinners" are Warfarin and Plavix.
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Gastroscopy is done with you lying on your left side. A local anaesthetic is sprayed to the back of your throat to numb it. An injection of a sedative is usually given to make you relaxed and go into a light sleep. The entire procedure takes about 15 minutes.
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Complications are exceedingly rare in gastroscopy. The risk of bleeding or perforation is very rare because the stomach wall is thicker than the colon. The risk of either complication is lower than the risk in colonoscopy. Care will be taken to minimize discomfort and complications as far as possible. Patients may feel mild cramping, bloating or gas after the procedure which can last up to 24 hrs.
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An alternative test to gastroscopy would be a barium meal. Barium meal is an x-ray based test where a liquid contrast (barium) is swallowed and numerous x-rays are taken of the abdomen as the barium flows into the duodenum but this test is known to miss smaller cancers and biopsies cannot be taken either. Barium meal is usually employed when a patient refuses to undergo gastroscopy.
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