How to prepare for Upper Endoscopy? Know the other facts.

The procedure of Upper Endoscopy

In upper endoscopy, a long tube i.e. endoscope is inserted into the stomach through throat. Patient is given a mild sedative through the vein. During the procedure, other health parameters such as blood pressure and heart rate are also monitored. The patient is made to wear a mouth guard to keep the mouth open till the procedure is complete. A is sprayed in the mouth to facilitate the movement of endoscope. Additionally air can be pumped into the mouth to dilate the digestive tract. A tiny camera is attached to the tip of scope which transmits the images of inside of the esophagus. If any abnormalities are seen on the monitor, the doctor saves the images for review. This procedure is useful to detect underlying cause of some conditions like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and gastrointestinal bleeding.

In some diseases like anemia, diarrhea and cancers of gastrointestinal system, the doctors may pass some tools through endoscope to collect tissue samples. These samples are analyzed to diagnose the possible medical conditions. This technique is also used to treat conditions like abnormal widening of esophagus, removing foreign objects and polyps as well as stopping bleeding from a ruptured vessel.

Endoscopy is often combined with ultrasound. It helps doctors to create specialized images of hard to reach organs like pancreas.

Preparation before Upper endoscopy

It is necessary that stomach is empty before the procedure. The patient may need not to eat anything 4 to 8 hours before the procedure. Medications given for Diabetes and hypertension also needed to be stopped. Blood thinner medications increase the risk of bleeding in this procedure. Risks associated with Upper Endoscopy

Endoscopy is relatively safe procedure. However, it may lead to certain risks. Risk of bleeding is higher after biopsy or treatment of some digestive tract problem. In rare cases, blood transfusion may be required. When this procedure is performed with other techniques, risk of infections is high. However, these infections can be treated with antibiotics. A very rare case of endoscopy complications leads to tear formation in digestive tract which is to be treated by surgery. However, risk of complications can be reduced by following doctor’s directions.

Signs and symptoms associated with Upper Endoscopy Complications

There are some signs and symptoms which indicate possible complications with this procedure. Some patients may experience bloating, abdominal cramping and soreness of throat after endoscopy but these conditions are short lived. If abdominal pain and cramping persists for many hours, it is a sign of complication. Dark colored stools indicate internal bleeding. If other symptoms like Fever, chest pain, difficulty breathing and vomiting are experienced, timely medical help becomes necessary.

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