A look in the stomach
Gastroscopy
A gastroscopy is a medical examination of the first part of the digestive tract. Thanks to the procedure, abnormalities in the esophagus, stomach and duodenum can be detected or excluded.
Gastroscopy is not the most pleasant examination. Certainly not for children. It is not painful, but you do have to swallow a tube (gastroscope). This involves examining the esophagus, stomach and/or the first part of the duodenum.
How does it work?
The patient must first lie on his side. He gets a ring in his mouth. The doctor slides the gastroscope in through that ring. The throat is partially numbed for the pain. The more the patient relaxes, the easier it is. Is someone too tense? Then the doctor sometimes gives a sedative.
This is even standard procedure for children and infants. After all, swallowing a snake can be traumatic for little ones. Once the gastroscope is deep enough, air is blown through it. This causes the intestinal folds to unfold, so that the doctor can have a better look around. There is, however, a small disadvantage: patients sometimes suffer from belching.
Why a gastrocopy?
A gastroscopy can detect, among other things, the following complaints or causes:
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belching (acid reflux)
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stomach complaints (inflammation of the stomach or stomach ulcer)
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growths
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sores
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inflammation
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vague pain symptoms
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swallowed objects
How long does it take?
Is there nothing strange to see? And can the doctor determine where the reported complaints come from? The gastroscopy then takes an average of ten minutes. Sometimes more needs to be done. If the doctor does not trust a tumor found, he can take tissue during the gastroscopy and send it for further examination (biopsy). He can also stop bleeding and remove small polyps via the gastroscope. Depending on the procedure, the examination may take a few minutes longer.
Quickly forgotten
Patients are quickly on their feet after the examination. They can eat something half an hour after the procedure. Eating before is impractical. With a numb throat you are more at risk of choking. The patient can go home a few hours after the examination. The unpleasant, raw feeling in the throat that many patients experience disappears quickly.
Risks
Gastroscopy is a safe examination. Nevertheless, complications can arise. This especially happens when the patient has been given a sleeping pill, or was not sober. Being sober means that the patient has not eaten before the examination. With a full stomach, food may rise from the burping. The patient can then choke, resulting in possible respiratory infections. A sedative can cause breathing and heart problems. Therefore, breathing and blood pressure are closely monitored during the study. Finally, very occasionally a tear occurs in the esophagus, or stomach. However, all of these complications are rare.