Are you due for a gastroscopy? I'll tell you everything you need to know about the gastroscopy procedure and what to look out for.
Yes, I would also rather be doing something else right now than having a gastroscope in my mouth. Lying on the beach would be nice. Or go up a mountain. But really, anything would be nicer than that.
But well, I guess I have to go through with it now.
And because you landed on this post, you're probably facing the same thing soon. I've just had it, so I've recorded my experience of the gastroscopy procedure here.
Now that the memories are still nice and fresh, here are the most important insights into gastroscopy.
Table of contents
Two days before the gastro, I get really nervous. Will it hurt? How will it feel? And how does it really go?
Because I know you're wondering the same thing, here are the answers.
What to expect during gastroscopy preparation
Getting ready for a gastroscopy is half the battle.
You will start with a medical history consultation with your doctor. Here he will explain everything important that you need to know. From the anesthesia to the diet to the procedure itself.
This brings us to the topic of nutrition. You eat normally until 8 hours before the examination.
From now on, only water is on the menu. It is important that you go to the doctor sober. This is the only way he can identify the gastric mucosa with the gastroscope and take samples.
With smoking and medications, there are still a few little things to consider, but I made a separate post for that.
If you keep this in mind when preparing, nothing can go wrong!
What you need to know about anesthesia before gastroscopy
Your gastroscopy procedure starts with anesthesia, sedation or local anesthesia. You can also do without it, but I have been advised against it by everyone who has tried it without.
That's why I opted for sedation. Anesthesia is the exception and is usually only done for scared patients, children or old people. Most of the time, the doctor will just give you a sedative and numb your throat.
I really wanted sedation so that I would hardly notice anything of the examination.
After I take off my sweater, the receptionist helps me put on a white coat over my T-shirt. Tip: Dress comfortably for this examination!
The couch and the equipment are all ready. When I look at them, I feel a little queasy. But before I can think about it for long, I get the sedation.
Very quickly I am in a twilight sleep and very reassured.
Important: If you receive anesthesia or sedation, you must not drive or operate machinery afterwards!
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What the gastroscopy procedure looks like
After the sedation or tranquilizers, it starts. I lie turned onto my left side on a doctor's couch.
Between my teeth, the assistant puts a teething ring, so that I do not bite the gastroscope or accidentally the doctor :)
She tells me to breathe calmly through my nose. And to relax. Very funny, isn't it? If I wasn't sedated, I would have run away a long time ago. I guess it shows.
Now it gets serious. The doctor pushes the gastroscope very slowly through the mouth and throat into the esophagus.
Despite the sedation, I can feel the device moving from the throat further into the stomach. It doesn't hurt, but it's not pleasant either.
Very slowly, he pushes the device forward and takes a look at the mucosa of the esophagus.
After what felt like an eternity - in truth probably not even 1 minute - the gastroscope arrived in the stomach.
The doctor inflates the stomach with an air-gas mix. This may feel strange. Somehow as if I were a balloon. Now he can see the mucous membranes and structures better, he explains to me afterwards.
I later learn that he has removed tissue through the working channel of the gastroscope. In my twilight sleep, however, I didn't notice any of this.
The doctor drains the air-gas mixture through the gastroscope. This is to avoid stomach pain and a feeling of fullness.
After removing the gastroscope, I am completely knocked out from the sedation. The gastroscopy procedure ends with the physician's assistant talking to me. However, I understand only station and am dog-tired. I lay there for another 20 minutes. Here I wait as relaxed as I have not been in a long time to come back to me.
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How long does the gastroscopy
In total, I'm in the treatment room for 30 minutes with all the trimmings. The reflection itself takes only 5 minutes.
I need the remaining minutes to become halfway responsive again.
However, depending on the reason for the procedure, the duration of gastroscopy may vary.
What you need to consider after the gastroscopy procedure
When I come to after about 20 minutes, the doctor's assistant checks on me again.
She explains to me again calmly what has just happened and that I am not allowed to drive now under any circumstances.
After gastroscopy, mild discomfort may arise. The classic symptoms are flatulence, hoarseness and discomfort when swallowing.
I immediately grasped all three.
Number one subsides within 30 minutes. Numbers 2 and 3 stay with me all day. The difficulty swallowing is not bad. It feels about like having a very mild sore throat.
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I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything for an hour. But I really don't feel like it right now. I just want to sleep.
Nevertheless, I am already looking forward to the first solid food. I have prepared rice with sauce, because it is very easy to swallow. To be on the safe side, I will not eat salad (because of the acidic vinegar) or acidic foods for another two days.
Yogurt, banana and rice with tomato sauce and vegetables are just right after the gastroscopy.
My conclusion
If you know about the gastroscopy procedure, everything is half as bad. I was well informed beforehand and felt very safe. The procedure is absolutely routine for the doctor and nothing challenging. As the saying goes: close your eyes and get through it! In 5-10 minutes everything is over!
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