Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is performed to examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum. The esophagus is a muscular tube that connects the pharynx to the stomach and duodenum, which is the upper part of the small intestine.

The endoscope is a small camera inside a tube. The EGD test involves passing the endoscope through the pharynx and along the esophagus.

What is endoscopy of the stomach and esophagus for?

Your doctor may order an EGD test if you have certain symptoms, such as:

• Severe and chronic heartache
• vomiting blood
• Black or tar colored feces
• return food
• Pain in upper abdomen
• Unexplained anemia
• Persistent nausea or vomiting
• Irrational weight loss
• Feeling less full than usual after eating
• Feeling that food is stuck behind the sternum
• Pain or difficulty in swallowing

Also, the doctor may use this test to check the success of treatment or to monitor side effects in the following cases:

• Crohn's disease
• stomach ulcer
• Hepatic seizure
• Swelling of the veins located at the bottom of the esophagus

Preparation for gastric endoscopy

Your doctor will tell you to stop taking medications such as aspirin (Bufferin) and other blood thinners a few days before the EGD test.

Don't eat anything for 6 to 12 hours before Biden's test....People who wear dentures are asked to remove them for the test....As with all medical tests, you will be asked to sign an informed consent form before the procedure.

Where and how is gastric endoscopy performed

Before an EGD, your doctor will probably give you sedation and painkillers....this will keep you from feeling any pain...people usually don't even remember the test.

The doctor may also spray a local anesthetic into your mouth to prevent a reflex or cough reflex when the endoscope is inserted.... To prevent damage to the teeth or the camera, you must use a mouth guard.

Then, the doctor will insert a needle into a vein (IV) in your arm to allow the medicine to be injected during the test....During the test, you will be asked to lie on your left side.

As soon as the sedatives take effect, the endoscope is inserted into the esophagus and passed to the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine. Air is then introduced through the endoscope so that the doctor can clearly see the lining of the esophagus.

During the test, the doctor may take small tissue samples using an endoscope. These samples can be examined under a microscope to detect any abnormalities. This procedure is called a biopsy.

Sometimes treatments, such as dilating abnormally narrow areas in the esophagus, can be done during an EGD.

The complete test takes between 5 and 20 minutes.

Risks and complications of gastric and esophageal endoscopy

In general, EGD is a safe procedure....there is very little risk that the endoscope will puncture the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine....if a biopsy is performed, there is also a risk of prolonged bleeding from the site where the tissue was removed.

Some people may also react to the sedatives and painkillers used during the procedure. This problem can include the following:

• Difficult breathing or inability to breathe
• Low blood pressure
• Slow heartbeat
• Excessive sweating
• Laryngeal spasm

But less than 1 in 1000 people experience these complications.

Follow-up of endoscopy test results

Normal results mean that the entire lining of the esophagus is smooth and there are no signs of:

• Inflammation
• tumor
• Wound
• Bleeding

The following may cause abnormal EGD results:

• Celiac disease leads to damage to the intestinal lining and prevents the absorption of nutrients.
• Esophageal rings are abnormal tissue masses that form at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach.
• Esophageal varices are swollen veins located in the lining of the esophagus.
• Hiatal hernia is a disorder that causes part of the stomach to protrude from the entrance of the diaphragm.
• Esophagitis, gastritis, and duodenum are inflammatory conditions that involve the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine, respectively.
• Gastric reflux disease (GERD) is a disorder that causes liquids or food to back up from the stomach into the esophagus.
• Mallory-Weiss syndrome is a rupture of the lining of the esophagus.
• Wound that may be present in the stomach or small intestine.

What will happen after the endoscopy

A nurse will monitor you for about an hour after the test to make sure the anesthetic has worn off and you can swallow without any problems or discomfort.

You may feel a little bloated... You may have a bit of cramping or a sore throat... These side effects are completely normal and should be completely resolved within 24 hours... Be patient with eating and drinking so that you can swallow easily.... After you start eating, start with a light snack.

Seek immediate medical attention and see a gastroenterologist if the following occur:

• Your symptoms are worse than before the test
• You have difficulty swallowing
• You feel dizzy or weak
• You vomit
• You feel severe pain in your stomach
• You see blood in your stool
• You may not eat or drink
• You urinate less than usual or not at all

The doctor specializing in gastroenterology, liver and endoscopy will review the test results with you... He may prescribe more tests before making a diagnosis or preparing a treatment plan.

You can make an appointment through the GCORP LLC directory of gastroenterologists.

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