Gastroscopy: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

Endoscopy

Gastroscopy is a procedure where your esophagus (food pipe) is examined along with your stomach and the duodenum. This procedure is carried out to determine the cause and course of treatment required for abnormal abdominal pain, anemia, and blood in feces and vomiting blood frequently. These problems are mainly associated with digestion problems or infections. This procedure also helps to detect stomach ulcers that might be present in your stomach and your intestines. Gastroscopy also finds out the problems associated with your esophagus where the stomach acid leaks and affects the food pipe (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease). Gastroscopy also helps us to determine the course of treatment required for coeliac disease where a person is adversely affected with digestive problems due to the presence of gluten in food. During this procedure a system of biopsy may be applicable where a part of the esophagus or stomach is removed to cross examine it. Sometimes a Gastroscopy procedure can also be sued to stop bleeding in your stomach or the food pipe.

If you are advised for a Gastroscopy then sometimes you might need to stop the medications that you were on as the medications can cause complications regarding the digestive system and alter the results of the Gastrocopy procedure. To carry out this procedure you need to be on an empty stomach and if not, then certain laxatives are given to clear it out. You will be restricted to eat anything before 6 hours of the procedure and you are not allowed to drink anything before 3 hours of this procedure. The procedure takes 15 minutes and you will be anesthetized before the procedure. An endoscope is inserted through your food pipe and examines for the presence of abnormal redness, lumps in your food pipe, stomach and the intestines. A certain kind of air is blown when the endoscopy instrument is inserted through your mouth to bloat your stomach. If the procedure detects any abnormalities then a biopsy of the affected area is conducted for cross examination and as you are anesthetized, you will not feel anything when the affected portion of your body is removed. If there are abnormal bleeding inside your body then a procedure of band litigation is applied to stop the bleeding where certain chemicals seals the tear in your blood vessels and stops the bleeding that causes certain problems.

If you notice abnormal and frequent abdominal pain and blood while you excrete or throw up then seek medical attention immediately as you might be eligible for a procedure of Gastroscopy. You will also face nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue as well. If you face these mentioned symptoms then consult with your medical expert as soon as possible. After proper tests and other results you might be eligible for the procedure of Gastroscopy.

Sometimes common gastrointestinal problems are mistaken for this procedure. If you have other gastrointestinal problems then you might not be eligible for this kind of procedure. Those who have heart problems and other serious problems then they might not be eligible for this procedure. The doctor might suggest certain blood tests with respect to the problems that you are facing.

This procedure can cause you to have a feeling of nausea, loss of appetite and weakness. Sometimes if the procedure is not carried out properly then your food pipe might start to bleed again and help you to develop new form of ulcers as well. After the procedure, for a few days you might be restricted from consuming rich and heavy food and if you do then the pain in the esophagus rejuvenates and causes pain once again while swallowing foods.

As the sedatives stay in your blood for a certain period of time therefore you should be cautious for one week after the procedure. You should not drink or drive or carry out any heavy activities as you might feel drowsy every now and then. You should be on a light diet unless and until the symptoms are eliminated completely and you should not consume any rich foods for a few days after the procedure as it might cause the seals in your esophagus to tear and cause bleeding again.

You should recover from this procedure within 6 to 10 days. There might be a possibility that the seals in your esophagus might tear off, if that is the case then you should seek medical help immediately and if the problems continue to occur such as vomiting blood or blood in your stools then you should get checked again.

The cost of this procedure in India depends on the type of facilities that your medical provider offers and the severity of the problems that you face. The cost of this procedure ranges from Rs. 2,400 to Rs. 20,000.

The results of the treatment are known to be permanent however; you might develop the symptoms again if you face other gastrointestinal problems which are mainly caused by your unhealthy diet.