Endoscopy Department

How long will I be in the endoscopy department? 

This largely depends how busy the department is. You should expect to be in the department for approximately 3 hours. The department also looks after emergencies and those can take priority over the outpatient list.

What happens when I arrive? 

When you arrive in the department you will be met by a qualified nurse or a health care assistant who will ask you a few questions, one of which concerns your arrangements for getting home. You will also be able to ask further questions about the investigations. 

The nurse will ensure you understand the procedures and discuss any outstanding concerns or questions you may have. As you will be having sedation she will insert a small cannula (small plastic tube) into a vein in the back of your hand through which the sedation will be administered later. 

Following sedation you will not be permitted to drive or use public transport, so you must arrange for a family member or friend to collect you. The nurse will need to be given their telephone number so that she can contact them when you are ready for discharge. 

You will have a brief medical assessment when a qualified endoscopy nurse who will ask you some questions regarding your medical condition and any surgery or illnesses you have had in the past to confirm that you are fit to undergo the investigation. 

Your blood pressure and heart rate will be recorded and if you are diabetic, your blood glucose level will also be recorded. Should you suffer from breathing problems a recording of your oxygen levels will be taken. 

If you have not already done so, and you are happy to proceed, you will be asked to sign your consent form at this point.

Intravenous sedation 

The sedation will be administered into a vein in your hand or arm. This will make you drowsy and relaxed but not unconscious. You will be in a state called co-operative sedation: this means that, although drowsy, you will still hear what is said to you and will therefore be able to follow simple instructions during the investigation. Sedation also makes it unlikely that you will remember anything about the procedure. 

Whilst you are sedated, we will check your breathing and heart rate so changes will be noted and dealt with accordingly. For this reason you will be connected by a finger probe to a pulse oximeter which measures your oxygen levels and heart rate during the procedure. 

Please note that as you will be having sedation you must not drive, operate machinery or sign any legal documents for 24 hours following the procedure.