Friday 10 March 2017

Colonoscopy and gastroscopy

Information for patients from the Trust’s Endoscopy Units

This information is for patients who are having an examination of the lower part of the bowel known as a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy. It explains what it involves, and any significant risks that there may be. 

If you do not attend your appointment without informing the Endoscopy Unit in advance you may be removed from the waiting list.

Students and trainees, supervised by qualified staff may be involved in your care. If you do not want a student to be present, please inform the endoscopist or nurse in charge. 

The time stated is your booking in time NOT your procedure time. The tests take 40 to 50 minutes in total, but may take longer if any biopsies or polyps (projections of tissue rather like warts) are removed. Occassionally, if there are emergency, or very complex cases, the start of your test may be delayed. You may be in hospital for up to four hours.

What is a gastroscopy?

It is an examination of the inside of your oesophagus (gullet), the stomach and the duodenum (the first bend of the small intestine).  A thin, flexible tube approximately the size of a woman’s little finger (a gastroscope) is passed through the mouth into the stomach. The tip of the gastroscope contains a light and a tiny video camera so that the endoscopist can see inside your gut, allowing the endoscopist to see what might be causing the symptoms that you are experiencing. (This procedure is sometimes called an endoscopy).

What is a colonoscopy? 

It is an examination, which allows the endoscopist to look directly at the lining of the large intestine or colon using a colonoscope. This is a flexible tube about the thickness of a woman’s index finger. Sometimes a sample of the lining of the bowel (a biopsy) is taken for laboratory examination. If polyps are found, they can be removed during the examination.

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