Complications
In general, performing a gastroscopy is associated with few risks and there are hardly any complications. Nevertheless, it is important to name the possible complications before the examination. Since the digestive tract is inflated with air during the examination, flatulence may occur immediately afterwards.
A feeling of fullness and increased belching can also occur. Mechanical irritation of the throat and larynx can also cause temporary difficulty swallowing and hoarseness. Since the throat may be numb for some time after the examination, the patient should not eat immediately after the examination.
There is a risk of swallowing or of food components entering the respiratory tract and causing pneumonia. Patients who have been given a sedative may experience circulatory problems due to the attenuating effect. Particularly in patients who wish to be anaesthetized, allergic reactions to the anaesthetic may occur.
Therefore allergies should be clarified in advance. If the patient has loose teeth, tooth damage may occur. Both during and after the examination it is possible that bleeding may occur as a result of biopsies (tissue samples).
In most cases these are so small that they do not require any further treatment. However, larger bleedings can occur, which must be stopped either by the supply of a metal clip or, in the worst case, by open surgery. In rare cases, the wall of the digestive tract can also be pierced (perforation).
The costs of a gastroscopy are usually covered by health insurance. In many cases, the procedure can be performed by a registered internist. Sometimes an inpatient admission is necessary. Depending on the case, the costs range from 100 to 400 EUR.
Gastroscopy in children
Also in childhood, gastroscopy has a great diagnostic and therapeutic value. Very thin endoscopes with a high resolution are used for gastroscopy in children. In contrast to gastroscopy in adults, the examination in children is usually performed under anesthesia.
During the preparation it is very useful to involve the parents, as they can calm the child down and give him security. Since many children find the placement of a venous access extremely unpleasant and painful, it is possible to induce anaesthesia in the form of an anaesthetic gas that can be inhaled. The child is then already asleep when the vein access is placed.
An experienced doctor is required to perform the examination, in addition to an age-appropriate endoscope and an appropriate anaesthetic option. In the course of the examination there is no difference to gastroscopy in an adult. In preparation for the examination, it is also important that no food has been ingested for 12 hours beforehand, so that there is no risk of the child swallowing any food components.
A gastroscopy is always performed when the symptoms described by the patient are seen in the stomach or esophagus. After appropriate preparation of the patient, during which the person to be examined is informed about risks and side effects, the patient is given a venous access through which an anesthetic is administered shortly before the procedure. The patient must fast on the day of the examination.
The actual examination only takes a few minutes. The gastroscope, a tube with a camera attached to its tip and a light, is inserted through the mouth and throat, through the esophagus and into the stomach. The gastroscope directs air into the esophagus to unfold it and make it easier to see.
The tip of the gastroscope can be moved by the examiner, allowing a 180 degree view. A gastroscopy consists of inspection (the examination of the stomach and esophageal mucosa and the search for bleeding, tumors and stomach ulcers), sampling (biopsy of suspect skin areas) and therapeutic options (if necessary, hemostasis by means of a clip and injection of medication).Although gastroscopy has become a routine procedure, complications can still occur, consisting of bleeding, perforations, infections, intolerance of the anesthetic and may require further surgery.
- Gastroscopy in children
- Anaesthesia for a gastroscopy
- Colonoscopy
- Risks during a colonoscopy
- Gastrointestinal bleeding