Duration | Gastroscopy

Duration

The gastroscopy itself is a short examination and usually over after 5-10 minutes. However, the entire duration of the examination depends on the type of anesthesia. In case of a gastroscopy under anaesthesia, the preparation as well as the post-examination care requires considerably more time.

In this case a time expenditure of approx. 2-3 hours should be planned. It should also be considered that after a sedation, either with narcotics or in the form of anesthesia, fatigue and concentration difficulties in everyday life are limited for a much longer time.

In the case of a gastroscopy without anesthesia, a recovery time of at least 15-20 minutes is given after the examination. If the patient is well after this time, he/she may leave the practice/clinic afterwards. All in all, this means a recovery time of about 30 minutes.

Although gastroscopies are now performed thousands of times a day and have long been considered a routine procedure, complications can always occur. The most common side effect of gastroscopy is flatulence after the procedure, as the stomach is inflated by the air introduced. In rare cases, gastroscopy can lead to intolerance to the anesthetic.

In this case it is very helpful to ask the patient before the procedure about allergies that have occurred in the past. In case of an allergic reaction, the procedure must be stopped immediately and the anesthesia must be administered immediately. Another rare complication during and after gastroscopy is bleeding that does not stop.

Smaller bleedings at the places where tissue has been removed with biopsy forceps, on the other hand, occur somewhat more frequently, but do not require further action. If there is more bleeding, a clip must also be placed at this point or the vessel injected.In very rare cases, open surgery may be necessary to stop the bleeding. In extreme cases, the esophagus or parts of the stomach may be pierced through the gastroscope (perforation). In this case, an open surgical operation must almost always be performed to close the site again.