Background:
Your doctor has referred you for an upper intestinal endoscopy also called
an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) . The procedure involves
passing a flexible instrument through your mouth into your esophagus, the
tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. The flexible instrument,
an endoscope, is capable of providing images of your esophagus, stomach, and
the upper small intestine called the duodenum. In addition to providing
images, the endoscope has a channel through which biopsy forceps can be passed
to take very tiny pieces of tissue for analysis, if necessary.
Preparation:
To ensure that the examination of your stomach, esophagus, and duodenum is
complete, you should not eat or drink anything after midnight the day prior
to the procedure. Medications should be taken on the day of the test.
I f you are taking INSULIN take only ½ your normal
insulin dose on the morning of the exam. DO NOT take your DIABETES PILL on the morning of the exam. Contact
your physician for any questions. Please check your blood
sugar at home before coming for the test.
How the Examination is Performed:
On the day of the procedure, please arrive at the clinic approximately 45
minutes prior to your scheduled time. If you do not have a current University
Hospital (yellow) card, you must register on the C-Level at the
Registration Desk. Once you have a yellow card, you should go to E-178
[Medical Special Procedures] and sign in with the receptionist. You
will be brought into the examining room and a nurse will explain the procedure
to you. Your consent will be obtained. You will be asked to change
into a gown. The physician will speak with you and examine you briefly.
An intravenous line will be placed in your arm to administer medications
to make you sleepy, but not unconscious. Your mouth will be numbed with
a topical spray. The physician will administer sedating medications.
After you are sleepy, a physician called an endoscopist will begin the procedure
while you lie on your left side. The endoscope will pass over your tongue
into your esophagus. A small amount of air will be used to allow optimal
visualization of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum.
If abnormalities are seen, biopsies will be taken using a special pair of
forceps (tweezers) that pass through the channel in the endoscope.
These samples will be sent to the pathology laboratory for evaluation or used
to establish the presence of any infection in the stomach. The examination
itself usually requires 15-20 minutes. Following the procedure you will
be allowed to recover.
Because of the effects of the medication, you may be forgetful and will probably
feel drowsy after the exam. You must make prior arrangements for a
responsible adult to pick you up from the recovery area and accompany you
home - you are not allowed to drive on the day of the exam. You will
need an escort to come to the department and take you home, even if you are
traveling by taxicab or CTA . THE PROCEDURE WILL BE CANCELLED IF
YOU HAVE NOT MADE PRIOR ARRANGEMENT TO BE ESCORTED HOME.
Before you leave Medical Special Procedures, the physician who performed
the examination will discuss the findings with you and will send a report
to your physician.
Risks of Upper Intestinal Endoscopy:
Upper intestinal endoscopy is extremely safe and has been performed for may
years. Upper intestinal endoscopy has a low risk probability which may
include infection, medication reactions, bleeding, and/or perforation.
These complications occur in less than 1 of 1,000 procedures. If you have
any problems after your EGD, please notify the physician who performed this
examination by calling (973) 972-6077.
Instructions for EGD can be found here in PDF
format. |
