Introduction

A gastroscopy is a procedure where a thin, flexible tube called an end oscope is used to look inside the oesophagus (gullet), stomach and first part of the small intestine (duodenum).

It's also sometimes referred to as an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

The Endoscopy has a light and a camera at one end. The camera sends images of the inside of your oesophagus, stomach and duodenum to a monitor.

Why agastroscopy may be used

A gastroscopy can be used to:

• investigate problems such as difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or persistent abdominal (tummy) pain
• diagnose conditions such as stomach ulcers or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)
• treat conditions such asbleeding ulcers, a blockage in the oesophagus,non-cancerous growths (polyps) or small cancerous tumours

A gastroscopy used to check symptoms or confirm a diagnosis is known as a diagnostic gastroscopy. A gastroscopyused to treat a condition is known as a therapeutic gastroscopy.

It's usually carried out as an outpatient procedure, which means you won't have to spend the night in hospital.

Before the procedure, your throat will be numbed with a local anaesthetic spray. You can also choose to have a sedative, if you prefer. This means you will still be awake, but will be drowsy and have reduced awareness about what's happening.

The doctor carrying out the procedure will place the endoscope in the back of your mouth and ask youto swallow the first part of the tube. It will then be guided down your oesophagus and into your stomach.

The procedure shouldn't be painful, but it may be unpleasant or uncomfortable at times.