Advanced Endoscopy

You may want to look into Advanced Endoscopy for staging, diagnosis, and treatment of:

• Barrett’s Esophagus
• Esophageal Neoplasia
• GI Submucosal Lesions
• Benign Pancreaticobiliary Disease
• Pancreaticobiliary Neoplasia
• Colorectal Neoplasia
• Thoracic Neoplasia

Your doctor will give you instructions to prepare for the Advanced Endoscopy procedure. Most likely, you will be asked to fast for at least 4-8 hours beforehand to ensure an empty stomach.

Inform your doctor of:

• Any medication that you take regularly, especially;
  • aspirin products
  • arthritis medications
  • blood thinners (such as Warfarin or Heparin)
  • Clopidogrel
  • Insulin
• Any known allergies to medication
• Any medical conditions that will require special attention, such as;
  • diabetes
  • heart conditions
  • lung conditions
  • any other major conditions

You’ll need to plan for ride home from the office as it is not advised for patients to drive for the remainder of the day due to effects from the medication.

It’s important to follow all of your doctor’s instructions.

You may be given:

• A sedative to help you relax
• A local anesthetic to numb your throat
• A mouth guard to wear and hold open your mouth

Your doctor will ask you to swallow as the endoscope is worked down your esophagus. You won’t be able to speak while the endoscopy is in progress, but you will be able to breath and make noises.
You might feel:

• Pressure in the throat and abdomen
• A feeling of fullness as air is fed into the GI tract

You’ll be taken to a room to rest after the procedure where you’ll be monitored until your sedatives begin to wear off.

Once home, you may feel:

• Bloating
• Gas
• Cramping
• Sore Throat

You should take it easy for the rest of the day after your endoscopy. You should have a ride prepared as the sedatives may impair your judgement.