Gastroscopy

Your doctor has requested an endoscopic procedure for you. You have been explained what this procedure entails and possible complications that may arise. You have also been asked whether you are taking any form of anticoagulants (blood thinners), aspirin or clopidogrel. You have been instructed to continue, discontinue or temporarily replace those medications. Please contact your doctor if you have questions about the instructions.

For procedures in the morning hours, you will have to start fasting from midnight onwards. If the procedure takes place in the afternoon, it is allowed to have a “small breakfast” (a cracker or biscuit) before 8 o’clock in the morning. You are permitted to take your medication with some water. Fasting means: do not drink, eat or smoke

You will reach the Endoscopy department in the MUMC+ via walking route “G2 groen”. Please sign in at the front desk. You are kindly requested to arrive 10 minutes before the appointed time.

In the endoscopy suite, we double-check your name and date of birth. Hereafter we will put a band around your wrist with this information on it.

After taking off your coat you may sit down on the bed. 

We will do a “time out procedure” to check your name and date of birth again. We will also check if we have anticipated the correct endoscopy procedure, what blood thinning medication you use or have discontinued/replaced, allergies for medications, pacemakers or hip or knee replacements. This is also the best time to ask questions to us.

After the time out, the procedure will start.

If you bring someone with you, your companion will wait in the waiting room; there are no visitors allowed in the endoscopy suite during the procedure.

Although complications can occur, they are rare when doctors who are specially trained and experienced in this procedure perform the examination. Bleeding can occur at a biopsy site or where a polyp was removed, but it’s usually minimal and self-limiting.

When there is food retention in the stomach, this might be burped up and enter the airway causing a respiratory infection. Also, after forceful burping or difficult passage of the endoscope, the lining of esophagus or stomach may bleed. Your throat may be a little sore for a day. A very rare complication is a tear in the esophagus eg when there are strictures in the esophagus.

Although complications after upper endoscopy are extremely rare, it’s important to recognize early signs of possible complications. Contact your doctor immediately if you have a fever after the examination or if you notice trouble swallowing or increasing throat, chest or abdominal pain, or bleeding, including black stools. Note that bleeding can occur several days after the procedure. You will receive a note when leaving the endoscopy suite with the numbers you have to call in case of problems following the endoscopy.

The Maastricht University Medical Center is a teaching hospital. It may be possible that the endoscopic procedure is performed by a trainee under supervision of a certified gastro-enterologist. At times, medical students are present to watch; your permission will then be specifically asked.