An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a procedure in which your doctor examines the lining of your esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. The esophagus is a muscular tube that links your throat to your stomach and the upper section of your small intestine, known as the duodenum.
An endoscope is a tube with a tiny camera attached to it. An endoscope is sent down your neck and along the length of your esophagus during an EGD exam.
What is the purpose of an esophagogastroduodenoscopy examination?
If you have any of the following symptoms, your doctor may prescribe an EGD test:
- heartburn that is intense and persistent
- faeces that are bloody, dark, or tarry
- upper abdominal discomfort from regurgitating food
- anaemia with no known cause
- unexplained weight loss due to chronic nausea or vomiting
- a sensation of being satisfied after eating less than normal
- a sensation that something is stuck under your breastbone, or difficulties swallowing
This test may also be used by your doctor to determine how well a therapy is working or to monitor problems if you have:
- Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel illness that affects
- ulceration in the stomach
- Cirrhosis
- Veins in your lower esophagus are enlarged.
Getting ready for the EGD test
Before the esophagogastroduodenoscopy test, your doctor will tell you to cease taking aspirin (Bufferin) and other blood-thinning drugs for a few days.
Before the test, you won’t be allowed to consume anything for 6 to 12 hours. Denture wearers will be asked to take them out for the exam. Before undergoing the treatment, you’ll be required to sign an informed consent form, as with any medical examinations.
The EGD test is given where and how it is given:
Your doctor would most likely give you a sedative and pain reliever before doing an esophagogastroduodenoscopy. You will not experience any discomfort as a result of this. The majority of the time, individuals forget about the test.
In order to prevent you from gagging or coughing while the endoscope is placed, your doctor may spray a local anesthetic into your mouth. To protect your teeth and the camera, you’ll need to wear a mouthguard.
The doctor will next put an intravenous (IV) needle into your arm to provide medicines to you throughout the test. During the operation, you will be requested to lay on your left side.
The endoscope is placed into your esophagus and passed down into your stomach and the upper section of your small intestine once the sedatives have taken effect. The endoscope is then inserted into your esophagus and the air is pushed through it, allowing your doctor to examine the lining of your esophagus.
Using the endoscope, the doctor may collect tiny tissue samples during the inspection. These samples can then be inspected under a microscope to see whether your cells have any abnormalities. A biopsy is a name for this procedure.
During an esophagogastroduodenoscopy, treatments such as expanding any unusually narrow sections of your esophagus may be performed.
The entire exam takes between 5 and 20 minutes to complete.
An EGD test has risks and complications.
EGDs are generally considered to be a safe technique. The endoscope has a tiny chance of causing a small hole in your esophagus, stomach, or small intestine. If a biopsy is done, there’s a chance that the place where the tissue was extracted will bleed for a long time.
The sedatives and painkillers used during the surgery may potentially cause an allergic response in certain patients. These might include the following:
- Breathing problems or an inability to breathe
- blood pressure that is too low
- a spasm of the larynx a sluggish heartbeat excessive sweating
- However, these problems affect less than one out of every 1,000 persons.
Recognizing the outcomes
Normal findings indicate that the whole inner lining of your esophagus is smooth and free of the following symptoms:
- inflammation\sgrowths\sulcers\sbleeding
The following factors may contribute to aberrant esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings:
- Celiac disease causes damage to the lining of your intestine, preventing it from absorbing nutrients.
- Esophageal rings are a type of aberrant tissue development that develops where your esophagus meets your stomach.
- Swollen veins in the lining of your esophagus are known as esophageal varices.
- A hiatal hernia is a condition in which a piece of your stomach bulges through the diaphragm’s hole.
- Esophagitis, gastritis, and duodenitis are inflammations of the esophagus, stomach, and upper small intestine, respectively.
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition in which liquid or food from the stomach leaks into the esophagus.
- Mallory-Weiss syndrome is a tear in the esophageal lining.
- Ulcers can develop in either the stomach or the small intestine.
After the exam, what to anticipate
Following the test, a nurse will monitor you for approximately an hour to ensure that the anesthesia has gone off and that you can swallow without trouble or pain.
You may feel bloated. You could also have minor cramps or a sore throat. These side effects are totally common and should subside within 24 hours. Wait to eat or drink until you can easily swallow it. Start with a little snack once you’ve decided to eat.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you should get medical help right away:
You have difficulties swallowing, you feel dizzy or faint, you’re vomiting, you have acute abdominal pains, you have blood in your stool, you’re unable to eat or drink, and you’re peeing less than normal or not at all.
