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Gastroscopy is an endoscopic examination that enables thorough evaluation of the upper alimentary tract - oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. It can be both a diagnostic and a therapeutic procedure used for: foreign body removal, bleeding control, polyps removal or endoscopic dilation of strictures.
Endoscopy enables to sample a relevant material for histology, cytology and culture. It also allows for direct checking of presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria (with use of a so called urease test). Material sampling, unnoticed by the patient, prolongs the procedure only insignificantly and does not affect its safety.
Indications
The most common indications for diagnostic gastroscopy are as follows:
- Occurrence of dyspeptic symptoms (abdominal pain, belching, flatulence, heartburn),
- Suspected peptic ulcer of the stomach or duodenum,
- Cancer suspicion based on some general symptoms present,
- Dysphagia - difficulty swallowing,
- Suspected or overt bleeding form the alimentary tract,
- Suspicion of drug-induced lesions of the upper alimentary tract mucosa in long-term users of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
- A screening or follow-up procedure in subjects with increased risk for cancer development (long-time gastroesophageal reflux disorder sufferers, patients with Barrett oesophagus, with malignant anaemia due to atrophic gastritis and patients who underwent stomach resection).
How to prepare for the examination
You should fast for several hours before the examination. The entire examination takes about 10 minutes. Your throat will be anaesthetised with a 10% lidocaine solution before the examination starts. There is a possibility to perform the examination under sedation analgesia, which means intravenous administration of strong sedatives and painkillers.
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