{"id":28756,"date":"2015-10-12T18:31:46","date_gmt":"2015-10-12T16:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.badania-medyczne.pl\/?p=28756"},"modified":"2026-10-20T12:42:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T10:42:18","slug":"preparing-for-a-gastroscopy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.badania-medyczne.pl\/en\/preparing-for-a-gastroscopy\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing for a gastroscopy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preparing for a gastroscopy<\/h2>\n

Gastroscopy<\/strong> is an examination performed by specialists in internal medicine and surgeons. It examines the upper digestive tract (the stomach and duodenum) using an endoscope, an instrument that allows the doctor to look inside the organ being examined. When used to examine the stomach, this instrument is called a gastroscope.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS A GASTROSCOPY USED FOR?<\/h2>\n

After inserting the gastroscope into the digestive tract, the doctor carefully examines, in order: the oesophagus, the cardia (the junction between the oesophagus and stomach), the entire stomach, the pylorus (the junction between the stomach and duodenum) and the duodenum. The doctor assesses the appearance of the lining and the flexibility of the walls, checking for ulcers, erosions, polyps, tumours, diverticula, hernias, narrowing, deformities and other abnormalities. Sometimes the doctor finds and removes foreign bodies, including undissolved tablets, fruit stones, bezoars (undigested plant material compacted into a ball \u2014 rarely seen in Poland), or objects swallowed accidentally or deliberately, such as nails, razor blades, rings and similar items. The doctor can also remove surgical sutures left after stomach surgery or a fish bone embedded in the wall of the oesophagus.<\/p>\n

The main advantage of gastroscopy is that the doctor can see almost the entire inner surface of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum, take tissue samples and observe changes in the organs being examined. Samples are taken using tiny forceps that pinch the surface of the lining to collect small pieces of tissue (the size of a grain of rice) for examination under a microscope. This procedure is almost painless for the patient, and the stomach lining regenerates quickly. Examining tissue samples taken during gastroscopy has enabled cancerous changes to be detected in many people early enough for surgery to be possible.<\/p>\n

During the examination, bleeding from ulcers, blood vessels and erosions can also be stopped, avoiding the need for risky and physically demanding surgery. A polyp situated in the stomach can also be removed by inserting a flexible wire loop through the biopsy channel and placing it over the protruding polyp like a lasso. Once the stalk of the polyp has been grasped close to its base, a diathermy current is passed through the loop, cutting off the polyp while preventing excessive bleeding. This procedure is painless and, if it has gone as planned, the patient can go home.<\/p>\n

WHEN IS A GASTROSCOPY RECOMMENDED?<\/h2>\n

There is therefore a very wide range of reasons for performing a gastroscopy, from upper abdominal pain that may suggest abnormalities in the upper digestive tract to diagnosing and monitoring the treatment of peptic ulcer disease, cancer and bleeding.<\/p>\n

Contraindications<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gastroscopy is an invasive examination, meaning one in which tissue integrity is breached and certain procedures are performed inside the body. There is therefore always a possibility of complications, although their number decreases each year thanks to increasingly advanced equipment and the growing expertise of the doctors performing the examination.<\/p>\n

The ETER-MED Gastroscopy Unit uses very modern Pentax equipment, and the gastroscopes undergo automated washing in technologically advanced washer units after every use.<\/p>\n

PREPARING FOR A GASTROSCOPY<\/h2>\n

To ensure that you are properly prepared for your examination, please read the following information and recommendations carefully.<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The examination will be performed under local anaesthesia (the back of your throat will be numbed)<\/li>\n
  2. Please bring any medical records you have<\/b> and show them to the doctor before the examination, for example hospital discharge summaries, reports from previous endoscopic examinations, ECGs, echocardiograms and similar records. Patients should know the exact names and doses of the medicines they take or bring a list of them.<\/li>\n
  3. b) People taking stomach medicines<\/b> (<\/b> Polprazol, Controloc and others) should stop taking these medicines 14 days before the examination.<\/li>\n
  4. a)\u00a0 People taking medicines that reduce blood clotting<\/b> such as: \u2013 Acenocumarol, Sintrom or Ticlid should stop taking them ONLY with the agreement of their treating doctor, who should prescribe low-molecular-weight heparin instead \u2013 Aspiryna, Acard, Acesan and similar medicines may be stopped by the patient without consulting a doctor 7 days before the examination.<\/li>\n
  5. People with diabetes<\/b> should discuss how to prepare for the examination with their doctor and inform our centre’s reception staff that they have diabetes.<\/li>\n
  6. If your examination is scheduled before noon<\/b>, on the day of the examination you MUST NOT<\/b> eat any food or drink any fluids until it has been completed. If your examination is scheduled for the afternoon<\/b> \u2013 have kisiel (a starch-thickened fruit dessert) or jelly for breakfast, with weak tea or water. After that, remain on an empty stomach until the examination.<\/li>\n
  7. People with conditions requiring regular, ongoing medication (for example for hypertension, heart disease, epilepsy and other conditions)<\/b> should take their morning dose on the day of the examination with a small amount of water.<\/li>\n
  8. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers<\/b> should discuss how to prepare for the examination with their doctor.<\/li>\n
  9. If you need reading glasses, please bring them with you.<\/li>\n
  10. Your scheduled examination time may change<\/b> because the duration of procedures is difficult to predict.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    PLEASE BRING THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS WHEN YOU ARRIVE:<\/b><\/p>\n

    Your identity card (if you do not have an identity card, another identity document<\/p>\n

    showing your PESEL number, the Polish personal identification number).<\/p>\n

    DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMINATION<\/h2>\n

    In the gastroscopy unit, the patient’s throat is numbed with a lidocaine spray at their express request. They are then asked to lie on their left side on the endoscopy table, with their head resting on a small pillow so that it is aligned with the length of their body. A plastic mouthguard is placed between the teeth to protect the gastroscope from being bitten accidentally. The doctor then passes the tip of the gastroscope over the tongue into the throat and asks the patient to swallow, allowing the instrument to be passed into the oesophagus. At this point, the patient only needs to lie still and breathe steadily. There is no need to worry about gagging, belching or saliva flowing from the mouth \u2014 these are normal. After the gastroscopy, the patient should rest for a few minutes in the waiting room and can then go home. You should not eat immediately after the examination because your throat is still numb and you cannot fully control your swallowing reflex. This usually wears off after about 30 minutes. If tissue samples have been taken for examination, follow the doctor’s recommendations.<\/p>\n

    EXAMINATION RESULTS<\/h2>\n

    You will receive the endoscopy report shortly after the procedure. The result report is issued in Polish. The doctor will also give you recommendations on what to do next. After a gastroscopy, you should not eat or drink for an hour because your throat is numb and you could choke.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0Forms to download:<\/h2>\n