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Before the test, patients are asked to fast for 6 to 12 hours, depends on the physician. Immediately prior to the procedure,
your throat will be sprayed with an anesthetic spray to suppress the normal gag reflex that sometimes makes it difficult to
insert the endoscope. You will be given a mouth guard to keep you from biting down on the endoscope. The endoscope will
then be threaded down your digestive tract.
The Esophageal Endoscopy Procedure
After the preparations, an endoscope is inserted through the mouth and into the digestive tract. A miniature camera is
mounted on the endoscope, which also has tiny tools that the doctor can manipulate to take a sample of tissue (biopsy) or
fluid.
The test will take up to thirty minutes to perform. Some patients find that an esophagogastroduodenoscopy is uncomfortable.
It is necessary, however, for the patient not to interfere with the test, if there is to much discomfort the patient can be put in a
twilight sleep state.
After the Esophageal Endoscopy
Patients usually need about one hour of recovery time and are advised not to eat anything for at least two hours following the
test. For the next several days, some patients report some throat discomfort as well as excessive gas due to the air that
enters the organs during the test.