All about stomach endoscopy (gastroscopy)

Everything About Gastroscopy

A gastroscopy, medically called gastroscopy, is a short and very safe examination with which diseases of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum can be reliably detected.

Using a thin, flexible tube with a camera, changes in the mucous membrane such as inflammations, ulcers, polyps, or early tumor stages can be directly assessed; tissue samples can also be taken painlessly and smaller findings can be treated immediately.
The examination usually takes only a few minutes and is generally performed under a short sedation with propofol, allowing patients to experience the gastroscopy in a relaxed manner and without unpleasant memories.

Preparation

Preparation mainly consists of fasting so that the stomach can be viewed clearly and safe diagnostics become possible. During the examination, the patient lies on the left side, and additionally the throat is locally anesthetized to reduce the gag reflex.
Modern endoscopes provide high-resolution images and enable precise assessment even of the smallest changes; special techniques such as narrow band imaging further improve early detection of mucosal changes.

Indications

Typical reasons for a gastroscopy are prolonged upper abdominal discomfort, heartburn, swallowing disorders, unclear anemia, weight loss, chronic nausea, suspicion of infections such as Helicobacter pylori, or monitoring of known diseases.

Risks

The risks of the examination are overall very low; rarely, there may be slight throat irritation or minimal bleeding at biopsy sites. Serious complications occur only in exceptional cases.

Make an appointment!

At Clínica Picasso, the examination is performed with modern technology, continuous monitoring, and an experienced team, so that patients feel safe and well cared for and quickly receive clarity about their symptoms.