Your doctor has determined that you need to undergo an endoscopic examination called an EGD. The medical term for EGD is esophagogastroduodenoscopy. In other words your esophagus your food tube, stomach, and the very upper most part of the small intestine called the duodenum is examined. At INTEGRIS Baptist medical center EGD exams are performed by Gastroenterologists they are physicians who are specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders. When done by experts, this EGD exam has an excellent safety record. Endoscopy is done by using a thin flexible tube that is passed through the mouth into the digestive tract. The examination is almost always performed while the patient is sedated. The sedated state can be best described as a light sleep. The scope has a camera and a light located at its tip. This allows the doctor to view the examination on a television screen. The procedure generally lasts 10-30 minutes. A thin channel in the scope allows passage of instruments so the doctor can take samples of tissue from the lining of the upper gut. These samples are called biopsies. On less likely occasions, your doctor may need to remove small growths, called polyps; additionally, he or she may need to cauterize an area of bleeding.

Why is it necessary for me to have an EGD?

Your doctor will explain the specific reason why your EGD is being performed. Usually the EGD’s are done for one of several reasons.

1. Determine the origin of internal bleeding. In that circumstance, cautery of that bleeding area can often be performed at the time of the procedure.
2. Evaluation of frequent heartburn or non cardiac chest pain, which is often caused by acid reflux.
3. Identify the cause of a swallowing disorder or swallowing difficulty. 
4. Identify a cause of abdominal pain, such as an ulcer. 
5. Identify a cause of nausea and/or vomiting.

How do I prepare for an EGD?

Your doctor will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for an EGD. Unlike a colonoscopy where a vigorous laxative preparation is needed, the EGD requires only that you be fasting. In other words, nothing to eat or drink for at least 6 hours prior to your exam. If your exam is being done to diagnose and treat internal bleeding, that examination may need to be done rapidly on an emergency basis. If you have dentures they will need to be removed prior to the test. Please inform your doctor if this is the case.

What can I expect during and after the EGD?

The exam lasts between 10-30 minutes. You will probably be given a local anesthetic to numb your throat and medication through your IV to make you sleepy. Following that, the scope will be passed through your mouth into the esophagus and into the upper part of the gut. After the exam you will be sleepy for an hour or so and may not remember conversations during that time. Therefore, the doctor may wait till the morning to discuss your results. If a relative has accompanied you to the procedure they can be given information about the findings. If samples or biopsies were obtained during the exam, they are sent to the pathology lab to be examined under a microscope. The results will usually be available within 48 hours. Do not eat or drink anything immediately following your exam until the numbness in your throat wears off. Then you may begin oral intake, unless your doctor has ordered other tests. Please check with your nurse before you start eating or drinking again. Your stomach may feel full or gassy. If your throat is sore, throat lozenges or warm salt water gargles may help. Severe pain should be reported to the nurse or your physician.

What are the possible complications?

In most instances an EGD is safe. As with other medical or surgical procedures however, there are certain risks and complications. Your doctor will explain them to you. If the EGD is performed to treat a problem such as removal of a polyp, stretch out a narrow area of the esophagus to allow better swallowing, or to cauterize a bleeding vessel the complication risks are somewhat higher than in a routine EGD. Even then complications are not common, but include perforation of the esophagus or stomach, or rarely bleeding from removing a polyp in obtaining a biopsy. Aspiration of stomach juices into the lungs can occur on rare occasions. It is important that you report chest or abdominal pain other than mild intensity to the doctor or nurse. Let them know if you are having any breathing difficulty, persistent coughing, vomiting, or passing blood in your bowels.

What are some of the common conditions found during an EGD?

1. An ulcer is an erosion in the lining of the gut, usually found in the stomach or duodenum. It is like a cigarette burn. 
2. Acid Reflux- when acid pours into the esophagus it can cause injury to the lining and can also cause erosions or an ulcer. 
3. Stricture- is a narrow area in the esophagus usually caused by scarring associated with acid reflux. Narrow areas in the esophagus can be caused by more serious conditions. Often biopsies are obtained at the area of the stricture to identify the cause. 
4. Polyps are abnormal growths in the lining of the gut. Unlike colon polyps, most polyps in the stomach are benign and are not precancerous. Biopsies are obtained to confirm this. 
5. Sometimes biopsies are obtained from the upper part of the small intestine to determine a cause of diarrhea or weight loss.

EGD’s at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center are performed by Physicians that specialize in diagnosis and treatment of Digestive disorders. We hope you have a very safe and uneventful EGD.