EGD

What is an EGD?

An EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy), also known as upper endoscopy, is a procedure performed by your Gastroenterologist. This test involves passing an endoscope, a long, flexible black tube with a light on one end, through the mouth to examine the esophagus, stomach and the first part of the small intestine called the duodenum.

What happens during the Procedure?

EGD is performed in a hospital or a special GI endoscopy unit like Ridgeline Endoscopy Center. You will be asked not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before, just like before a surgery. In the endoscopy unit, an intravenous (iv) line will be started in your arm. Because you will receive medication through the iv to make you sleepy, you will be placed on a monitor that checks your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen level.

The medication that you will get is called conscious sedation because it is not general anesthesia. The main goal of this sedation is to make you less anxious, comfortable and diminish gagging. As a result of the sedation you may be asleep and not remember the procedure or you may be partially awake but comfortable.

After sedation, the doctor will pass the endoscope through your mouth into the back of your throat and ask you to swallow. Most people spontaneously swallow and the scope is easily passed into the esophagus. Using the endoscope, the doctor can see a magnified picture of the lining of the upper intestinal tract on a video monitor. Air, water and suction can be used through the scope so that the doctor can look very carefully at the upper GI tract lining.

Endoscopic treatments can be performed at the time of the procedure. Examples of such treatments include dilation of an esophageal stricture (stretching an esophageal narrowing with a tube) or treating a bleeding ulcer to stop the bleeding. Biopsies (taking small pieces of tissue) of any abnormality may also be done directly through the endoscope including biopsy of suspected Barrett’s esophagus or duodenal and stomach ulcers.