Endoscopy

We ask patients to expect to be in the endoscopy department if their procedure is before 12pm and all afternoon if your appointment is after 12pm.  How long you will be in the endoscopy unit will depend on the procedure you have, if you have sedation, and how you feel after your procedure. Patient who have sedation are kept in the department longer so we can monitor them until they are fully awake.  Occasionally endoscopy lists run late as procedures sometimes take longer than we expect or we have unavoidable delays. The nurses in the endoscopy will inform you of any delays.

Your family member can wait with you in the waiting area of endoscopy but will be unable to follow you through to the admission area.

If you are a carer for the patient having a procedure you may be eligible for a carers lanyard and to accompany the patient through from admission to discharge.  You will need to discuss this with the reception staff who will see if you are eligible for a carers lanyard.

Family members may be asked to leave the endoscopy waiting area if the department is very busy as patients themselves will take priority in the waiting area.

We will try to make you as comfortable as possible during your procedure. Depending on the procedure you are having and your medical history you will have the option of sedation, analgesia, Entonox (gas and air) and local anaesthetic or combinations of these drugs. We aim to make you as comfortable as possible during your procedure, however slight discomfort can be common. During colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy a feeling of trapped wind is common and in investigations of the stomach a bloated feeling and burping is very common.

Yes, you can decide on the day.  You need to ensure that you have a responsible adult to collect you from endoscopy and stay with you for 24 hours after your procedure if you decide to have sedation.

Yes, you can stop the procedure at any time. 

There will be a nurse with you at all times so you can tell them, the endoscopist will be listening to what you say too. During gastroscopy it’s difficult to speak so we ask patients to raise their hand in the air as a sign that they want the test to stop. 

It is very important that you follow the bowel preparation instructions carefully. If you don't not follow the instructions the bowel lining may not be clean and the endoscopist will not be able to see any abnormalities that are there and this may mean you may have an incomplete procedure.  If this happens you may have to take the bowel preparation again and repeat the procedure.

There are videos and information leaflets on our website to give you further information on how to take your bowel preparation.  Click here to watch our information videos.

If you are having a gastroscopy we ask you not to eat or drink for 6 hours before.  If you are having a colonoscopy you need to follow the bowel preparation guidelines for eating.  You can continue to drink clear fluids alongside the bowel preparation.  If you are having a flexible sigmoidoscopy you can continue to eat and drink as normal if you are having enema preparation.  If you are having bowel preparation for your flexible sigmoidoscopy you will need to follow the same guidelines as those for Colonoscopy.

Where possible for 3 days before your procedure you should have a low residue diet.  These are foods that are easy to digest and are low in fibre.  This helps the bowel to empty properly.  Please see the foods to avoid section under the bowel preparation section. Click here to visit our bowel prep information page.

During the procedure there will be a nurse and a healthcare assistant.  There may also be a student nurse observing the procedure in the room too.  They will monitor your heartrate and breathing during your procedure.  The nurse will also support you with any concerns or worries you may have.

The sedation used is ‘conscious sedation’ and the effects differ from person to person.  You may feel drowsy but usually you will feel more relaxed.  You are still awake. 

The sedation used can cause amnesia and quite often you can forget some of your procedure.  The effects can last for up to 24 hours so you will need someone to collect you from the endoscopy department and stay with you for 24 hours.  We recommend that you rest for 24 hours following your procedure, sign any important documents, look after any young children on your own or operate any machinery.

The first people you will meet when you arrive in Endoscopy will be the reception staff.  You can raise any concerns and worries with them and they will try to help or if they can’t they will pass them on to the admission nurse.  The admission nurse will then discuss any concerns or worries with you prior to your procedure. The staff in the endoscopy unit are here to help you at any time during your stay in the endoscopy unit.

After your procedure the endoscopist will write a report on the outcome of your procedure.  The nurse in the recovery area will explain your report to you before you are discharged and advise you of when to expect the results of any samples that may have been taken. 

It may be that the endoscopist has not seen anything during your procedure and they will have to wait for any results of the biopsy samples before they can give you any results.  The doctor who referred you for your procedure will go through the results with you when they see you in clinic/GP surgery.

Contact the endoscopy department and inform them that you have no-one to care for you after your procedure.  They will then discuss the options with you. 

If you require transport for your procedure you will need to contact the transport department on 03003302000.  They will arrange transport for your appointment with you.  They will need to know about your medical history and your mobility.

You can find information and videos about your bowel preparation on the endoscopy website.  Click here to watch our information videos.  If you still don’t understand what to do after you have seen these please contact the endoscopy department for further information.

Please contact endoscopy for further advice.

You should take your tablets as normal unless you have specifically been told not to for example blood thinning tablets. If you are fasting for a morning gastroscopy appointment please take essential tablets (blood pressure and heart medication) early with a sip of water. For afternoon appointments again plan to take medication early with a sip of water.

You should have been given information about your blood thinning medications during your preassessment if you are having a colonoscopy.  If you are having a gastroscopy