When you come to the department, a doctor will explain the test to you and will usually ask you to sign a consent form. This is to ensure that you understand the test and its implications. Please tell the doctor or nurse if you have had any allergies, medical disease if any or bad reactions to drugs or other tests. They will also want to know about any previous endoscopy you have had. If you have any worries or questions at this stage don’t be afraid to ask. You need to have a minimum 8 hours of fasting and should stop having fluids 4 hours before the procedure.

Most of the patients can undergo this test under local anesthesia using local anesthetic agent Xylocaine spray or gargle. It can be done under sedation if you desire. Also some of the procedures requires anesthesia intravenously. During procedure keep your mouth slightly open, a plastic mouthpiece will be put gently between your teeth. When the doctor passes the endoscope into your stomach it will not cause you any pain, nor will it interfere with your breathing at any time. It generally takes less than 5 minutes for routine examination. Special cases and therapeutic procedures may take longer time.

If you are given a local anesthetic spray or liquid then you have to wait until your swallowing reflex is back to normal. This usually takes about 15min. After this you can eat and drink normally. The back of your throat may feel sore for the rest of the day. You may also feel a little bloated if some of the air has remained in your stomach. Both these discomforts will pass, and need no medication.
If given sedation, you will have to rest for about one hour or more in the recovery area, until the main effects of any medication wear off. A responsible adult must be available to escort you home as the sedation impairs your reflexes and judgement. For the remainder of the day you should not drive a vehicle, operate machinery or make important decisions.

In many cases the doctor will be able to tell you the results straight after the test, or if you have been sedated, as soon as you are awake. However, if a sample (biopsy) has been taken for examination, the results may take a few days. It is a good idea to have someone with you when you speak to the doctor after the test since if sedation has been used, people often find they forget everything that has been said to them, and many do not recollect having the test at all. Details of the results and any necessary treatment should be discussed with your general practitioner or hospital specialist-whoever recommended you to have the test.

To allow a clear view, the colon must be completely empty of waste material. If it is not, certain areas may be obscured and the test may have to be repeated. It is important to take all of the laxative given by the medical staff and also considerably increase your intake of clear fluids on previous or the same day as instructed before the examination, which will help clean the bowel.
Please tell the doctor or nurse if you have had any allergies or bad reactions to drugs or other tests. They will also want to know about any previous endoscopy you have had, or of any other medical conditions which you may suffer from and any medication specially blood thinner, anti-coagulant, anti-diabetic or anti-hypertensive medication which you may be taking. If you have any worries or questions at this stage don’t be afraid to ask. The staff will want you to be relaxed as possible for the test and will not mind answering your queries.

It is generally done under short sedation/general anesthesia.
You will be asked to sign a consent form after explanation by the doctor.
You will be placed in a comfortable position on your left side, and may be given medication by injection through a vein to make you sleepy and relaxed. The doctor will then pass the colonoscope through the anus into the rectum, and advance it through the colon. Sometimes your position may be changed during the examination, and will be assisted by a nurse. The examination takes 10-30 minutes.

You will be left to rest in the recovery area for up to 1 hour or more, until the main effects of any medication wear off. A responsible adult must be available to escort you home as the sedation impairs your reflexes and judgement. For the remainder of the day you should not drive a vehicle, operate machinery or make important decisions.

If you are a diabetic, it is important to monitor your blood sugar while doing the bowel preparation. You should take only ½ of your usual dose of insulin or pills on the previous day of preparation if split preparation is used (This consists of half of preparation on the previous day). You should not take any diabetic medications on the day of your procedure. Please be sure to check your blood sugar at home at all meals, at bedtime and on the morning of your exam.

In general, most medications do not interfere with this procedure. However, if you are on insulin, your dosage may need to be adjusted – or changed – for the preparation period and the day of the exam. Also, if you take anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines, this may have to be stopped some days in advance (and possibly started on a bridge medication) before the procedure to allow for biopsy and/or polyp removal. Ask your physician about adjusting your medication.

On the day of your procedure, the doctor will review your medical history and vital signs. If they identify any potential problems, your doctor will discuss making an alternative plan such as using conscious (light) sedation instead of general anesthesia during your colonoscopy, or rescheduling it for another time.

In many cases the doctor will be able to tell you the results of the test as soon as you are awake. However if a biopsy sample or polyp was removed for closer examination, these results may take some days to process. Many patients find that sedation tends to make them forget any explanations that may have been given them. Hence it is better to bring relative during this time.

In general it is like OGD scopy but generally requires sedation/anesthesia. Doctors may require some additional blood tests to be done before the procedure. After overnight 8 hrs fasting patients are placed in left lateral special position. The patient requires to stay back post procedure for observation for a few hours or a day.

The complications are rare if the patients are selected properly. The rare complications can be perforation, bleeding, occasional damage to adjacent organs and anesthesia related complications. Death is a very rare complication.
ERCP can be followed by special complications like pancreatitis. This is generally mild but rarely life threatening.

You should consult a specialist as early as possible. It is advisable not to give any eatables to your child till you see a specialist. Foreign bodies, especially toy batteries, sharp objects like pins, safety pins, needles and other similar objects may need to be removed. Many objects can pass safely in stool too. Let your doctor decide the course.

Based on available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions, including people with liver disease, might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, particularly if the underlying medical conditions are not well controlled.

The best way to protect yourself from getting COVID-19 is to avoid exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. People with liver disease should take the same preventive actions being taken by people with other underlying conditions to avoid getting sick with or spreading COVID-19.

People with hepatitis B or hepatitis C should also continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you have hepatitis B or hepatitis C and are being treated for your infection, it is important to continue your treatment and follow the advice of your healthcare provider. This is the best way to keep your immune system healthy.

Yes, according to research and guidelines by ICMR diarrhea is considered as the important symptoms of COVID – 19.

No, people with fatty liver can get infected with COVID -19 virus as like any other person but it can get more serious and hence, it is important to take all the necessary precautions.

Yes, Endoscopy is safe at our hospital as we sterilize and disinfect equipment and machines after each procedure. Also the endoscopy suit is disinfected after each procedure. Doctor and endoscopy staff use full PPE (Personal Procedure Equipment kit) and maximum disposables. However we advise endoscopy if it is absolutely indicated.