Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy

You will usually meet your Anaesthetist on the day of your surgery in the anaesthetic bay where your anaesthetic plan will be discussed with you and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions.

Anaesthetic options for GI endoscopic procedures include: general anaesthesia, sedation and/or local anaesthesia.

Patients usually have three major concerns prior to GI endoscopy – the outcome of the procedure (what is the pathology), complications of the procedure, and commonly how much they will remember or feel. With modern anaesthesia and careful monitoring, the vast majority of patients feel comfortable during the procedure and remember very little to none of the procedure.

Once your anaesthetic plan has been agreed upon, you will have an intravenous (IV) drip placed and be given some medication which will take away any anxiety you may have and make you mildly sleepy. You will be taken into the operating room and routine anaesthetic monitoring will be attached to you. You will breathe oxygen via a face mask or nasal cannulae and anaesthesia will be induced by the injection of anaesthetic drugs through your IV line.

Your Anaesthetist will remain with you for your entire procedure, monitoring and adjusting your anaesthetic as required. You will be taken by your Anaesthetist to the recovery unit at the end of your operation, where you will wake from anaesthesia and be cared for by highly trained recovery nurses. At this point if you have discomfort, wind pain or nausea you will be given extra medication prescribed by your Anaesthetist.

From recovery, you will be taken to the post operative care ward (POCU) if you are going home, or to your ward bed if you are staying in hospital overnight. Either way, before you can be discharged home you will need to be eating, drinking and mobilising safely.

You will be given discharge instructions by nursing staff.

During the recovery period it is important to:

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