Endoscopy in Jaipur

What is upper GI endoscopy and how it works

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a medical procedure to look inside the upper part of your digestive system. Doctors often call it an EGD, which stands for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, or simply an upper endoscopy. In this test, an endoscopist examines the organs that carry and digest your food.

These organs include:

• Your oesophagus or food pipe
• Your stomach
• Your duodenum, which is the upper part of your small intestine

It is an established test for checking upper digestive symptoms.

During the examination, our surgical team uses an instrument known as an endoscope. The endoscope is a long, flexible tube fitted with a small, lighted camera at its tip. Your doctor gently guides this tube through your mouth and throat, moving down the swallowing tube into your stomach and duodenum.

The camera transmits live images to a monitor screen in the room. This provides a clear, direct view of your internal lining so the doctor can spot irritation, ulcers, or growths.

Endoscopy is not limited to viewing the digestive tract. The endoscope allows our surgical team to pass tiny instruments through specialised channels to collect tissue samples or manage certain problems immediately. At Jaipur Hospital, your surgeon will discuss your test in the OPD so you understand what to expect.

An upper endoscopy is typically performed as a day care procedure. It usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes to complete. You can usually return home within 1 to 2 hours after your rest period.

Symptoms and warning signs that need urgent care

Doctors often recommend an upper endoscopy when you have long-lasting digestive troubles that do not settle with basic medicines. You may feel ongoing discomfort in your upper belly, frequent nausea, trouble keeping food down, or severe acid indigestion. Bloating, early fullness while eating, and sour fluid rising into your throat are also common reasons for a check-up.

Certain symptoms are red flags that need urgent medical attention the same day. You should seek immediate hospital care if you notice any of the following warning signs:

• Difficulty or severe pain when swallowing your food
• Bleeding from your digestive tract, such as vomiting blood or coffee-ground material
• Passing black, sticky, or tar-coloured stools
• Repeated or persistent vomiting that stops you from keeping liquids down
• Unexplained, significant weight loss
• New or worsening tiredness accompanied by low red blood cell counts, known as anaemia

Our surgical team evaluates these alarm signals promptly. If you experience these urgent symptoms, visit the 24x7 emergency department at Jaipur Hospital without delay.

Causes of upper digestive issues and who is at higher risk

Problems in the upper digestive tract happen for several reasons. Persistent reflux occurs when stomach acid flows upward into the food pipe, irritating the lining and causing heartburn. Ongoing inflammation can also stem from infection with Helicobacter pylori bacteria or regular use of pain medicines that irritate the stomach lining.

Over time, persistent acid exposure may alter the cell lining of the lower oesophagus, a condition known as Barrett's oesophagus.

Certain individuals face a higher risk of developing significant upper digestive conditions. In scientific studies, upper endoscopy is particularly considered for men older than 50 years who have had chronic reflux symptoms for more than 5 years. Risk factors identified in medical research include:

• Severe nighttime acid reflux symptoms
• The presence of a hiatal hernia, where part of the stomach slides up into the chest
• Higher body mass index and excess abdominal body fat
• Regular tobacco use
• Ongoing heartburn that does not improve after 4 to 8 weeks of twice-daily medicine

If you have these risk factors, an assessment helps identify tissue changes early. Your surgeon will evaluate your personal health history to determine whether an upper endoscopy is suitable for you.

How endoscopy is diagnosed: examination and tests

Before scheduling an upper endoscopy, our surgical team evaluates your overall fitness, existing health conditions, and current medicines. You will be asked about any past allergic reactions to sedatives or local numbing medicines. You will also give informed consent before the test begins.

Before the procedure, you are usually asked to avoid food and drinks for a specified period so that your stomach is clear. It is essential to tell your doctor about all prescriptions you take, especially blood thinners like warfarin or clopidogrel, but do not stop or adjust any medicine unless your healthcare team tells you to do so.

In the endoscopy room, a nurse checks your vital signs and places an intravenous line in your arm to deliver medicines if needed. A mouthguard is placed between your teeth to protect your mouth and the endoscope. You will lie comfortably on your left side.

For anaesthesia, a local anaesthetic spray is typically applied to your throat to numb the area, or you may receive light sedation through the vein to keep you relaxed and sleepy.

During the examination, the endoscope provides a direct view that can be more accurate than standard X-rays for detecting mucosal changes and ulcers. The doctor inspects the lining from the upper food pipe down to the second part of the duodenum.

If an abnormal area or polyp is seen, the doctor can insert small instruments to take tiny tissue samples called a biopsy. Diagnostic endoscopy checks the organs directly, while biopsy samples can confirm conditions such as H. pylori infection or tissue changes. Biopsy results can take up to two weeks to arrive from the laboratory. Once ready, your surgeon will discuss the findings and plan any further steps with you.

Treatment options and when surgery is advised

Upper gastrointestinal conditions are managed with non-surgical treatments whenever possible. In many cases, lifestyle adjustments and medicines form the foundation of care. Your doctor may advise dietary changes, meal timing adjustments, and acid-suppressing tablets to settle heartburn and promote mucosal healing.

If an infection such as Helicobacter pylori is detected on a biopsy test, specific antibacterial courses obtained from the chemist can eradicate the organism. In clinical studies, changes in medical management were seen in 27.5% of upper endoscopies.

Techniques available through endoscopy also include therapeutic procedures. Using delicate tools passed through the scope, our surgical team can treat bleeding blood vessels, remove polyps, or gently stretch narrowed areas in the food pipe. These endoscopic techniques allow doctors to manage specific problems without the incisions or physical stress of traditional open surgery.

Surgery is generally advised when non-surgical therapies or endoscopic procedures are insufficient to manage the condition. For instance, surgical repair may be considered for large hiatal hernias that cause severe reflux unresponsive to medicines, or for structural blockages in the stomach outlet.

Major complications of upper endoscopy, such as bleeding or perforation of the digestive wall, are uncommon, but severe complications may occasionally require urgent surgical repair. In research studies, upper endoscopy resulted in a change in surgical management in about 7.8% of patients.

For a standard diagnostic endoscopy, the typical cost ranges from ₹2,000 to ₹6,000 in India, though charges for biopsies, tissue analysis, or therapeutic interventions are extra. Total expenses vary based on whether tissue sampling or therapeutic procedures are needed, as well as the anaesthesia option chosen.

Your surgeon will discuss which approach suits you, and our team can provide an estimate for your planned care at Jaipur Hospital.

Preparing for your endoscopy

Preparing for an upper endoscopy begins with a careful medical check. You will be assessed for your fitness before having the test. Our surgical team will review your existing medical conditions and all the medicines you currently take. You should tell your doctor about everything you take, especially blood thinners like warfarin or clopidogrel, as well as any drug allergies. You should not stop or change any prescribed medicines unless our team tells you to do so.

Fasting is necessary before an upper endoscopy. You are usually asked to avoid food and drinks for a specified period beforehand. This ensures your stomach is clear so that your doctor has an unobstructed view. Before the procedure begins, you will receive clear information about what will happen, and you will give written informed consent. Our clinical staff will also complete a standard safety checklist before the examination starts.

On the day of your test, wear loose, comfortable clothing. You will be visiting the hospital for day care, and you should bring an adult attendant with you. Because light sedation makes you drowsy, you will not be able to drive home yourself. Having a family member or attendant present helps ensure you return home safely and comfortably.

How the endoscopy procedure is done

On the day of your test, you will arrive at the hospital and a nurse will check your vital signs. A small intravenous tube will be placed in a vein in your arm to deliver your medicine. To make the examination comfortable, local anaesthetic spray is applied to your mouth and throat. This spray produces a numbing effect.

Intravenous sedation and the numbing throat spray can be used together if required. light sedation helps you feel relaxed and sleepy, though most people are not completely asleep. If general anaesthesia is used, the medicine puts you completely to sleep. A mouthguard is placed in your mouth to protect your teeth and the instrument. You will then lie on your left side on the procedure table.

The endoscope is a long, flexible tube with a small, lighted camera on the tip. Your gastroenterologist gently passes the tube through your mouth and down your throat into your food pipe, stomach, and duodenum. The camera transmits live images to a screen, giving our surgical team a direct view of your upper digestive tract.

In studies, doctors use air and washing to clear the lining and take careful photos of key landmarks. The procedure itself usually takes 10 to 20 minutes.

Several common techniques may be used during the test, and your surgeon will advise which option suits your condition. One technique is diagnostic endoscopy, where the camera inspects the lining of the food pipe, stomach, and duodenum to look for irritation or sores.

Another technique is a biopsy, where tiny tissue samples are gently collected through the tube to test in the laboratory, including checks for H. pylori bacteria. A third technique is therapeutic endoscopy, where small instruments passed through the tube can treat bleeding, stretch a narrowed area, or remove a polyp.

Risks and possible complications of endoscopy

Upper endoscopy is generally considered a low-risk procedure. However, unwanted reactions and complications can occasionally occur. Bleeding and perforation are the major complications of an upper endoscopy. In one clinical study, the only reported adverse event was bleeding from a target lesion after a biopsy was taken. Caution is also needed during sedation for patients who may be at risk of inhaling fluid.

Sedation medicines can cause temporary side effects.

In clinical trials, commonly reported adverse reactions have included:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Tiredness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Temporary drops in blood pressure
• Slow heart rate
• Changes in breathing such as mild oxygen dips

In a trial evaluating sedative options, respiratory events occurred in 9 of 144 patients receiving ciprofol and 15 of 145 patients receiving propofol, all of which were mild or moderate. Pain where the medicine entered the vein was reported by 7 of 144 patients in the ciprofol group and 76 of 145 patients in the propofol group. Overall, clinical trials report that adverse events are generally mild or moderate and do not interfere with the procedure.

After the test, mild physical side effects are common. You may feel bloated or pass gas through burping as air is cleared from your digestive tract. You may also have a mild sore throat for a day or two once the numbing spray wears off.

Recovery and aftercare following your test

Upper endoscopy is performed as a day care procedure, which means you go home on the same day. Immediately after the examination, your healthcare team will confirm your samples, check the sedation medicines given, and review your follow-up plans. You will rest in the recovery area until the sedative begins to wear off and you are alert enough to leave. Patients are typically ready to go home in 1 to 2 hours.

You can usually return to your normal daily activities the same day. However, because light sedation impairs your coordination and memory, you must not drive any vehicle or operate machinery after sedation. Your attendant should accompany you home. If you notice a scratchy or uncomfortable throat, having cold drinks or cold foods can help soothe the irritation. Any trapped air or bloated feelings will pass naturally over the next day or so.

If tissue samples were collected for a biopsy, the laboratory analysis can take up to two weeks to be completed. In some cases, your doctor will discuss basic visual findings with you on the day of the test, while in other situations a separate OPD appointment will be scheduled once the laboratory reports arrive.

If you develop high fever, severe stomach pain, persistent vomiting, or black stools, you should contact our hospital team immediately.

Results and findings from endoscopy studies

In clinical practice, an upper endoscopy provides a direct view that can be more accurate than X-rays for evaluating upper digestive tract problems. In large studies, an upper endoscopy resulted in changes to medical management in 27.5% of cases. When treatments to eradicate Helicobacter pylori bacteria were removed, medical management changed in 2.5% of cases.

In the same group of studies, endoscopy led to a change in surgical plans in 7.8% of patients. When benign findings like hiatal hernia, gastritis, and peptic ulcers were excluded, surgical management changed in .4% of patients.

Endoscopy is also widely studied for the detection of gastric neoplasms and stomach cancers. In published research, the pooled negative predictive value for gastric cancer detection during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was 99.7%. However, studies note that small lesions can occasionally be overlooked due to their subtle appearance. The average proportion of missed gastric cancers across studies was 9.4%.

In studies following patients with an initial negative endoscopy over time, the missed cancer proportion was 10.0%. In studies reviewing patients known to have gastric cancer, the missed rate was 8.3%. For patients evaluated for simultaneous additional lesions, the proportion of missed cancers was 23.3%. In Eastern research cohorts, 39% of missed gastric lesions were located in the gastric body. Most missed cancers identified in these investigations were adenocarcinomas.

Research also shows that procedure technique directly influences detection. In one study, endoscopists who spent an average of more than 7 minutes inspecting during an examination showed a threefold increase in identifying gastric cancer and abnormal tissue compared with those spending less than 7 minutes.

Cost of endoscopy and insurance in Jaipur

In India, the typical price for a diagnostic endoscopy ranges from ₹2,000 to ₹6,000. Across different major Indian cities, published ranges vary: in Delhi NCR costs range from ₹2,100 to ₹10,500; in Mumbai from ₹2,200 to ₹11,000; in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune from ₹2,000 to ₹10,000; and in Chennai from ₹1,900 to ₹9,500.

The final amount changes depending on whether extra procedures are needed, such as collecting biopsy samples for laboratory tests or performing therapeutic interventions like polyp removal.

Jaipur Hospital is a NABH-accredited multispeciality hospital established in February 1991, located at S16A-17, Mahaveer Nagar, Near Gopalpura Flyover, Main Tonk Road, Jaipur. We provide care across several government schemes and private plans. Patients covered under RGHS, MAA Yojana, or CGHS can access their benefits here, and our hospital is on the panel of private insurers and TPAs. For an accurate estimate tailored to your recommended test, please ask our team at the OPD.