I have a question about endoscopy

Can anyone tell me how they do this?

Are you awake or a sleep with this?

Does it hurt having this done and how long does it take?

Any input would be awesome.. 

Thanks

I had to have two endoscopies before my surgery.  I was out completely for both and it was a breeze.  I got into the procedure room, got on the table.  Hooked up with an IV and oxygen mask.  Then things were injected and I woke up in the recovery room.  I had a sore throat afterward, but nothing horrible.  

I can't remember how long each one took.  Maybe an hour in the procedure room?  

I've found that, if I'm nervous about things like this (which I was), it's best to tell the staff that I'm nervous.  They really helped to calm me down - kept talking to me, made jokes, etc.  It helped a lot :)

Thank you for sharing this with me..

I seem to get nervous over things I havent heard of..

Which is totally normal!! 

I think they put you into a "twilight sleep," and you remember nothing afterward. I've had several endoscopies over the years. They're really nothing to worry about.

psychoticparrot

Thank you this really helps

I've had a couple of endoscopies over the years, it was no big deal. They put you on the table & hook you up for stats & such. They spray something in your mouth, reminds me of cold medicine, I think it was a numbing spray. They give you anesthesia, so you're out when they put the tube down your throat. You wake up in the recovery room, at the most maybe a sore throat.

I think that's when they take pictures & measurements of your stomach. They can also see if you have any polyps & they might take it out right there. They can also see if you have a hernia, or gerd/irritation of the lining in your throat/stomach. At my last endoscopy I found out I had the mildest case of gerd & a hernia. 

The whole thing took about an hour. Just know you'll need someone to take you home afterwards or at the very least you won't be able to drive due to the anesthesia after affects.

Thank you for the information

I had an endoscopy done before my surgery.  They gave me propofol (an anesthetic) and as it was infused, the nurse asked me to bite down on a mouth guard.  I woke up 30 minutes later and it was done.  I was out the whole time and didn't feel a thing.  I didn't even have a sore throat.  I agree with others that it's a good idea to let the staff know you are nervous or anxious.  The staff will give you some type of sedative designed to take away any memory of the procedure and relax you.  The sedative used is up to the physician doing the procedure.  

Thank you so much this helps a lot :)