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What happens during an endoscopy?

An upper digestive tract endoscopy (also called an upper GI endoscopy) is a procedure used to visualize the lining of your esophagus, stomach, and the beginning of the intestines. This requires placing a flexible tube with a camera at the tip through the mouth and down the throat. 

Since passing a long tube down the throat is uncomfortable and would lead to gagging, an anesthesiologist will give you medications that make you feel calm and reduce your gag reflex. This is known as a “conscious sedation,” as you never truly lose consciousness as you would with a major surgery. You can still breathe on your own, so no breathing tube or ventilation is required, and you recover much faster than you would from the anesthesia given during surgery. 

During the endoscopy, the doctor will look at the inner lining of your throat, stomach, and intestine. They are searching for any abnormalities that may explain the symptoms that lead them to perform the endoscopy. They may also take small samples of tissue from the organs; these samples are known as biopsies.

Why would my doctor perform an upper digestive tract endoscopy?

What are biopsies and why are biopsies taken during an endoscopy?

What conditions are diagnosed with an upper digestive tract endoscopy?

How long does an upper digestive tract endoscopy with biopsy take?

How do you feel after an upper digestive tract endoscopy?

How long does it take to get the results of an upper digestive tract endoscopy and biopsy?

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

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Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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