Sentara Endoscopy Services
Endoscopy FAQs
1. Am I going to be awake for the procedure?
During the procedure you will experience Moderate Sedation. Moderate Sedation is a medically controlled state of depressed consciousness which retains a patient's ability to maintain a patent airway independently and continuously and to respond appropriately to physical stimulation and verbal commands. You will be comfortably sedated but still able to respond to stimulus.
The drugs, doses and techniques used are not intended to produce a total loss of consciousness. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following with sedation or anesthesia: prolonged recovery, aspiration, difficulty breathing, decreased blood pressure, use of pain medication, confusion, vomiting, sick to stomach.
2. How long does the procedure take?
- Colonoscopy usually takes up to one hour, but usually takes 30-45 minutes
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) can take up to one hour but usually takes 15-30 minutes
- ERCP takes 40-60 minutes on average
- Bronchoscopy takes 30-60 minutes on average
3. Can I eat after the procedure?
You may resume your regular diet as soon as you leave the recovery area following a Colonoscopy. You must wait one to two hours, or as directed, to eat or drink following an EDG, ERCP or a Bronchoscopy.
4. When can I go home?
Following all procedures, you will be monitored in the recovery room for a minimum of 45 minutes. You will normally be allowed to go home following this recovery time. A responsible adult must be available to drive you home.
5. Can I drive after the procedure?
The pain medication given during your procedure may alter your reflexes. For this reason you are instructed not to drive for 24 hours after your procedure.
6. Can I go to work after the procedure?
No. Hospital policy requires someone to remain with you at home for 24 hours following the procedure.
7. What kind of preparations are required?
You may not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your procedure. There may be other doctors orders you need to follow as well. If you do not follow these instructions, your procedure may have to be cancelled.
8. How do you clean the instruments that are used during the procedure?
There are meticulous guidelines for cleaning endoscopes as outlined by the endoscope manufacturer, The Food and Drug Administration, and professional organizations such as The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and the Society for Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA). For patient safety, all scopes are required to go through a process known as high-level disinfection following each use. The hospitals have a policy that addresses this process that adheres to all of these standards and is approved by the Infection Control Committee. This process involves a meticulous manual cleaning with an enzymatic cleaner followed by the use of an approved solution for high-level disinfection. The endoscopy staff is trained in how to clean and disinfect scopes during orientation and maintain their competency through ongoing training and evaluation.
9. When will I get the results?
Your doctor will discuss the results of your procedure with you once you have recovered from the sedation, or your doctor may call you at home. If biopsies or specimens are taken, it may take several days for your doctor to receive the results. You will receive written discharge instructions upon leaving the hospital.
10. How do I schedule a procedure?
Contact your primary care physician and they will refer you to a specialist who will schedule your procedure and inform you of the preparations needed.
|