Under what situation will gastroscopy be recommended?

• Upper abdominal pain
• Acid reflux, heartburn
• Upper abdominal bloating
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Foreign body such as fish bone ingestion

What preparations are needed before undergoing a gastroscopy? What is the procedure?

No eating and drinking within 6 hours before the procedure. During the procedure, the doctors will spray some local anesthesia to the throat of the patient and the gastroscopy will enter the stomach softly through the patient's mouth.

What is ‘General Anaesthesia’(GA)?

‘General Anaesthesia’ is commonly applied to intermediate to major or complex operations such as cardiac operation and colon operation. ‘General Anaesthesia’ uses intravenous drugs or inhaled gases or a combination of these two types of anaesthetic. Anaesthetist may use an intravenous line which is inserted into either arm or hand of patients to administrate anaesthetic. Patients will be unconscious gradually and asleep to have painless operations.

‘General Anaesthesia’ may also use inhaled gases. Patients inhale a mixture of several anaesthetic gases and be asleep with loss of consciousness. When patients undergo abdominal operation or other procedures requiring muscle relaxation, muscle relaxants will be used and tracheal intubation will be performed to facilitate ventilation of lungs.

At the end of operation, anaesthetist will awake patients under anaesthesia to regain awareness and consciousness before leaving the operation room or in the recovery room.

In some circumstances, ‘General Anaesthesia’ is better than ‘Local Anaesthesia’ in facilitating smooth running of operations.

What is ‘Local Anaesthesia’?

‘Local Anaesthesia’ is commonly applied to minor operations such as ophthalmic, gynaecological or certain other minor operations.  ‘Local Anaesthesia’ is safer than ‘General Anaesthesia’ and other types of anaesthesia.

In ‘Local Anaesthesia’, anaesthetist or nurse in charge will inject anaesthetic medications to the target body site of awake patients, causing anaesthesia of the injected site. The target area may be numb but patients will not enter the state of sleep.

Preparation before Anaesthesia

Before the procedure, the anaesthetist will assess the health condition of the patient and the suitability of receiving ‘Monitored Anaesthetic Care’. Also, the anaesthetist will explain the risks and potential complications of anaesthesia to patient. 

Anaesthetist has to review patient’s medical history, surgical record and anaesthetic record and understand any intake of medication, allergic history, symptoms and/or diagnosis of sleep apnea of patient. Anaesthetist may examine patient before the procedure. 

The patient has to follow the preparation instructed by anaesthetist before receiving anaesthesia.  Informed consent of anaesthesia should be obtained. 

On the Day of the Procedure

Anaesthesia Care after Procedure

After the operation, the anaesthetist will awake the patient under anaesthesia to regain awareness and consciousness before leaving the operation room or in the recovery room. Patient should inform medical professionals of any discomfort for follow-up.

The anaesthetist will monitor the recovery condition of the patient from anaesthesia and ensure the patient is safe and evaluate the health condition of patient is suitable to discharge.