From modern methods of examining the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, FGDS is considered one of the most informative. This name is deciphered as fibrogastroduodenoscopy.
FGDS means examination of the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum. Sometimes doctors use the abbreviation EGDS, i.e., a gastroscopy is also performed on the esophagus.
However, not everyone knows how easier it is to transfer FGDS and how to prepare for it.
What you need to know about FGDS?
Gastroscopy is prescribed for the diagnosis of diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, as well as to determine the presence of polyps or tumors of various etiologies. Sudden weight loss, abdominal pain, frequent belching and vomiting - all these symptoms serve as the basis for the appointment of diagnosis.
During gastroscopy, an endoscope is introduced into the patient’s esophagus, which is a very thin flexible tube with a diameter of up to 1 cm, equipped at the working end with a special light source. Optical endoscopes are traditionally used on which lenses are mounted - the image obtained by him is transmitted through a special fiber to a special eyepiece, into which the specialist looks. There are also video endoscopes that are equipped not with lenses, but with miniature video cameras that allow you to get a clearer image - especially since it can be further enlarged to make it more detailed.
In modern medicine, even therapeutic endoscopes are used, which make it possible to carry out additional medical manipulations, in particular, a biopsy is performed with their help - a sampling of tiny pieces of tissue for laboratory research.
This technique has long been worked out and debugged. Therefore, the procedure is considered safe, and complications are rare. Another thing is a psychological moment. Many people are afraid to swallow an endoscope, and those who have come across old equipment of this type remember that the sensations were unpleasant. However, today the maximum discomfort after FGDS is when a person sore throat. And then these sensations pass rather quickly, usually within a day after the examination.
Contraindications
There are people to whom this type of examination is completely contraindicated. Although there are few restrictions on FGDS, they nevertheless exist: these are severe cardiac arrhythmias, exacerbation of bronchial asthma, respiratory failure, etc. Also, the examination is not carried out in the rehabilitation period after myocardial infarction or stroke.
Before the procedure, the patient is measured blood pressure. Increased indicators are a contraindication for its implementation. But in such cases, the patient is simply given a drug to relieve pressure, and when it works, FGDS can be safely performed.
Preparation for FGDS
When asking how it is easier to transfer FGDS, you need to prepare for the procedure 2-3 days before the appointed date. All this time you have to follow a certain diet.
First of all, all spicy dishes, smoked meats and pickles should be excluded from the diet, since they irritate the gastric mucosa and therefore negatively affect the reliability of the examination. For the same reason, do not drink alcoholic beverages.
When asking how to pass FGDS easily, it is best to observe at this time a semblance of a No. 1 diet designed for patients with gastritis, that is, to refuse fatty meat, fried foods, vegetables with a lot of essential oils like radishes, onions or garlic. Also, during this period of time, drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid cannot be taken.
At least 8-10 hours before the start of the study, you can neither eat nor drink. The fact is that the presence of food or liquid residues in the stomach makes it difficult to diagnose, not to mention the fact that the results may also be unreliable.
When asked how it is easier to transfer gastric FGDs, before starting the procedure, owners of removable dentures need to get rid of this design. If the patient is allergic to any medications, this should also be reported in advance.
How to facilitate the procedure
They try to make the procedure as comfortable as possible for the patient. Therefore, he is first given a solution of a local anesthetic for gargling (sometimes they are used in the form of a spray) to reduce the sensitivity of the pharynx. After a few minutes, the mucous membranes become numb, after which you can go to the main part, when the patient needs to clamp a special mouthpiece between his teeth - this is necessary for the introduction of an endoscope.
Here, unpleasant sensations may arise associated with the passage of the endoscope from the throat to the esophagus. The patient himself can facilitate this procedure if at that moment he takes a breath and relaxes, and then performs a swallowing movement, during which it will be easier for the doctor to enter the endoscope.
With children, the situation is slightly different. For children under the age of 6, this procedure can only be done under general anesthesia. This also applies to people with hypersensitivity.
If FGDS is carried out only for diagnosis, then the whole procedure takes no more than 10 minutes. If additional manipulations are performed - all this can stretch for 20-30 minutes. The doctor usually gives the conclusion in an hour. All this time the patient will be under medical supervision. Biopsy results usually come within a week.
Diet after FGDS
This type of gastroscopy is a fairly serious intervention. Especially if a biopsy is also performed with it. Therefore, after the procedure, regarding nutrition should also adhere to certain rules. If FGDS provided only examination of the mucous membranes and was carried out without complications, then the first meal is possible within an hour after the end of gastroscopy. If any difficulties arise, the doctor may recommend increasing this time.
In general, after FGDS, it is recommended to adhere to the therapeutic diet No. 1, which is usually prescribed to people suffering from gastritis or an ulcer. As a rule, such a diet is relevant for one or two weeks, and then it all depends on the results of the examination. If, during a gastroscopy, tissue sampling was performed for a biopsy, the doctor may recommend a diet for 2-3 weeks.
Such a diet means a sparing regimen for the stomach and intestines. This means that the dishes are served warm, but not hot and not cold. Culinary processing methods are regulated - products can be cooked, steamed, baked without a crust, but not fried.
Prohibited foods
Forbidden all dishes that can irritate the mucous membrane or cause increased production of gastric juice. In addition to spices, this list includes:
- carbonated drinks, even without sugar;
- any alcohol;
- strong broths;
- pickled vegetables;
- pastry from butter dough;
- all types of cabbage (due to the ability to increase gas formation);
- black tea and coffee.
Recommended Meals
After the diagnosis, mucous soups, porridges boiled in water, dried bread or toasts, as well as lean meats and steam omelets are recommended for gentle treatment. For dessert, you can eat a baked apple.
On the first day after the diagnosis, you should drink only clean water without gas. On the second day, you can already drink a rosehip broth, jelly, etc.
What is easier to transfer FGDS: drug sleep
The FGDS technique with medical sleep or sedation has been used for two decades. At first, it was practiced only in elite metropolitan clinics, today such studies have become more common.
It differs from the usual technique in that before the start of the examination, the patient is given an intravenous injection of a sedative drug, and the person goes into sleep. Then the procedure is carried out in the usual manner, that is, an endoscope is inserted through the mouth, it enters the stomach from the esophagus, but the person does not experience pain or discomfort, since such an artificial sleep is deeper. The action of the drug is designed for 40 minutes, this is enough to conduct an examination.
After this, the patient wakes up, but even in this case he does not feel discomfort, because drug sleep is not a general anesthesia, and it is easily tolerated by most patients. Therefore, after awakening, there is no lethargy, no lethargy, no difficulty with orientation, at least no more than after a normal dream. 5 minutes after waking up, a person can get up, and after another hour, he can already leave the medical facility. True, you still can’t drive a car on this day.
The advantage of this method is that while the patient is in a state of sleep, the doctor has the opportunity to conduct a wider range of studies, including detecting the presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which are the causative agents of gastritis and ulcers, determine the acidity level of gastric juice and conduct a biopsy.
Rules for preparing for the procedure with medical sleep
According to reviews, it is easier to transfer FGDS on condition of immersion in a medical dream, the procedure requires a more serious approach. The fact is that in this case, the appropriate drug, which introduces the patient into a medical sleep, should be selected by the anesthetist. And for the selection of funds, this specialist will need to see the results of a clinical blood test and fluorography. And if the patient is over 40 years old, then he is recommended to additionally do an ECG.
An electrocardiogram is needed to ensure that the anesthesiologist is confident that when immersed in sleep, the patient will not have cardiac abnormalities, there will be no breathing problems. However, such problems are contraindications for regular gastroscopy, just the patient, if they occur, can inform the doctor about this, and the procedure will be stopped. But even in a situation with conventional FGDS, older patients should do an ECG - just in case.
Conclusion
When answering the question of how easy it is to transfer FGDS, it follows from the reviews that modern equipment practically eliminates injuries. Nevertheless, if the patient is frightened, experiences stress during such examinations, there is always a chance that he will involuntarily twitch. Therefore, it is better for such people to choose a procedure with medical sleep.