Upper GI Endoscopy
A camera look at the food pipe, stomach and first part of the bowel.
What is Upper GI Endoscopy?
A thin flexible camera is passed through the mouth to look directly at the food pipe, stomach and the first part of the small bowel. Samples can be taken and some problems treated during the same procedure.
- Normal
Why It Is Asked For
This test is requested only when the answer would change what we do next.
- Significant reflux symptoms not responding to treatment
- Vomiting blood, or unexplained anaemia
- Difficulty or pain on swallowing
- A swallowed foreign body — a coin, a battery, a fish bone
- Suspected coeliac disease or persistent upper abdominal pain
Before the Day
- Fasting as instructed by the anaesthetist
- In children this is done under general anaesthetic, not sedation alone
- Tell the team about any bleeding tendency or medicines
On the Day
- General anaesthetic
- The camera is passed through the mouth; there is no cut
- Biopsies are painless; a foreign body can be removed with instruments through the scope
- Usually 15 to 30 minutes
What the Results Show
- Findings are often explained on the day
- Biopsy results take a few days
- Photographs are usually available to show you what was seen
Is It Safe?
- A mild sore throat afterwards is common
- Bleeding or perforation are rare
- A swallowed button battery is a genuine emergency and must not wait — it can burn through tissue within hours
Common Questions
If your question is not here, send it on WhatsApp and the hospital team will answer.
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon · Palliyadi, Kanyakumari
Super-specialist surgical care for newborns, infants and children, with expertise in paediatric urology, congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Related Pages
A camera answers in minutes what months of medicine cannot.
Samples can be taken and some problems treated in the same sitting, under one anaesthetic. Bring previous reports and the current medication list.
Consultation 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM · 24-hour laboratory & pharmacy
In an emergency — green vomiting in a baby, a groin swelling that will not go back, severe tummy pain, or a newborn not passing urine or meconium — come straight to the hospital or to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a reply to a message.