Your endoscopy: from referral to results

How an endoscopy is arranged

A GP or another health professional may refer you for an endoscopy. If I see you in clinic and recommend a test, I may arrange the referral as part of your care. Self-referrals are also welcome for selected appointments. Depending on your insurance policy, you may still need to get a GP referral first, so check with us if you are not sure.

The referral is reviewed so the service can decide what appointment or investigation is suitable and how soon it should happen. Sometimes I recommend a consultation first, especially when we need to discuss your symptoms, other tests or the options available.

Booking and preparation instructions

Once a referral is accepted, the administration team or endoscopy service will contact you about booking and any forms they need you to complete. If you have not heard from them within the time they gave you, contact the service that received the referral.

Waiting times vary according to the service, appointment availability and clinical priority. If the appointment offered is not suitable or you need an earlier appointment, please get in touch and I will do my best to facilitate your needs.

You will receive instructions for your own procedure. Gastroscopy and colonoscopy need different preparation, so follow the current instructions from the service carrying out your test.

• Tell the team early if you need an interpreter, help with forms or an adjustment for a disability.
• Tell the team about all your medicines, including blood thinners, diabetes medicines, injections and supplements.
• Do not stop a medicine unless you have been given instructions. If a blood thinner is withheld, your plan should say when to take the last dose and when to restart it.
• Call our endoscopy team if you are unsure or the instructions are missing.
• A blood test is sometimes needed for planning or safety, but it is not required for everyone having an endoscopy.

Having flexible sigmoidoscopy? See the examination, preparation and recovery guide. →

What happens on the day

Arrive at the time in your appointment letter. A nurse or another member of the team will check your health details, medicines, allergies and preparation, and answer questions. The endoscopist will explain the examination and any planned treatment, and check that you are happy to go ahead. You can ask more questions before giving consent.

The examination depends on which test you are having. A gastroscopy uses a flexible camera passed through your mouth to look at the food pipe, stomach and first part of the small bowel. A colonoscopy uses a flexible camera passed through the back passage to examine the large bowel. You can read more on the separate gastroscopy and colonoscopy pages.

Sedation is commonly used, but it is not suitable or needed for everyone. The team will discuss the options and what is planned for you. If you are having sedation, your service will tell you what transport and support you need afterwards.

Recovery and going home

After the procedure, you will rest in a recovery area while the team checks that you are well enough to leave. Some bloating, wind or a mild sore throat can happen, depending on the examination. The team will give you instructions about eating, drinking, activity and any medicines that were changed.

The strongest drowsiness from sedation usually eases while you rest, but you may still have slower reactions, poorer judgement or gaps in your memory.

If you have sedation, arrange the driver and support person required by your endoscopy service. Follow its instructions about driving, alcohol, work, machinery and important decisions. Most people can return to normal duties the next day.

How soon can I travel?

Gastroscopy and colonoscopy are generally very safe. Serious complications are uncommon, and the risk is lower after a diagnostic examination, including routine small biopsies, than after treatment such as removal of a large polyp.

Tell our team about travel plans before booking. As a practical precaution, allow two weeks between colonoscopy and overseas, long-haul or remote travel unless the team confirms a shorter interval is suitable.

Polyps may be found and removed on the day. Delayed bleeding is one reason to stay within reach of medical care: it can occur several days after removal and up to two weeks later.

After an uncomplicated diagnostic gastroscopy or colonoscopy, a two-week restriction is not usually needed once the findings are known. Allow at least 24 hours before flying after colonoscopy.

After sedation, do not drive or travel independently for 24 hours, and arrange the support specified in your discharge instructions. Confirm your flight and any long journey with the team, especially after polyp removal, dilatation or other treatment.

Seek urgent medical assessment for heavy or ongoing bleeding, black tarry poo, severe or worsening tummy or chest pain, fever or faintness. Do not set off on a trip with these symptoms. Call 111 for collapse, heavy bleeding with faintness, severe breathing difficulty or if you cannot travel safely.

When will I get my results?

I may discuss the initial findings before you leave. If you have had sedation, you may not remember all of that discussion, so ask whether a support person can listen with you and check that you have a written summary or report.

If biopsies were taken or a polyp was removed, the tissue is sent to a laboratory. Histology results take longer than the camera examination, and the timing varies between services and laboratories.

Your report will explain how results and follow-up will be communicated. Routine biopsy reports often take a few weeks, while urgent samples for a suspected serious problem are usually reported sooner. Extra tests or specialist review can take longer.

I document my recommended follow-up in your endoscopy report and/or histology report once any tissue results are available. Although the biopsy results will be communicated to you, I may sometimes request a separate appointment to discuss unexpected findings.

You are also welcome to arrange a follow-up clinic appointment if you wish to talk over the results or your symptoms; insurance cover depends on your policy and any approval requirements. Depending on the findings, follow-up may be with me, another specialist or your GP. If you are unsure who is arranging the next step, please get in touch with me.

Who should I contact if I have a question?

Before the procedure, contact the endoscopy service shown on your appointment letter if you have not received preparation instructions, cannot follow them, need to change your appointment, or are unsure what to do with a medicine. For a question about why I recommended the test, contact my rooms or discuss it with your GP.

After the procedure, use the after-care contact details in your discharge information if you have a concern. The team that carried out the examination can advise who should assess you.

Related information

• Preparing for endoscopy
• About gastroscopy
• About colonoscopy
• Why were biopsies taken?
• Understanding tissue and histology results
• Bowel preparation options and practical tips
• Propofol versus conscious sedation