What does the patient do during an endoscopy?

Answer 1

Endoscopy or endoscopic evaluation is a test (Note: it is NOT surgery). The patient would be sedated beforehand and placed into a "twilight" sedation; the medication may put the person to sleep or the patient may be able to respond to verbal directions but the patient will have amnesia (will not remember) of the test.

A flexible tube is used to view the digestive tract. Depending on whether it's an upper GI or lower GI determines whether the tube is inserted down the throat or up through the rectum.

The flexible tube has a light at the end so a physician can see the lining of the digestive tract.

Answer 2

For the procedure, the patient is usually awake and seated upright in a chair. A local anesthetic spray or liquid may be applied to the throat to make insertion of the endoscope less uncomfortable.