Hey all,
I was wondering if anyone on here has ever had a Gastroscopy? If so is there anything I need to say or know (being a singer) to the doctor? I was going to ask my ENT tomorrow to see if they do this procedure..?

Any help on these would be great

Thank u

Can you have an upper GI instead? That way they won't insert the tube and not touch your vocal cords by mistake for sure. That's the only thing I would be concerned about... May be Open Mic can answer that one...

I don't know what an upper GI is? If you can, could you please tell me more about how this procedure differs from the other? I didn't even know there was another way to go about this without a tube down my throat, or is it inserted bypassing the vocal folds/cords etc? Thank you for shedding the light on that for me mizz os

To put your mind at rest a bit a gastroscopy (or endoscopy as us Brits call it) is an outatient procedure (ie you can go home the same day) used to inspect the upper gastrointestinal tract. More specifically it will enable your physician to get a good look at the esophagus, stomach and possibly the duodenum (the begining of the small intestine) for signs of pathology. During the procedure a tube called an endoscope will be passed into your mouth and through the esophagus (without making contact with the vocal folds) and into the stomach and then on into the duodenum.
You will most likely be given a local anaethetic spray into the back of the mouth to prevent a gag reflex (after all the tube passes close to the vocal folds), however you will be told to swallow, ensuring the correct passage of the endoscope down into your esophagus. A biopsy may be taken (a small bit of tissue removed) for analysis in the lab.

It is very important that, if you are concerned, you talk to your physician about it. He can reassure you as to why this procedure is necessary for you and what he is specifically looking for. There are alternatives to every procedure and you may wish to discuss these but this is the very best way to get a good look at the upper GI tract.

Remember that your Doctor is not going to know your concerns unless you tell him/her. They will be more than happy to sit you down and discuss it with you. Just don't leave it to the day of the procedure if possible.

Open Mic, can't he have an upper GI by drinking that white chalk yukky beverage and get X-rays or something? That's what I had before

You can do a radiological test which involves swalling a a metallic compound (a liquid containing a compound called barium sulphate) which lines the GI tract whilst x-rays are taken.

This is one of the alternatives I was talking about, however the reasons for doing these tests are vastly different.
With an xray approach the procedure is non invasive and the radiation exposure is at an acceptable level. However, the pictures are not particularly great and any abnormality would lead to an endoscopy anyway.
Their main use is when a problem with gastric motility (movement of the GI system) is suspected (ie problem with one of the . They can be used to view a structural abnormality (such as an ulcer or other lesion) however if one is found, an endoscopy would be required anyway.
These days, endoscopies are much more diagnostically useful. The procedure, although invasive, is very safe and the pictures you can get (it is essentially a video camera) are just incredible. You can monitor inflammation, any structural abnormality (including dysplasia which is a precurser to a cancer) and any motional abnormality. Best of all any abnormality can be biopsied and sent to the lab there and then for fast and accurate analysis.

Endoscopy is pretty much a first line diagnostic procedure now. If you have any reservations whatsoever, speak to your doctor. Remember that above all it is an elective procedure. It is completely your choice as to whether or not you undergo the test. It is the doctors job to give you all the options and your job to make the decision.

Hey all, thanks for the info that really helps me. They told me it will go past the vocal cords, so as far as how close they get to them, I still don't have any answers.

http://www.singhealth.com.sg/NR/rdonlyres/D0886D8F-01DD-473D-AC41-8B3DCC4FBBA1/6583/swallowingthroat.gif

Check out that diagram. When the tube is placed into your mouth you will be asked to swallow. This initiates the swallowing reflex and so the tube is going to follow the same path as the food. The false folds and epiglottis will cover the vocal cords protecting them through the initial swallow. Then the tube won't touch the cords because it has already begun it's path down the oesophagus.

The tube will come close because obviously everything in the throat is so close together. Providing the person performing the procedure knows what they are doing (which I'm sure your Doc does!!) the tube won't touch the cords.