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Direct Access Gatroscopy is sometimes recommended by your GP if you are reasonably fit and healthy and meet the below criteria:
- A family history of stomach, duodenal or esophageal cancer.
- Gastroeosophageal reflux symptoms (e.g. Heatburn).
- Positive Faecal Occult Blood Test.
- Vomiting blood.
- A personal history of previous gastric cancer or precursor lesions (e.g. Barrett’s oesophagus)
- Unexplained weight loss or epigastric pain
To be eligible you must be reasonably fit and health and:
- 80 years old or less.
- have normal kidney, lung and heart function
- not be taking blood thinners
Direct access gastroscopy is also only available as a No-Gap procedure to those with private health insurance. If you do not have private health insurance then there will be an out of pocket payment which will need to be discussed before your procedure.
What is involved?
The whole procedure takes about 15-20 minutes, but the entire process including drop off, admission, procedure, recovery and pick up can take 3 hours or more. Gastroscopy requires a general anaesthetic, and therefore you must have somebody to drive you home from hospital after your procedure.
What are the risks?
There is a 1 per ten thousand risk of accidental perforation of the stomach or oesophagus during gastroscopy. If this happens, you will most likely require corrective surgery. Bloating, crampy abdominal pain is sometimes experience in the first hour after this procedure. Rarely wheeze or larngospasm or aspiration can occur, and for this reason it is vitally important that you fast (no liquids) for 6 hours prior to your procedure.
The general anaesthetic risks can be discussed with you by your anaesthetist prior to or on the day of your procedure, but include a very small risk of death (1 per 200,000). Nausea and vomiting after anaesthetics can occur.