What is oral endoscopic ultrasound?

Oral endoscopic ultrasound is a test that lets your doctor look at the walls of your esophagus, stomach, and upper gastrointestinal tract. The test does not use X-rays or other radiation.

The doctor uses a thin, lighted tube that bends. It's called an endoscope, or scope. The scope has an ultrasound probe and camera at the tip. The doctor gently puts the scope into your mouth, down the esophagus, and into the stomach to the area to be examined. The scope can take pictures of organs. It helps look for problems in the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and the first part of your small intestine, called the duodenum.

The procedure can take up to an hour if a sample of tissue is taken to be tested. This is called a biopsy.

You will not feel pain. You may go home after your doctor checks to make sure you are not having any problems.

What happens on the day of the procedure?

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  Follow the instructions exactly about when to stop eating and drinking. If you don't, your procedure may be cancelled. If your doctor told you to take your medicines on the day of the procedure, take them with only a sip of water.
• Take a bath or shower before you come in for your procedure. Do not apply lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or nail polish.
• Take off all jewellery and piercings. And take out contact lenses, if you wear them.

At the hospital or surgery centre

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  Bring a picture ID.
• The doctor may spray medicine on the back of your throat to numb it.
• You will lie on your left side.
• You also will get medicine to prevent pain and to relax you. This medicine may make you sleep.
• The doctor will put the scope in your mouth and toward the back of your throat. If you are not asleep, the doctor will tell you when to swallow. This helps the scope move down your throat. You will be able to breathe normally. The doctor will move the scope down your esophagus into your stomach.
• If your doctor wants to take a sample of tissue for biopsy, they may use small surgical tools. These are put into the scope to cut off some tissue. You will not feel a biopsy, if one is taken. The doctor can also use the tools to stop bleeding, if needed.
• The doctor will send puffs of air through the tube to see better. This may make you feel bloated, and you may feel cramps. This feeling does not last long.
• You may feel some bloating or cramping as the tube is moved. If you feel a lot of discomfort, you can alert the doctor with an agreed-upon signal or a tap on the arm.
• You will stay at the hospital or surgery centre for 1 to 2 hours until the medicine you were given wears off.