Quick Answer
UGI endoscopy (also called gastroscopy or OGD) is a quick, painless day-care procedure in which a flexible HD camera examines your food pipe, stomach and duodenum. Dr. Anando Sengupta performs UGI endoscopy at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh under sedation, with same-day discharge.
Why UGI endoscopy is recommended
- Persistent acidity, heartburn or indigestion not responding to medication
- Difficulty or pain on swallowing
- Vomiting blood or coffee-ground vomitus
- Black tarry stools or unexplained iron-deficiency anaemia
- Persistent upper abdominal pain
- Unexplained weight loss
- Suspected H. pylori infection or peptic ulcer
- Surveillance of Barrett's oesophagus, varices, polyps
- Therapeutic: ulcer haemostasis, variceal banding, polyp removal, foreign body removal, dilatation, stent placement, PEG tube insertion
What conditions does it diagnose?
| Condition | What we look for |
|---|---|
| GERD & oesophagitis | Erosions, strictures, hiatal hernia, Barrett's |
| Peptic ulcer | Gastric / duodenal ulcer, biopsy for cancer & H. pylori |
| Gastritis | Inflammation, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia |
| Coeliac disease | Duodenal villous atrophy on biopsy |
| Cancer | Oesophageal, gastric, duodenal malignancy |
| Cirrhosis | Oesophageal & gastric varices |
The procedure step by step
- Pre-procedure assessment — medication review, ECG/blood tests if sedation
- 6-hour fast
- Throat is sprayed with local anaesthetic; IV cannula placed for sedation
- Lie on your left side; mouth-guard placed
- The thin (~9 mm) endoscope is passed through the mouth — you do not need to swallow it
- HD video allows examination of all three organs; air is gently insufflated to open folds
- Biopsies taken painlessly with tiny forceps
- Therapeutic interventions performed if needed
- Total procedure time: 5–15 minutes
- 1–2 hour recovery; same-day discharge
After the procedure
- Mild throat soreness for a few hours — lozenges help
- Soft, non-spicy diet for 12 hours
- Do not drive or operate machinery for the rest of the day
- Findings are explained immediately; biopsy report in 3–7 days
Frequently Asked Questions
Upper GI (UGI) endoscopy or gastroscopy is a procedure in which a flexible camera tube is passed through the mouth into the food pipe, stomach and the first part of the small intestine to look for diseases.
No. The throat is sprayed with local anaesthetic and most patients also receive light intravenous sedation, so the procedure is virtually painless and forgotten quickly.
A diagnostic gastroscopy takes about 5–15 minutes. Therapeutic procedures (banding, polypectomy, dilatation, foreign-body removal) take longer.
Stop eating 6 hours and drinking 2 hours before the procedure. Inform the doctor about blood thinners (aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, DOACs), insulin and oral diabetes drugs.
UGI endoscopy is very safe. Major complications such as bleeding or perforation occur in less than 1 in 1,000 diagnostic procedures.
Diagnostic gastroscopy with biopsy at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh typically costs ₹4,000–₹8,000. Add-ons such as anaesthesia, polypectomy or variceal banding add to the price.
Yes. Dr. Anando Sengupta consults at North Delhi Nursing Home, Ashok Vihar Phase II (Mon–Sat, 5:30–7:30 PM) — within easy reach of Model Town (3 km), GTB Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Wazirpur and Shastri Nagar. Morning slots and procedures (endoscopy, colonoscopy, ERCP, EUS) are at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh (~3 km from Pitampura, with cashless insurance on all major panels). Both clinics serve patients from across North Delhi.
