Home Care After Your Upper Endoscopy (Includes Dilation, EndoFlip or Esophageal Banding)

This Health Fact will give you health and safety guidelines to follow at home after an upper endoscopy.

What to Expect

After your endoscopy you may have:

• Mild sore throat: Gargle with lightly salted water or suck on hard candy for relief.

• Gas pains or fullness.

• Chest pain: This should go away within 24 hours.

• Redness/soreness at IV site: Use a warm, moist washcloth for relief. Call your primary doctor if this does not get better in a couple of days.
  

When you have sedation, you are at an increased risk of falling. Falls can cause serious injury. To prevent a fall:

• Ask for help.

• Get up slowly.

• Wear your eye-glasses.

• Be sure to use your cane, walker, etc.
  

At Home

• Do not drink alcohol, take tranquilizers or sleeping pills tonight.

• Do not drive today. You must have a responsible adult take you home.

• Do not make any important decisions today.

• Rest today. Do not return to work or school. You may resume your normal daily tasks the next day.

• You may resume your routine medicines unless you are told not to.

• You may resume your normal diet. Start out with a light diet to prevent nausea. Avoid spicy and greasy food as this may cause nausea.
  

Diet

You may resume your normal diet if you had a routine endoscopy and were not given other instructions. Follow your doctor’s diet instructions if you had a dilation or a banding of varices.

Results

If the doctor took biopsies, you will get the results in the mail in 1-2 weeks. If you do not get the letter after 2 weeks, call the clinic. Ask for your doctor’s nurse.

When to Call

• Vomiting blood

• Dizziness

• Bloody or black tarry stools

• Chest pain

• Abdominal pain

• Fever or chills

• Trouble swallowing or pain when swallowing

• Trouble breathing
  

Who to Call

Digestive Health Center
750 University Row Madison, WI
(608) 890-5000
(855) 342-9900

University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics GI Procedure Clinic 600 Highland Avenue Madison, WI (608) 263-8097 (800) 323-8942

Meriter Hospital Digestive Health Center Lower Level 202 S. Park Street Madison, WI (608) 417-6389

After clinic hours, leave your name and phone number with the area code. The doctor will call you back.

If you are a patient receiving care at UnityPoint – Meriter, Swedish American or a health system outside of UW Health, please use the phone numbers provided in your discharge instructions for any questions or concerns.