After your procedure
Discharge information
The anaesthetic drugs given during the procedure can cause drowsiness and affect mental alertness. It takes approximately 12 hours for the drugs to leave the body entirely therefore please note the following:
- You are not permitted to drive or operate machinery for at least 12 hours after the procedure
For this reason, it is important that you organize a carer prior to admission to take you home
- It is advised that someone stay with you when you get home
- You should not work, schedule any important meetings or sign legal papers for at least
12 hours after your procedure
- You may eat and drink as normal when you return home
- Do not drink alcohol for 12 hours following the procedure
- Do not undertake heavy exercise
Please do not ignore these warnings
Below are some possible symptoms
Cause: Air being introduced during the examination into the stomach or bowel
Treatment:
- Passing wind
- Peppermint tea or water
- Resting or walking
- Hot water bottle to the stomach
- Mild analgesia
Cause: Common outcome after the anaesthetic
Treatment: Don’t eat or drink for a short period then commence with sips of fluid. Building up fluid intake until fluid is tolerated then commence light diet. E.g. toast
Cause: Dehydration
Treatment:
- Replace fluid loss
- Mild analgesia
Cause: This may occur from biopsy sites or from the removal of polyps
Treatment: Should be spotting only and should stop within 24 hrs but if heavier or persistent please ring your procedure doctor
Cause: Bowel is emptied prior to procedure so needs to get back to normal
Treatment: Contact procedure doctor if not back to normal within 5 days
Cause: Possible infection
Treatment: Please contact your GP and Inform Waverley Endoscopy Director of Nursing
Cause: Possible infection of injection site
Treatment: Please contact your GP and Inform Waverley Endoscopy Director of Nursing
The day following your procedure you can expect to resume normal activities.
If you have any concerns following the procedure or if you are diagnosed with an infection up to two weeks post procedure, please contact Waverley Endoscopy and nform Waverley Endoscopy Director of Nursing. This is to help us with our infection surveillance program
If you become unwell or experience persistent or increasing pain or persistent or increasing bleeding, please contact the doctor who did the procedure, or attend the Emergency Room at your nearest hospital.