Gastroscopy On Friday - Petrified

Sliding hiatus hernia is the most common reason for reflux as it doesn'y permit the muscles around the lower oesophageal sphincter to work properly.

If they saw anything that could be Barrett's they would have taken biopsies which may take a few weeks to analyse before you get the results.

But if there had been anything really bad, they'd have seen it and let you know. It's probably a case of no news is good news.

This is routinely done to diagnosis H Pylori bacteria.

No big thing.

Biopsies are taken to identify any cellular changes.

Where reflux of acid and bile has persisted for a while, the normal squamous cells lining the oseophagus may be replaced with columnar ones resembling those of the intestine, which being more acid resistant, protect the body from digesting itself. Also, being less sensitive, can reduce some of the pain acid refluxing can cause.

Cellular change is known as metaplasia and intestinal metalasia is known as Barrett's Oesophagus. Whilst it may be thought of as a friend, it may also be considered an untrustworthy one as, in a very small number of cases, it has the ability to mutate (called dysplasia) and progress to adenocarcinoma (cancer) .

The biopsies will look at the cells. Each biopsy (about the size of a grain of rice) can yield hundreds of thin slides to be examined under the microscope by a histopathologist to ascertain whether there is the exisence of any metaplastia or dysplasia. The path labs are usually very busy and it can take a few weeks to get the results but if there were any suggestion of anything sinister it would be prioritised.

It seems most GI / endoscopy departments are time pressured and to them, Barrett's is no big deal and commonly seen. Unfortunately, patients newly diagnosed with a condition they've never heard of may google it, see the word cancer and freak out. That's where forums like this play a very important role in reassuring patients as those risks are actually quite miniscule. In southampton (UK) the charity I co-founded works closely with our gastroenterologists and endoscopists who do not have the time in ordinary clinics to discuss diagnoses in depth. They are given our details and frquently come to drop-in sessions we run for a chat. We are now very slowly trying to spread our Barrett's netwrok across UK but it does depend on recruiting volunteers.

See the free book / website www DownWithAcid org uk for more information about acid, reflux, comlications and management and the attached graphic describing the genesis of Barrett's.

im now in my 7th week of waiting for my biopsy results, test showed i had inflamation, drs trying to get replies to request for results and emailing th dr who did it secretary is hitting a wall, i had my barium meall 2 weeks after endoscopy that showed i did have reflux and my gullet didnt emty completely, can you see a reason for this amount of waiting time, as they said if i prove positive for h pylori despite a previous negative i can start treatment i can start to feel better, despite being back on the omeprazole at twice the dose although better i still have the uncomfortable burning at my throat which i rarely got when on half dose for 20plus years, im worse of now than before the dr took me of the medication in january. its the waitingthats bothering me, not that they may have or not found something, if something is found then i will deal with it, it was suggested my a collegue there may have been something go wrong with my biopsies (got lost) and i may have to retake it, hope not but if so lets get on with it, 

 

Examining the hundreds of slides made from each biopsy taken can take a long time and the pathology labs are always running at full stretch. They have also had the Christmas break so things may be backed up a bit.

If anything suspicious were suspected, it would have been given a higher priority. I guess no news is good news.

Do you suspect you have H-Pylori? They normally test for that, if thought a possiblity at the time of doing the scope and taking biopsies but results for that are usually through quite quickly.

Acid reflux has the two componenets: acid and reflux. Medics really can only tackle the acid part, by prescribing acid suppressants like omeprazole. The drugs, however, do not control reflux which needs to be managed by lifestyle modification or surgery.

I do appreciate your anxiety. I suffered with reflux all my life (remembering incidences when I was 3 and I'm now 69) .

I was on omeprazole from 1994 to 2008 in doses increasing to 80mg a day which had initially resolved the heartburn (like a blowtorch down my throat) but the reflux was getting worse until I eventually opted for surgery.

Hopefully tings will be sorted for you soon.

i was tested for the h pylori via a stool sample before the endoscopy and it came back negative, blood test showed low normal zinc 10.5, im now on omeprazole 20mg twice daily, changing my lifestyle choices as my working life left me with virtually no time to eat in a relaxed state, its eat whie standing then move on to next shift, have reduced working days on one job rather than leave completly as was my plan, manager didnt want me to go but understood my need to think of myself for a change, so lifestyle choices are changing, need to gain weight and eat properly but healthily