Direct Access Gastroscopy & Colonoscopy is sometimes recommended by your GP if you are reasonably fit and healthy and meet the below criteria:
- A family history of bowel or upper gastrointestinal cancer.
- A persistant change in bowel function.
- Positive Faecal Occult Blood Test.
- Rectal bleeding or vomiting blood
- A personal history of polyps or cancer and pre-malignant conditions of the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract..
- Unexplained weight loss or abdominal pain or discomfort
To be eligible you must be reasonably fit and health and:
- 80 years old or less.
- have normal kidney, lung and heart function
- not be taking blood thinners
Direct access gastroscopy and colonoscopy is also only available as a No-Gap procedure to those with private health insurance. If you do not have private health insurance then there will be an out of pocket payment which will need to be discussed before your procedure.
What is involved?
The whole procedure takes about 30-40 minutes, but the entire process including drop off, admission, procedure, recovery and pick up can take 3 hours or more. Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy require a general anaesthetic, and therefore you must have somebody to drive you home from hospital after your procedure.
What are the risks?
Gastroscopy is very safe, with a 1 in ten thousand risk of accidental perforation during the procedure. For colonoscopy this risk is 1-2 per thousand risk of accidental perforation. Perforation, although uncommon, when it happens , usually results in the needs for further corrective surgery.
Less severe complications and side effects include bloating, crampy abdominal pain is sometimes experience in the first hour after this procedure.
The general anaesthetic risks can be discussed with you by your anaesthetist prior to or on the day of your procedure, but include a very small risk of death (1 per 200,000). Nausea and vomiting after anaesthetics can occur.