EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy)

Alternative names:

esophagogastroduodenoscopy

What the risks are:

There is a small chance of perforation of the stomach, duodenum, or esophagus; or bleeding at the biopsy site.
A patient could have an adverse reaction to the anesthetic, medication, or tranquilizer. This could cause:

• respiratory depression (difficulty breathing)
• apnea
• hypotension
• excessive diaphoresis
• bradycardia
• laryngospasm (spasm of the larynx)

The overall risk is less than 1 out of 1,000 people.

Special considerations:

If any of these conditions arise after the test, contact the health care provider:

• difficulty swallowing
• pain
• fever
• black stools
• blood in vomit