Skip to main contentLast updated: 08-Nov-2026
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Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Gastro & Cancer Surgeon
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad · 18 years of experience
In short
A thin camera passes through the mouth into the stomach. It finds the bleeding spot, and the doctor can often treat it in the same sitting.
You are usually sedated and feel little. The test takes about half an hour, and you are watched closely for some hours after it.
The scope is done once you are stable, usually within a day. Fluids and blood come first when you have lost a lot.
This post explains the scope test itself. The full picture of causes, medicines and surgery is on our upper GI bleeding treatment page.
Scans and blood tests show that you have bled. Only the scope shows where, why, and whether the spot can be treated.
Upper GI bleeding means blood from the food pipe, stomach or first part of the small bowel. It shows up as vomited blood, or as black, sticky, foul-smelling stool.
The scope is both a test and a treatment. The doctor looks at the lining, finds the source, and can stop the bleed through the same tube. That is why it is the first choice, and why most people never need an operation.
Usually within a day of arriving, after you have been steadied with fluids, blood if needed, and acid-lowering medicine.
A scope in a patient with low blood pressure is unsafe. So the team first treats shock, gives drips, and checks your blood count. Then the scope follows, soon enough to catch the bleeding spot while it is still visible.
If bleeding is heavy and does not slow, the scope is done sooner. Some patients are looked after in the intensive care unit first.
You stop eating and drinking, a drip is placed, and the team checks your medicines, allergies and heart and lung health.
Do not stop a blood thinner on your own. The doctor decides what to hold and what to continue.
You lie on your left side, a mouth guard is placed, and sedation makes you drowsy. The camera goes in and the doctor looks and treats.
The throat may be numbed with a spray. A small guard sits between the teeth. The tube is as thin as a finger and does not block your breathing.
The doctor washes away blood and clots with water. Then the food pipe, stomach and first part of the small bowel are checked. When the source is found, treatment is done at once. The test usually takes 15 to 30 minutes, longer if the bleed is hard to control.
Your oxygen level and heartbeat are watched throughout.
Clips, heat, injection or rubber bands close the bleeding spot. The method depends on what the doctor sees.
| What is seen | Common cause | Usual treatment through the scope |
|---|---|---|
| Ulcer with an exposed vessel | Acid, H. pylori, painkillers | Clip, heat probe or injection, then acid medicine |
| Swollen veins in the food pipe | Liver disease | Rubber band ligation |
| Small tear at the food pipe end | Forceful vomiting | Often settles alone; clip if it bleeds |
| Raw patches in the lining | Alcohol, painkillers, severe illness | Acid medicine; stop the trigger |
| Growth or unusual area | May need a biopsy | Biopsy now; plan decided after the report |
If a growth is seen, a small piece is taken for a biopsy. A growth is not the usual finding, but it must never be missed. Our post on how a scope stops an ulcer bleed shows how each method works.
You wake slowly, may feel a sore throat or bloating, and stay under watch. Most people can drink within hours if all is well.
Do not drive or sign papers on the day you had sedation.
Serious problems are uncommon. They include a reaction to sedation, blood or fluid entering the lungs, a tear in the wall, and bleeding again.
The team lowers these risks by watching you closely. The airway is protected if you have vomited a lot of blood. The risk of leaving a bleed unseen is greater than the risk of the test.
If the bleed returns after treatment, the scope can be repeated. Surgery or a radiology procedure is kept for the few who still bleed.
If bleeding continues or returns after repeat scopes, a radiology procedure or an operation may be needed. This is the surgeon’s decision.
This is where a surgical gastroenterologist helps. Dr Harsh Shah looks at the scope findings, your scans and your general condition. He decides whether to try again or to block the vessel through a radiology procedure. Or he operates, laparoscopically or by open surgery. Our post on what happens after an ulcer bleed or hole covers the weeks that follow.
Treat the cause, avoid unneeded painkillers and alcohol, and finish the full course of medicines.
Sedation makes you drowsy, and most people remember little of it. A sore throat or bloating can follow for a day.
Usually within a day, once your blood pressure and blood count are steady. If the bleed is heavy, it is done sooner.
Often yes. Clips, heat, injection or rubber bands close the spot, so many people avoid an operation.
Usually yes, for a few days. The team watches for a second bleed and checks your blood count.
It can be done, but the doctor must know your medicines. Never stop them yourself.
The scope may be repeated, and other tests such as a CT scan or capsule study can follow. The bleeding source is searched for until it is found.
Sometimes. A small piece is taken from an ulcer edge or unusual area, and also to look for H. pylori.
See one if bleeding returns, if the scope cannot stop it, or if you want a second opinion on your report.
For the whole pathway of upper GI bleeding, start at the upper GI bleeding treatment page. For questions before you travel, call +91-63555-64601.
Dr Harsh Shah — Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Dr Jivraj Mehta Marg, Vasna, Ahmedabad 380007.
Consultations, review of reports and scans, operations and follow-up. OPD Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Appointments: +91-63555-64601 · +91-63590-11009 · Hospital 079-2663 6363
Directions to the hospital · WhatsApp +91-63555-64601
Vomited blood, passed black stools, or been told you need a scope test urgently? Dr Harsh Shah reviews your report and the endoscopy findings with you. He explains what was seen and what happens next. If you are bleeding right now, go to the nearest emergency room first. For questions after that, call or message us on WhatsApp. Call +91-63555-64601 Ask on WhatsApp
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