Your experts for endoscopy
We carry out gastroscopies and colonoscopies at our medical care center. We comply with all applicable guidelines and quality standards - with the aim of making your examination as pleasant and pain-free as possible.
High demands on the endoscopy devices
Endoscopy technology has made great strides in recent years. In the past, an optical fiber was used for image transmission. Today, it is a chip that records the endoscopic image like a digital camera and transmits it to an external video processor.
The endoscopy devices have to meet stringent requirements: They contain a lot of technology in a small space. They also have to be very flexible to use. And special hygiene requirements apply to them. For example, they cannot be cleaned using standard sterilization methods, which would damage the material of the devices due to the high temperatures of more than 60 °C.
State-of-the-art technology for your treatment
We use the latest generation of Olympus® endoscopes.
Image transmission enables high-resolution images to be transmitted to several screens if required. This allows you to follow the examination on screen if you wish. During and after the treatment, we ensure your monitoring and aftercare in a special recovery room with control monitors and emergency equipment.
Highest standards of cleanliness
We reprocess the endoscopy devices fully automatically using our Olympus® ETD 3 endoscopy washing machine. All cleaning steps are thoroughly monitored and documented. This enables us to guarantee that the devices are always perfectly clean.
Strict hygiene controls
Every six months, an independent laboratory carries out an external hygiene inspection of our endoscopy department on behalf of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. So far, we have passed all checks without any deficiencies. Our endoscopy washing machine is also validated and serviced annually. We use sterile disposable material for biopsies and polyp removal.
The procedure for an endoscopy
In order to assess the intestinal mucosa accurately, we flush your bowel with a special preparatory solution at the beginning. In most cases, we start this about twelve hours before the examination. We will discuss the specific process with you in a preliminary consultation about a week before the examination. We will also discuss which medications should be discontinued. Please bring your medication schedule with you.
We recommend that you take a mild sedative for the examination. This suppresses any pain that may occur and makes the process more pleasant for you. Please note that you will not be able to drive for the next few hours after taking the sedative. In this case, ask someone you trust to accompany you home from our practice beforehand. You will receive a certificate of incapacity for work from us for the day of the examination and - if necessary - also for the day of preparation. When we take samples from the bowel or remove polyps, we examine them under a microscope. The results are available after around seven to ten days. We will send these to your family doctor, who will discuss the next steps with you. If you wish, we can also arrange a follow-up appointment with you.
For the examination, it is important that you have eaten your last light meal at least eight hours beforehand. You can then drink small amounts of clear liquid until the examination begins. To make it easier to insert our examination device into your oesophagus, we use a throat spray containing xylocaine. This local anesthetic will numb your throat for about an hour. Once the anesthetic wears off, you can normally eat and drink again without any restrictions. We also recommend that you take a mild sedative. It suppresses the slight gag reflex and makes the examination more pleasant for you. Please note that you will not be able to drive for the next few hours after taking the sedative. In this case, ask someone in advance to accompany you home from our practice. You will receive a certificate of incapacity for work from us for the day of the examination. When we take samples from your stomach, we will examine them under a microscope. The results are available after about seven to ten days. We will send this to your family doctor, who will discuss the next steps with you. If you wish, we can also arrange a follow-up appointment with you.
