Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhen It’s DonePreparationHow It’s DoneRisks and ComplicationsResults
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
When It’s Done
Preparation
How It’s Done
Risks and Complications
Results
To perform an EUS, a healthcare practitioner will sedate you and insert a flexible tube called an endoscope in and through your mouth or anus. Once the tube reaches the area that needs to be evaluated, it can be viewed on a computer screen and checked for abnormalities. Sometimes a biopsy may be taken during the procedure to get a sample or more information.
You are not awake during the procedure and should not feel any pain. Endoscopic ultrasound is a very safe procedure.
Read on to learn why an endoscopic ultrasound may be ordered, how to prepare, and what to expect before, during, and after this test.
Verywell/Emily Roberts
Endoscopic Ultrasound Indications
Endoscopic ultrasound is helpful for seeing parts of the digestive system. It may be ordered to confirm or rule out a suspected digestive disease or a condition.
An EUS will give more detailed information than an X-ray or an external ultrasound.
A healthcare provider may want to do an endoscopic ultrasound when there is a need to:
Endoscopic Ultrasound Prep
It is necessary to prepare for endoscopic ultrasound. Your provider will give you instructions that will include:
Because the procedure involves sedation, you may need to take a day off to have the test done.
Endoscopic Ultrasound Procedure
Endoscopic ultrasound is usually done in a hospital. The duration of the test varies greatly but usually lasts about one hour.
Before the Test
An IV will be started to give fluids and to give the sedatives that will make the procedure more comfortable.
During the Test
You will be wheeled into the room where the test takes place. For a lower digestive tract test, you will be asked to lay on you left side.
There will be an anesthesiologist and nurses who may attach various monitors in order to monitor vital signs during the test.
Some sedation will be given through your IV and you will fall asleep.
The endoscope will then be passed down through the mouth or threaded through the anus to gain access to the digestive tract.
Ultrasonic waves are then emitted to create images of the digestive tract, which are transmitted onto the computer screen.
If needed, samples (biopsies) can be collected.
Recovery
You will wake up in recovery and be monitored for about an hour to ensure that all has gone as expected.
Let the staff know if you have any symptoms like unusual pain or nausea. Ginger ale or water may be given during this recovery time. It may be longer before food is allowed.
After your vital signs are stable and it’s clear that there is no concern for any complications, you will be given instructions on going back to normal activity and how/when to take any medications. You will then be sent home with a friend or relative
Serious complications after having an endoscopic ultrasound are rare.
You may have a sore throat for a few days after the procedure if the endoscope is inserted into the mouth and down the throat. The medical team can recommend how to treat this at home and long it will last.
If a biopsy was done, there may be bleeding at the site where the sample was taken, but it should stop on its own.
Serious but rare complications of an EUS include:
With any endoscopic test, there is a risk of creating a hole in the digestive tract (called a perforation). If this happens, surgery will be necessary to repair the hole. However, this is rare.
Mention any unusual symptoms that occur after an EUS to your healthcare team, especially pain, vomiting, fever, or bleeding.
EUS Results
Some information about how the test went and initial results may be given directly to you in recovery.
More detailed information and the results of any biopsies that were taken will be available later, usually in about a week.
A follow-up visit with your healthcare provider may be scheduled to go over the results of the test and any next steps that are needed.
A Word From Verywell
Endoscopic ultrasound can give so much information about what is happening in the digestive tract. It’s considered to be very safe and it is done under sedation in order to have patients be as comfortable as possible.
It may feel stressful to be told that such a test is needed and then undergo it. Talk with your healthcare provider about your worry and stress because they can adjust the procedures to diminish some of the difficulty. Ask questions about the test and how and when results will be available to lessen your anxiety.
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hamada T, Yasunaga H, Nakai Y, et al. “Severe bleeding and perforation are rare complications of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for pancreatic masses: an analysis of 3,090 patients from 212 hospitals.” Gut Liver. 2014 Mar;8(2):215-8. DOI:10.5009/gnl.2014.8.2.215.Lakhtakia S. “Complications of diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound.” Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Oct;30(5):807-823. DOI:10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.008.
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hamada T, Yasunaga H, Nakai Y, et al. “Severe bleeding and perforation are rare complications of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for pancreatic masses: an analysis of 3,090 patients from 212 hospitals.” Gut Liver. 2014 Mar;8(2):215-8. DOI:10.5009/gnl.2014.8.2.215.Lakhtakia S. “Complications of diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound.” Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Oct;30(5):807-823. DOI:10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.008.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hamada T, Yasunaga H, Nakai Y, et al. “Severe bleeding and perforation are rare complications of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for pancreatic masses: an analysis of 3,090 patients from 212 hospitals.” Gut Liver. 2014 Mar;8(2):215-8. DOI:10.5009/gnl.2014.8.2.215.Lakhtakia S. “Complications of diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound.” Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Oct;30(5):807-823. DOI:10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.008.
Hamada T, Yasunaga H, Nakai Y, et al. “Severe bleeding and perforation are rare complications of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for pancreatic masses: an analysis of 3,090 patients from 212 hospitals.” Gut Liver. 2014 Mar;8(2):215-8. DOI:10.5009/gnl.2014.8.2.215.
Lakhtakia S. “Complications of diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Ultrasound.” Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Oct;30(5):807-823. DOI:10.1016/j.bpg.2016.10.008.
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