Level 7, Esher Wing
Kingston Hospital
Tel: 020 8934 2099
Parking and directions: https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/outpatients/find-us/
Our service helps patients who have problems with their digestive system. Endoscopic procedures involve passing an endoscope (a tube about half an inch thick) into the gastro-intestinal tract via the mouth or anus so the doctor can look inside you and take biopsies if required.
You can find out more about endoscopy here.
If you are an outpatient, you’ll need a letter from your GP referring you to a specialist doctor. They will determine whether you need an endoscopy or not and refer you to the team if necessary.
Endoscopy procedures
Gastroscopy: This enables a specialist to look inside your oesophagus, stomach and duodenum if you have conditions like swallowing difficulties, nausea, indigestion or chest pain.
You have to swallow a thin, flexible, lighted tube – the endoscope. It transmits an image to a screen so the specialist can examine these organs. They will be able to see abnormalities that don’t show up on x-rays, and can insert instruments into the scope to treat them or remove samples for tests.
The procedure takes about 20 minutes and complications are rare. You can find out more here.
Flexible sigmoldoscopy: This enables the specialist to look at the inside of the lower part of the large intestine if you have issues such as diarrhoea, constipation or abdominal pain. They also look for early signs of cancer in the lower colon and rectum such as bleeding, inflammation and abnormal growths.
The procedure takes 10-20 minutes and complications are rare. You can find out more here.
Colonoscopy: A specialist uses this to look inside your large intestine and check for causes or diarrhoea, constipation or constipation, and for signs of cancer. You usually need sedation and pain relief as a flexible, lighted tube is inserted and guided into the colon to transmit an image to a screen for the specialist to examine.
The procedure takes about 30 minutes and complications are rare. You can find out more here.
Transnasal endoscopy: This is used to examine the upper part of your digestive system and is similar to an endoscopy, except a much smaller camera is inserted through your nose. The procedure takes 5-15 minutes and is usually carried out with local anaesthetic only.
Further information
We have several leaflets that give you more details about our procedures:
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy:
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (with Moviprep)
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (with Picolax)
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (Home enema)
Flexible sigmoidoscopy (Hospital enema)
Gastroscopy (OGD):
Patient information Gastroscopy
Gastro & Colonoscopy:
Gastroscopy and colonoscopy (with Moviprep)
Gastroscopy and colonoscopy (with picolax)
Gastro & Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
Gastroscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy (with moviprep)
Gastroscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy (with picolax)
Gastroscopy and Flexible sigmoidoscopy (Hospital enema)
Colonoscopy:
Colonoscopy (With Moviprep)
Colonoscopy (With additional Moviprep)
Colonoscopy (With Picolax)
Colonoscopy (with Picolax) (Low residue diet)
Transnasal Endoscopy:
Transnasal Gastroscopy with sedation
Transnasal Gastroscopy without sedation
Tel: 020 8934 2099
