Endoscopy uses a thin, flexible camera to look directly inside the digestive tract. It is the most reliable way to find the cause of persistent acidity, bleeding or bowel changes — and to catch cancer early.
Biopsies can be taken and polyps removed during the same procedure, which is done under sedation and takes 15–30 minutes. You go home the same day.
- Sedation
- Light sedation
- Procedure time
- 15–30 minutes
- Go home
- Same day
- Biopsy results
- Usually within a few days
When to get checked
- Persistent stomach pain, acidity or reflux
- Difficulty swallowing
- Blood in the stool, black stools or vomiting blood
- A lasting change in bowel habits or unexplained weight loss
- Over 45, or a close relative with bowel cancer — ask whether screening is right for you
Procedures
Gastroscopy (upper endoscopy)
A camera through the mouth into the food pipe, stomach and duodenum — for ulcers, gastritis, H. pylori, varices, Barrett’s oesophagus, tumours and sources of bleeding. About 15–20 minutes under light sedation.
Colonoscopy (lower endoscopy)
A camera through the entire large bowel — for polyps, colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis and bleeding. About 20–30 minutes under sedation; polyps can be removed immediately.
Why screening matters
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. Polyps take years to turn into cancer — removing them during colonoscopy stops that process.
What to expect
01Consultation
We listen, examine you and go through your reports and scans. A first visit usually takes 20–30 minutes, and family members are welcome.
02Tests and a clear plan
If more information is needed, we arrange blood tests or scans. Then we explain your options in plain language — including whether you need surgery at all.
03Surgery, if needed
Most operations are done by keyhole. Before the day you'll know what to expect: the procedure, anaesthesia, hospital stay and insurance paperwork.
04Recovery at home
You go home with clear instructions on food, activity, medicines and warning signs, plus a patient guide for common operations.
05Follow-up
A check-up to review healing and any biopsy results, and to clear you for your normal routine.
Common questions
What's the difference between an endoscopy and a colonoscopy?
Gastroscopy (upper endoscopy): a thin camera passes through the mouth into the food pipe, stomach and first part of the small intestine — looking for ulcers, gastritis, tumours, H. pylori infection and sources of bleeding.
Colonoscopy (lower endoscopy): the camera passes through the back passage into the whole large bowel — looking for polyps, colorectal cancer, colitis and sources of bleeding.
Both let us take biopsies or remove small polyps during the same procedure.
Do I really need a colonoscopy if I feel fine?
Not necessarily — it depends on your risk. Colonoscopy can find and remove pre-cancerous polyps before they turn into cancer, which is what makes bowel cancer one of the more preventable cancers. India has no national bowel-screening programme, so the decision is made individually.
It's worth discussing screening if you are over 45, or a parent, brother, sister or child has had bowel cancer or advanced polyps. With a family history, checks usually start at 40, or 10 years before the age at which your relative was diagnosed — whichever is earlier.
Get checked promptly, at any age, if you have: blood in the stool, a lasting change in bowel habit, unexplained weight loss, or anaemia without a clear cause.
Is the colonoscopy prep really that bad?
Honestly, the preparation is the hardest part.
It involves a clear-liquid diet the day before, drinking a bowel-cleansing solution, and frequent trips to the toilet — so plan to stay at home.
Tips: chill the solution (it tastes better cold), drink it through a straw, and suck on a lemon wedge between glasses.
The good news: the procedure itself is easy. You're sedated, you feel very little, and it's over in 20–30 minutes.
What happens if you find polyps during my colonoscopy?
Most polyps are removed during the same procedure (a polypectomy) and sent to the lab. Results usually take a few days, and based on the type and size of the polyps we tell you when your next colonoscopy should be. Occasionally a polyp contains early cancer and needs further surgery.
The bottom line: finding and removing polyps is exactly what colonoscopy is for — you've caught a problem before it became serious.