Welcome to Western Gastroenterology Services
Opening Hours : Monday to Friday - 8am to 5pm
Contact : (03) 9318 3399
Pre Admission Information
We advise that you wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. No High heel shoes. No jewelry (WGS is not liable for the loss of your valuables) and tie back long hair.
Please remove nail polish from finger nails before your appointment (IF YOU CAN).
Please bring with you your Medicare Card, Health Insurance Card and Pension Card.
GOING HOME:
You will need to arrange TRANSPORT HOME BY CAR with a family member or friend. You must have someone with you overnight after discharge. YOU CANNOT TAKE A TAXI HOME ALONE. Recovery Nurse Staff will contact them 30 minutes prior to hospital discharge. IF YOU HAVE NOT ORGANISED SOMEONE TO TAKE YOU HOME, YOUR PROCEDURE WILL BE CANCELLED.
If you cannot make your appointment, notification at least 3-4 days prior is required; OTHERWISE A CANCELLATION FEE MAY APPLY.
Attached are the Fees for Consumable Items for uninsured patients (Pension/Healthcare card holders)
Please read and follow the Bowel Preparation Instructions very carefully. Ensure that you drink plenty of clear fluids whilst you are taking the bowel preparation. For 4 hours before your appointment, it is very important that you do not eat, drink, smoke or chew. If you are unsure or have any questions, please call us on 9318 3399 and speak to one of our staff. If bowel preparation is not adequate, the procedure cannot be completed and the process has to be repeated.
For 4 hours before your appointment, it is very important that you do not eat, drink, smoke or chew.
Things to expect AFTER your Procedure
After your procedure, you will be taken to recovery, where you will be looked after by a nurse while you wake up from the anaesthetic. Once you are awake, the nurse will give you a drink and some biscuits. Your stay in recovery will be approximately ONE HOUR. The nurse will then call the person you have nominated to come and pick you up.
During your endoscopy procedure you will be administered drugs which stay in the body and affect you for many hours, you may feel drowsy and we recommend that you rest for the remainder of the day. After the procedure it is important that you are accompanied home and cared for by a responsible adult overnight. Most people return to work the following day.
When you arrive home following your procedure, you may resume your normal diet and your normal medication unless instructed otherwise.
If you have any problems/infections that require antibiotics after discharge, please notify your General Practitioner, who will notify our facility
►WGS is guided by Melbourne Pathology Services, GENCA Australia and other Governing Infection Control Bodies, to provide the highest possible infection control practices to reduce the risk of preventable infections.
Website: http://westgastro.com.au/index.php or www.gastroenterologyservices.com.au
We aim to provide the best quality healthcare for you in a high quality, safe and friendly manner. However with all medical procedures there is some risk. Our centre has policies and procedures in place to minimise risk to our patients. For your information the possible risks of gastroscopy and colonoscopy are listed below.
| Risk | Description | Management | |
| Bloating and discomfort | There may be some air remaining in the large bowel as a result of the procedure. | Usually no treatment is required. Walking and moving around helps to pass the trapped air. | |
| Nausea and vomiting | Some people experience nausea and vomiting as a result of the anaesthetic. | Medication can be given for nausea and vomiting and generally relieves symptoms quite quickly. | |
| Bruising at Injection site | Some patients may experience some soreness and reddening or bleeding at the injections site. | Applying pressure to the area will stop the bleeding. A pressure bandage and cold packs may be applied to minimise the bruising. The bruising is not serious and will usually resolve within a week. | |
| Reaction to bowel preparation | Occasionally patients may experience headaches and poor absorption of normal medications including birth control and anti-convulsant medication. Changes in the blood salt levels may occur. | Taking your medication at least 2 hours before the preparation is advised. We may give fluids to you via the vein and medicine to relieve the headache and nausea. Additional methods of contraception are suggested until the next menstrual cycle. | |
| Bleeding | Major bleeding from the stomach or bowel can occur in 1 in 10,000 people following a biopsy and 1 in 1,000 after removal of a polyp. Sometimes bleeding may occur up to 12 days after the procedure. | Bleeding usually settles without further treatment. Sometimes another gastroscopy or colonoscopy may be needed to stop the bleeding after polyp removal. Rarely would you be transferred to another hospital for observation. Occasionally a blood transfusion or surgery is necessary. | |
| Abdominal pain | Burning of the bowel wall following removal of polyps can occur in 1 in 500 people. This may cause severe abdominal pain, rapid pulse and fever between 12 hours and 5 days after the procedure. | Most problems settle within 48 hours, but you should contact us and go to the hospital for a check up to ensure that the bowel is not perforated. It may be necessary to give antibiotics, arrange x-rays, blood tests and observation in hospital. We may ask for a surgical opinion. | |
| Perforation (puncture or tear of large intestine, stomach or oesophagus) | At colonoscopy the large intestine may rarely be perforated in 1 in 1000 cases. The risk is higher, about 1 in 100 if a polyp is removed. At gastroscopy the risk of perforation of the gullet (oesophagus) is less that 1% if a dilation is performed. | Fluids and antibiotics may be given via an intravenous drip and the tear may require repair by surgery to the abdomen or chest. | |
| Missed cancer |
Due to the nature of anatomy and preparation of the bowel, it is possible to miss small cancers and other disorders, especially when the bowel preparation is poor |
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| Damage to teeth |
All attempts are made to protect teeth, however it is possible for teeth or crowns to be damaged during the procedure. |
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| Anaesthetic risk | About 1 in 1,000 people may experience heart or lung problems such as low oxygen levels, low blood pressure or irregular heart beat. People with ill health are more at risk. | The procedure is immediately stopped if should anything happen. Medications may be given to reverse the effects of sedation. Sometimes other procedures may be required. Discuss concerns with your anaesthetist. | |
| Aspiration | Some patients may vomit during the procedure and rarely some of the stomach contents can enter the lungs and cause pneumonia. | If pneumonia occurs, you would be transferred to hospital for observation and given intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Usually we just need to observe you for a little longer. | |
| Drug reaction | Some patients may experience an allergic reaction to one or more of the anaesthetic drugs. | You may require intravenous drugs to stop the reaction and occasionally a transfer to hospital for observation. | |
| Other risks | A complete examination of the colon may be limited in some patients (usually less than 5%) including those with poor bowel preparation, patients with long colons, patients with tight bends in their colon and patients with severe inflammation or other pathology. | It is possible that a barium enema or CT scan of the bowel may be recommended to complete examination of the colon. | |
After the procedure there may be mild temporary abdominal discomfort and you may pass a small amount of blood. This is quite normal and will pass. However, if you have severe pain or pass a large amount of blood you should contact our centre, your local doctor or go to your nearest hospital emergency department. As with any medical procedure, death is a rare complication. If you have any concerns about the risks, please consult your doctor on the day of your procedure
For more clarifications and inquiries Please call Ph: (03) 9318 3399
*For preferred language click on the link on the bottom left corner of this page – SELECT LANGUAGE
PREPKIT-C INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLONOSCOPY (MORNING PATIENT ONLY)
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY TO GET THE BEST RESULTS FOR YOUR COLONOSCOPY. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN A CLEAN BOWEL TO MAXIMISE POLYP DETECTION WHICH MAY GROW INTO CANCER
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!
IF YOU ARE AN INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETIC, ON BLOOD THINNING MEDICATION EG: WARFARIN, PRADAXA, XARELTO, PLAVIX OR ISOCOVER, HAVE HEART PROBLEMS OR A PACEMAKER, PLEASE CALL 9318-3399 FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
2 DAYS BEFORE THE TEST
THE DAY BEFORE THE TEST
15:00
22:00
ON THE DAY OF THE TEST
YOU WILL BEGIN FASTING 4-6 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT, SO NOTHING ELSE PAST YOUR MOUTH, NOT EVEN A DRINK OF WATER, SMOKING OR CHEWING
For more information and clarifications please call WGS on PH: (03)9318 3399]
*For preferred language click on the link on the bottom left corner of this page – SELECT LANGUAGE
PREPKIT-C INSTRUSCTION FOR COLONOSCOPY (AFTERNOON PATIENT ONLY)
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTUCTIONS CAREFULLY TO GET THE BEST RESULT FOR YOUR COLONOSCOPY. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN A CLEAN BOWEL TO MAXIMISE POLYP DETECTION WHICH MAY GROW INTO CANCER
PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY
IF YOU ARE AN INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETIC, ON BLOOD THINNING MEDICATION EG: WARFARIN, PRADAXA, XARELTO, PLAVIX OR ISOCOVER, HAVE HEART PROBLEMS OR A PACEMAKER, PLEASE CALL 9318-3399 FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS
2 DAYS BEFORE THE TEST
THE DAY BEFORE THE TEST
19:00
THE DAY OF THE TEST
DO NOT HAVE BREAKFAST AS YOU ARE STILL ON CLEAR FLUIDS ONLY
You may take your usual medications (except diabetic medications)
07:00
Continue to drink lots of WATER after finishing the preparation and prior to your fasting time
For more information and clarifications please call WGS on PH: (03) 9318 3399
*For prefered language please click on the link on the bottom left corner of this page – SELECT LANGUAGE