How often should gastritis patients undergo endoscopic follow-up?
Chronic superficial gastritis typically has a short course. After proper treatment, if clinical symptoms and signs resolve, endoscopic follow-up may not be necessary. However, upon recurrence, endoscopy is required to confirm whether it is a relapse of chronic superficial gastritis or progression to atrophic gastritis or peptic ulcer disease.
Once chronic atrophic gastritis is pathologically confirmed via endoscopy, annual follow-up endoscopy is required. If accompanied by dysplasia, especially moderate to severe dysplasia, endoscopy should be repeated every six months. It is particularly important to note that biopsies must be taken from the same lesion site to determine the extent of the pathology.
What requires special attention after an endoscopy?
Post-Endoscopy Care
Expectorate saliva after the procedure. Although air introduced during the exam is suctioned out upon removal, some individuals may experience noticeable abdominal bloating and increased belching—both normal phenomena.
Due to pharyngeal anesthesia, a foreign body sensation may persist in the throat post-procedure. Avoid vigorous coughing.
As the anesthetic effect persists, eating too soon may cause food to enter the trachea. Therefore, wait one hour after the procedure before consuming liquids. If a biopsy was performed (the doctor will inform you), consume lukewarm semi-liquid or soft, well-cooked foods for one day starting two hours after the procedure. This prevents rough foods from irritating the gastric mucosal wound and causing bleeding.
For 1 to 4 days after the examination, you may experience throat discomfort or pain, but this usually does not interfere with eating and you may resume normal work.