Markham Stouffville Hospital’s endoscopy program provides close to 8,000 endoscopy procedures per year to patients in our community. This includes services for the screening and prevention of cancer, investigation of symptoms, diagnosis of diseases of the intestinal tract, and treatment. Ask your family doctor for a referral.

Procedures performed in our endoscopy program include: colonoscopy, gastroscopy, endoscopic retrograde, cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and bronchoscopy.

We are committed to quality in endoscopy services and are a proud member of the Colonoscopy Quality Management Partnership. We participate in the Colonoscopy Global Rating Scale for ongoing quality improvement in endoscopy services.

Before and during your Endoscopy procedure

Your health care team will let you know how to prepare for your particular procedure.

On the day of your procedure, we will greet you in the day surgery admission area and assist you (if needed) to change into a hospital gown. One of our expert registered nurses will review your medical history, your paperwork, and other information with you. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions.

We will start an intravenous (IV) line and then will bring you to the endoscopy procedure room where we will assist you onto a stretcher and provide you with a warm blanket for comfort. We will monitor you with a blood pressure cuff and other devices throughout your procedure. Your physician and the nursing team will provide you with sedation to keep you comfortable during your procedure.

Procedures can take anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes depending on the type of procedure you are having. You will return to the day surgery area to recover from the sedation before being discharged home.

Paediatric endoscopy

We are proud to have partnered with Boomerang Health and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) to provide paediatric diagnostic endoscopy for children between the ages of six and 18. Physician services are provided by a gastroenterologist from SickKids. This partnership includes our child life specialist. For more information and referrals, please contact Boomerang Health.

Virtual tour

Familiarize yourself with the hospital in a virtual tour, helping you better understand the directions to the paediatric endoscopy area. You can also get a glimpse of the lobby, waiting area, and changing instructions.

Going home after Endoscopy

For legal reasons and your own personal safety, you must be accompanied by a responsible adult after receiving anaesthesia or sedation. If the person driving you home is not waiting at the hospital, give the nurse a phone number where they can be reached. Your ride should be available to pick you up as early as 1.5 hours after the end of your surgery.

If you take a taxi or bus home, ensure there is a family member/friend to accompany you.

Meet our Gastroenterology Team