By Dr Sulaiman, senior colorectal and general surgeon. 10,000+ endoscopic procedures across 15 years. If reflux, pain, or swallowing trouble isn't settling, this is a conversation worth having.
Persistent reflux, ulcers, and H. pylori infections become serious if left unchecked. A gastric scope finds them in 15 to 30 minutes, and biopsies for H. pylori or other conditions can be taken in the same visit.
Dr Sulaiman performs every gastroscopy under sedation, with numbing throat spray for comfort. Most patients sleep through it and return to light activities the same day.
Medisave claimable as day-surgery. Major panels covered.
See full coverage breakdown →
Most gastroscopies end with a clean result or a biopsy taken on the spot. In the small number of cases where a finding needs surgical assessment, having a surgeon-endoscopist on the scope changes what happens next.
Dr Sulaiman is a colorectal and general surgeon who uses robotic-assisted technique as his primary platform for colorectal cancer surgery. The same training that runs a colectomy informs how an upper GI scope finding is read, which biopsy is taken, and who you should see next if the finding falls outside his surgical scope.
A gastroscopy Singapore patients pay for typically costs far less than the sticker price once Medisave and Integrated Shield apply. Here's what's covered, in plain English, with the friction handled before you arrive.
Up to $1,250 is Medisave-claimable under the MOH surgical schedule (code SF701I), subject to CPF balance.
AIA, Great Eastern, Prudential, NTUC Income, Singlife, HSBC Life. Pre-authorisation handled by the clinic team. Final out-of-pocket depends on your plan.
WhatsApp your insurer name + policy number. The clinic checks panel rates and pre-auth, then sends you the final figure in writing before anything happens.
Once Medisave and Integrated Shield are applied, most patients pay significantly less than the sticker price. Your final figure depends on your plan and CPF balance, confirmed in writing before the procedure.
Most of it is Medisave-claimable. Here is the estimate, so you can work out your own cost.
No food or drink for 6 hours prior. Water may be allowed up to 2 hours before.
Performed under sedation, with throat spray for comfort. Most patients sleep through the entire procedure.
Small tissue samples can be taken during the procedure for pathology testing, including H. pylori detection.
You rest briefly, then Dr Sulaiman reviews the findings with you. Most patients return to light activities the same day.
The scope passes through the throat into the oesophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine (duodenum).
Most people search online when antacids stop working, when food gets stuck on the way down, or when nausea has lasted longer than a virus would explain. A gastroscopy clarifies it in 15 to 30 minutes. Guessing is worse than the answer.
A gastroscopy, also called an OGD or an upper GI endoscopy, examines the oesophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine. Performed under sedation with throat spray for comfort, so you sleep through it. The procedure itself takes 15 to 30 minutes, and Dr Sulaiman shares the visual findings with you immediately afterwards.
If reflux has lasted more than 4 weeks despite over-the-counter medication, if swallowing has become uncomfortable, if you have unexplained weight loss, or your GP has flagged a possible ulcer, a stomach scope with Dr Sulaiman is the fastest route to a definitive answer.
Singapore has higher gastric cancer rates than most Western markets, with stomach cancer among the top 10 cancers diagnosed here. Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium most strongly linked to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer, infects roughly half the global adult population. A gastric scope with biopsy is the gold-standard test that confirms it and lets the doctor plan treatment.
The Health Promotion Board recommends investigation for persistent upper GI symptoms in adults over 40, especially with risk factors.
Source: Singapore Cancer Registry (NRDO); Ministry of Health Singapore + Health Promotion Board guidance on upper GI symptoms.This is the most common concern, and it's worth saying directly.
Dr Sulaiman has performed over 10,000 endoscopic procedures across upper and lower GI. Nothing about your body or your symptoms will surprise him. The clinic team is trained to maintain dignity and privacy at every step.
For the procedure itself, you are under sedation. You sleep through it. You don't remember it.
If you have been putting this off because of embarrassment, fear of not knowing where to start, this is a conversation worth having.
We'd rather you do the right thing for your situation than book a scope you don't need. If any of the below sound like you, send a WhatsApp and the clinic team will route you appropriately.
If a short course of a proton pump inhibitor has resolved your reflux and there's no red-flag symptom, a scope can wait. Talk to your GP first.
Vomiting blood, black tarry stool, severe chest pain, or sudden difficulty swallowing solids needs A&E now, not a scheduled outpatient scope. Go to the nearest hospital. Call us after.
The stomach has to be empty for the scope to be safe and the view to be useful. If you can't manage a 6 to 8 hour fast, pick a date you can.
If none of the above apply, send a WhatsApp and the clinic team will help you set up the right consultation with Dr Sulaiman.
Speak to Dr SulaimanIf your question is not here, the fastest way to get an answer is to send a message on WhatsApp. Dr Sulaiman's clinic team responds during clinic hours.
A diagnostic gastroscopy is Medisave-claimable, with Medisave covering up to SGD 1,250, so most patients pay from about SGD 1,000 out of pocket. A pre-procedure consult is SGD 80; a biopsy (e.g. an H. pylori test, SGD 350) is added only if needed. Prices exclude 9% GST; your exact figure is confirmed in writing.
The faster route to an answer: send a WhatsApp message with your insurance details and the clinic team will provide a written estimate before you commit.
They are all the same procedure. Gastroscopy is the medical name. Gastric scope, stomach scope, and tummy scope are everyday Singlish names patients commonly use. OGD (oesophagogastroduodenoscopy) is the formal acronym used by hospitals.
All four refer to a thin flexible camera passed through the mouth to examine the oesophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine.
Dr Sulaiman performs every gastroscopy under sedation. You are asleep for the procedure and have no memory of it. Numbing throat spray is also used for comfort. You will not be awake for the scope.
Dr Sulaiman has performed over 10,000 endoscopic procedures. The sedation protocol is well established, and patient comfort is standard of care.
OGD stands for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy. It is the formal medical term for what most patients call a gastric scope, stomach scope, tummy scope, or gastroscopy. If your GP refers you for an OGD, this is the procedure you will receive. The OGD test singapore hospitals run is identical to a gastroscopy.
No. Because the gastroscopy is performed under sedation, you should not drive, operate machinery, or make important decisions for 24 hours afterwards. Arrange for someone to accompany you home.
Dr Sulaiman reviews the visual findings with you immediately after the procedure. If biopsies were taken (e.g. for H. pylori or histology), the laboratory results typically take a few working days, and the clinic will contact you to discuss them.
Gastroscopy is one of the most commonly performed diagnostic procedures in Singapore. Serious complications are rare. Common minor effects include mild throat soreness for a day and slight bloating from air introduced during the procedure. Both resolve quickly.
Dr Sulaiman will walk you through the specific risks that apply to your situation during consent.
Choose the site closest to your home, work, or preferred hospital panel. Every location below is part of Dr Sulaiman's accredited gastroscopy clinic network. Dr Sulaiman also performs colonoscopy (lower GI scope) at these locations.
A 1-minute form. Submitting opens WhatsApp with your details pre-filled so the clinic team can prepare the right answer before replying.