FAQs - Gutwise on Bedford

What are the opening hours of Gutwise?

The office is attended by our friendly, helpful staff who are available to contact Monday through Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm.

What about diabetic medications?

If you take the following for your diabetes, then please discuss appropriate management of these before and after your procedure with your referring doctor, or alternatively make an appointment to discuss this before the procedure with the endoscopist at Gutwise.

SGLT2 Inhibitors (e.g. dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, ertugliflozin)
Insulin Products

If you are on tablets for diabetes, then do not take them on the evening prior to, or on the morning of your procedure. You only risk running a slightly higher blood sugar this way, which is quite safe when only for a short period.

What about newer anticoagulants (eg dabigatran (Pradaxa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto) and apixaban (Eliquis)?

Again these can be dangerous to stop. If it is safe to stop, then you should miss two (2) days of these drugs before your procedure.
You should discuss this with your referring doctor or organize a consultation at Gutwise prior to your procedure to work this out in a safe manner.

What about Warfarin?

Warfarin can also be quite dangerous to stop, depending on why you are taking it. If it is safe to stop it, then you should miss four days of warfarin dosing before your procedure. You should discuss this with your referring doctor or organize a consultation at Gutwise prior to your procedure to work this out in a safe manner.

What about other antiplatelets (blood thinning drugs) like Plavix/Iscover/Brilinta etc?

These medications can be dangerous to stop, depending on why they were given in the first place.

You should discuss this with your referring doctor or organize a consultation at Gutwise prior to your procedure to work this out.

If it is safe to stop them, then they should be ceased for 7 days and replaced with Aspirin 100mg daily before your procedure. If you have your procedure while these drugs are still in your system, the risk of bleeding complications is much higher.

You should resume these medications straight after the procedure, unless told otherwise by the endoscopist.

What about aspirin?

Aspirin can usually be taken as normal but you don’t need to take it on the day of the procedure. If a decision is made to stop aspirin, you should stop it 7 days before the procedure.

I am having a procedure. What do I do about my medications?

Blood pressure tablets can be taken on the morning of the procedure with a small sip of water (<20ml). Asthma medications should be taken as usual (bring them along to the hospital too). Most other medications can be taken after the procedure is completed.

I am having a procedure. When/why do I need to fast beforehand?

You must fast for four (4) hours before your procedure. This ensures that your stomach is empty and thus any food or fluid previously in your stomach does not cause choking or aspiration when you are sedated. Fasting means no food or fluids/ water at all.

How much will procedures and consultations that are organised via Gutwise cost?

We endeavour to keep our fees as fair and reasonable as possible.

For those requiring a procedure (eg gastroscopy or colonoscopy) and who have private health insurance, we have agreements with almost all of the major health funds and you will not incur any out-of-pocket costs. Regarding the hospital bed/theatre costs, this will depend on what level of cover you have and whether you have an excess on your insurance policy with your health fund. A few of the anaesthetists we use may charge a small out-of-pocket fee – we can provide the contact details for the scheduled anaesthetist’s rooms to clarify this prior to your booking.

For patients without private health insurance, procedures can be arranged in the public system at Eastern Health at no cost, but much longer waiting periods should be expected. Another option is to pay for the procedure’s full out-of-pocket cost at a private hospital and these fees are available upon request.

For consultations at Gutwise there is generally an out-of-pocket cost for initial consultations of approximately $110 depending on time and complexity, then for further review consultations the cost is approximately $55 (NB correct at time of writing, subject to change). Fees are discounted for pensioners and concession card holders.