The factors that make an endoscopy unadvisable depend on the type of procedure. Generally, patients experiencing shock, heart attack, colitis, peritonitis, or abdominal perforation should not get an endoscopy. Nor should patients who are in a coma or uncooperative. The patient may need to stop taking anticoagulants and some other medications a few days before the procedure, especially if the surgeon also plans to obtain a biopsy.

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