Is the patient with an arthritic neck at risk during endoscopy?

To determine whether upper gastrointestinal endoscopy poses a risk to patients with arthritis of the neck, 486 members of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia were surveyed by postal questionnaire. Replies were obtained from 323 members. More than 1.5 million endoscopies were covered and 11 respondents had experienced major complications related to neck arthritis. With one exception these were perforations of the upper gastrointestinal tract. There were no reports of serious neurological sequelae. Deaths resulted in two cases. We conclude that neck arthritis rarely causes complications from endoscopy.