Procedural Services & Specialized Care

Gastroenterology Center offers specialized care including, but not limited to, the following. Please call us with any questions about the service you require.

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is a procedure that enables your physician to examine the lining of the colon (large bowel) for abnormalities by inserting a flexible tube that is about the thickness of your finger into the anus and advancing it slowly into the rectum and colon.

Upper GI Endoscopy

Upper endoscopy is a procedure that enables your physician to examine the lining of the upper part of your gastrointestinal tract, i.e., the esophagus (swallowing tube), stomach, and duodenum (first portion of the small intestine) using a thin flexible tube with its own lens and light source.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a specialized technique used to study the ducts (drainage routes) of the gallbladder, pancreas and liver (the drainage channels from the liver are called bile ducts or biliary ducts). An endoscope (flexible thin tube that allows the physician to see inside the bowel) is passed through the mouth, esophagus and stomach into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). After the common opening to ducts from the liver and pancreas is visually identified, a catheter (narrow plastic tube) is passed through the endoscope into the ducts. Contrast material (dye) is then injected gently into the ducts (pancreatic or biliary), and x-ray films are taken.

Esophageal Dilation

Esophageal dilation is a procedure that allows your physician to dilate or stretch a narrowed area of your esophagus [swallowing tube]. Your physician can use various techniques for this procedure, either as part of a sedated endoscopy or by applying a local anesthetic spray to the back of your throat, then passing a weighted dilator through your mouth into your esophagus.

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy

Flexible sigmoidoscopy lets your doctor examine the lining of the rectum and a portion of the colon (large intestine) by inserting a flexible tube about the thickness of your finger into the anus, slowly advancing it into the rectum and lower part of the colon.

Gastrostomy Tube Replacement

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is a procedure through which a flexible feeding tube is placed through the abdominal wall and into the stomach. It allows fluids, nutrition and/or medications to be put directly into the stomach, bypassing the mouth and esophagus. Your physician will use a lighted flexible tube called an endoscope to guide the creation of a small opening through the skin of the abdomen and directly into the stomach. This procedure allows the doctor to place and secure a feeding tube into the stomach. Patients generally receive a mild sedative and local anesthesia, and an antibiotic is given by vein prior to the procedure.

Liver Biopsy

A liver biopsy procedure allows the physician to examine a small piece of tissue from your liver for signs of damage or disease. A special needle is used to remove the tissue from the liver. Looking at liver tissue is the best way to determine whether the liver is healthy or what is causing the damage.

Paracentesis

Paracentesis is a procedure to remove fluid that has accumulated in the abdominal cavity, which may have been caused by infection, inflammation, abdominal injury or other conditions such as cirrhosis or cancer. The fluid is removed using a needle inserted through the abdominal wall and sent to a lab for analysis to determine the cause of the fluid build-up. Paracentesis also may be done to drain the fluid as a comfort measure in people with cancer or chronic cirrhosis.

PillCam Wireless Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy

PillCam allows the physician to more accurately detect and diagnose small bowel disorders in patients. The PillCam is a smooth plastic capsule about the size of a large vitamin pill that has tiny video cameras at each end. A patient lies on his or her back and swallows the pill with water. The pill then glides down the esophageal tract, taking about 2,600 color pictures (14 per second), which are transmitted to a recording device worn by the patient. The disposable capsule is passed naturally, usually within 24 to 72 hours. This office procedure requires no sedation, and recovery is immediate.