Advanced Endoscopic Procedures

At AGH, we offer advanced endoscopic procedures in addition to standard endoscopic procedures. Our expert gastroenterologists are able to provide better digestive disorder diagnoses and treatment options with these advanced techniques.

These advanced procedures use an endoscope. An endoscope is a small, thin tube that has a camera and a light on the end. The video captured by the endoscope is streamed to a monitor, allowing your doctor to get a clear view of your digestive tract.

Below are descriptions of the advanced endoscopic procedures we offer:

Enteroscopy

Two and a half times the length of a normal endoscope, this endoscope used in an enteroscopy allows your doctor to analyze a greater portion of the upper small bowel.

This procedure is beneficial to patients who have gastrointestinal bleeding but have received normal endoscopy and colonoscopy results. This procedure is also helpful in determining if a patient has mucosal disease of the small bowel.

Esophageal Stenting

Esophageal stenting (enteral stenting) is a procedure in which small mesh tubes—stents—are placed in the esophagus, upper small bowel, or the colon to relieve obstructions in the digestive tract. These obstructions can be caused by cancer of the esophagus, colon, stomach, and pancreas.

For patients with incurable, advanced cancer stents help them to eat. Esophageal stenting can also help patients with colon cancer who opt for surgery because the stents may improve their ability to cleanse their colon pre-operation.

Endoscopic Therapies

To treat various types gastrointestinal bleeding, we offer patient-specific endoscopic therapies

• Variceal bleeding
  • Esophageal banding
  • Sclerotherapy
• Ulcer bleeding
  • Bicap cautery
  • Endo-clipping
  • Injection therapy
• Hemorrhoidal bleeding
  • Hemorrhoidal sclerotherapy

Rather than taking larger polyps out via surgery, we are able to take some large polyps out endoscopically.

Endoscopic Ultrasound

An endoscopic ultrasound uses an ultrasound processor attached to a special endoscope. Your doctor will be able to capture images of your digestive tract and use the ultrasound device to view the lining of your endoscope, walls of your tract, and surrounding structures. This procedure can detect abnormalities and information that other test are unable to.

Uses of the endoscopic ultrasound include detecting and identifying:

• Esophageal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Lung cancer
• Lumps seen documented in endoscopic exams
• Disorders of the pancreas
• Disorders of the bile ducts
• Fecal incontinence
• Clots in the vessel of the abdomen