Endoscopy

Our state-of-the-art Endoscopy Center at our hospital in Mt. Auburn offers private, comfortable endoscopy suites. Procedures are performed by our surgeons and board-certified physicians and partnering board-certified physicians. The technology allows experts to view and perform simple procedures inside the body’s passageways. Some of these procedures require sedation and a short recovery period.

Gastroenterology Procedures

The most common gastroenterology procedures performed at our center include:

• Colonoscopy—a procedure that uses a scope to examine the inside of the large intestine.
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)—a procedure that uses a scope to examine the lining of the stomach, esophagus and upper small intestine.
• Flexible Sigmoidoscopy – a procedure that uses a scope to examine the inside of only the rectum and sigmoid colon.
• Small Bowel Balloon Enteroscopy – a procedure that uses a scope with the aid of a balloon to visualize and treat the less assesible areas of your small intestine.
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)—a procedure that uses both a scope and X-ray to view and treat issues within the common bile and pancreatic ducts.
• Spyglass DM System – a procedure that enables direct visualization of the pancreatic and bile ducts during an ERCP. It is used to evaluate suspected benign and malignant conditions as well as the treatment of difficult stones and strictures.
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)—a procedure that uses an ultrasound scope to examine the layers of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas and lymph nodes.
• Endoscopic Muscosal Resection (EMR) - a procedure that uses a scope to remove early-stage cancer and precancerous growths from the lining of the digestive tract.
• Capsule Endoscopy—a procedure in which a patient swallows a small capsule that contains a tiny wireless camera that records and transfers images of the gastrointestinal tract as the capsule moves through it. 
• Esophageal Manometry—a test that uses a thin tube through the nose and into the throat to measure the function and strength of the esophagus as the patient swallows.
• 24-hour Esophageal pH Test—a test that uses a small probe inserted through the nose and placed near the lower esophagus to measure and record the pH of acid and impedance that flows from esophagus to the stomach for 24 hours. The device transmits readings to a receiver worn by the patient at home in a daily routine for 24 hours.
• 48-hour Bravo Esophageal pH Study – a procedure that temporarily attaches a small capsule to the wall of the esophagus in order to measure pH levels. The device transmits readings to a receiver worn by the patient at home in a daily routine for 48 hours.
• Halo (Barrx) – a procedure that uses radio frequency energy to heat Barrett’s esophagus cells allowing healthy new tissue to grow in place.

Interventional Pulmonology Procedures

We offer interventional pulmonary procedures, which use endoscopy to help diagnose and treat a variety of chest and lung issues. Procedures include:

• Bronchoscopy—a procedure that uses a scope to examine the inside of your lungs and airways.
• Thoracentesis—a procedure that removes fluid accumulation in the pleural space of the lungs.
• Chest Tube Placement—a procedure in which a thin plastic tube is inserted into the pleural space of the lung. The tube may be attached to a suction device to remove excess fluid or air.
• Navigational Bronchoscopy—a procedure that uses a scope to examine and treat lesions in areas of the lungs that are inaccessible using a regular bronchoscopy. This procedure combines electromagnetic navigation with real-time CT images to create a three-dimensional map of the lungs.
• Endoscopic Bronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)—a procedure that uses ultrasound technology in combination with bronchoscopy to visualize the walls of the airways and to take biopsy from tissue in the lungs or from the surrounding lymph nodes in the chest.
• IBV Valve System—a procedure that deploys small umbrella-like valves inside the lungs, via a catheter passed through a scope, for the treatment of acute and chronic conditions in the lungs.
• Zephyr Valve System—a procedure that deploys one way valves through a scope to areas of the lung that are affected by emphysema.
• Cryotherapy Bronchoscopy—a procedure that uses rapid freeze-thaw cycles through a scope to safely restore airway patency and improve symptoms of central airway obstruction.
• Bronchial Thermoplasty—a procedure that passes a thin, flexible tube via a scope to deliver controlled therapeutic radio frequency energy into the airway walls for the treatment of severe asthma.