Procedures

Procedures

The Advanced Endoscopy Center is a state-of-the-art outpatient ambulatory endoscopy facility. The most common procedures performed at the center are listed below. These procedures allow the examination of your digestive tract, including your esophagus, stomach, portions of the small intestine, and the colon, with a flexible video instrument called a “scope.” These scopes can also be used to take biopsies (tissue samples), remove polyps or growths, treat bleeding from ulcers or other causes, and dilate or stretch narrowed areas called strictures.

An Upper Endoscopy is also called an esophago-gastroduodenoscopy (EGD). This exam allows examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach and the duodenum, or beginning of the small intestine. This procedure uses a scope which is introduced through the mouth.
An Esophageal Dilatation is performed when a narrowing in the esophagus causes difficulty swallowing. The narrowing, or stricture, is dilated, or stretched, using rigid tubes or balloons of varying size.
A Colonoscopy is an examination of the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract, which is called the colon, bowel, or large intestine. The colonoscope is inserted into the anus and advanced to the cecum, the beginning of the colon, and possibly a short distance into the last portion of the small bowel. The procedure generally takes between 20 minutes to one hour. You can find out more about screening for colon cancer here.
A Flexible Sigmoidoscopy is similar to a colonoscopy, but only looks at the last portion of your colon. It is a limited examination of the anus, rectum, and sigmoid colon.