Endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows providers to look at a patient’s digestive tract. The main purpose of an endoscopy is to allow the provider to observe what is happening within the body in real-time. Phelps Health’s primary goal is to provide you and your doctor with the medical information necessary to treat or prevent any gastrointestinal problems.
Endoscopy is a common procedure used for many reasons, including the following:
- Cancer prevention. Sigmoidoscopy (a minimally invasive medical examination of the lower portion of the large intestine) and colonoscopy (a procedure used to examine the inside of the colon) allow doctors to find and remove polyps before they become colon cancer.
- Diagnostic evaluation of symptoms. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy allow doctors to directly view organs and take pictures of anything not normal that may be causing symptoms, such as abdominal pain or rectal bleeding. The doctor can remove a sample of tissue (biopsy) through the endoscope during the procedure.
- Biopsy of an abnormal finding on a chest X-ray. During a bronchoscopy (a test that allows providers to examine a person’s airways), the provider can take samples of secretions and bronchial and lung tissue to be examined in a laboratory.
- Removal of a foreign body. Endoscopy allows doctors to find and remove foreign bodies from the upper lung airways or gastrointestinal tract.
Why Choose Phelps Health?
Phelps Health employs certified gastroenterologists, nurse practitioners and nurses among the three gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy rooms, with one room in the Ambulatory Surgery Unit (ASU) and two rooms in the Endoscopy Department. The rooms are furnished with the latest procedure and monitoring equipment for maximum accuracy, quality and safety. Our procedures are performed using the services of a registered nurse or an anesthetist to provide intravenous sedation to ensure the procedure is as comfortable as possible.
Services We Offer
- Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy – An examination of the esophagus, stomach and first part of the small intestine
- Colonoscopy – An examination of the large intestine
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy – A minimally invasive medical examination of the lower part of the large intestine
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) - A procedure that combines upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy and X-rays to treat problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts
- Esophageal dilatation – A procedure that stretches a narrow portion of esophagus
- Small bowel enteroscopy – An examination of the entire length of the small intestine
- Bronchoscopy - A test that allows providers to examine a person’s airways
- Esophagoscopy with radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s esophagus – Use of heat energy to cause tissue death in unwanted tissue
- Capsule endoscopy – A procedure using a small wireless camera to take pictures of a patient’s digestive tract
- Bravo ph – A test that measures the pH level of a patient’s esophagus and find the root cause of reflux symptoms