Gastroenterology & Hepatology

The American Cancer Society recommends beginning colon cancer screening at the age of 45 for those with no family history. This can be accomplished with a colonoscopy which is the best way to evaluate for colon growths such as polyps or malignancy. This involves advancing a colonoscope through the colon and allows for the removal of polyps at the same time as the procedure.

Also referred to as esophagogastroduodenoscopy, or EGD, an upper endoscopy is a procedure that is utilized to evaluate the upper digestive tract including the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine. This is accomplished using a thin, flexible tube with a camera inserted through the mouth and advanced to the small intestine to look for bleeding, ulcers, and inflammation.

A capsule containing a camera is swallowed by the patient and takes thousands of pictures throughout the digestive tract that are not easily reachable by other procedures. The capsule then passes normally in the stool. This allows for further evaluation of gastrointestinal blood loss within the small intestine and can prompt additional work up if needed through imaging or endoscopy. 

A specialized endoscopy technique using an ultrasound attached to an endoscope to take detailed pictures of the gastrointestinal tract including the liver, pancreas, spleen, bile, ducts, gallbladder, and the associated vasculature. Further evaluation can then be completed with fine needle aspiration of a gastrointestinal malignancy if indicated.

This can be accomplished with either push entersocopy ( a longer upper endoscope) or with single balloon enteroscopy (a longer upper endoscope with a balloon that inflates to allow for further advancement through the small intestine) to evaluate for small intestinal blood loss that is not reachable by conventional endoscopic techniques.