Healthcare Directory

2014-2015 Medical & Dental Directory | 17 Bare Minimum New procedures help better diagnose and treat digestive tract disorders i ntErvEntiOnAl EndOS- COPy is a relatively new field of medicine, but it's quickly gaining popularity because procedures are minimally invasive and can oen prevent major surgery later. Like diagnostic endoscopy, inter- ventional endoscopy allows inspection of the gastrointestinal tract lining with an endoscope. e device is a flexible, tube-like catheter that houses a tiny light and camera at the tip. e endo- scope is passed into the gastrointestinal tract to show images of the stomach, colon and surrounding organs. Interventional endoscopy differs from traditional endoscopy by allow- ing the user to perform surgical-type procedures from the inside. A channel inside the endoscope catheter provides a "portal" to introduce miniature in- struments that can be used during ex- aminations and procedures. Patients previously had to go to aca- demic medical centers for such proce- dures, but no longer. Cape Fear Valley Medical Center recently began offer- ing two new interventional endoscopic procedures to better diagnose and treat certain digestive tract disorders and cancers. e first procedure is called Endo- scopic Ultrasound or EUS. It allows doctors to examine not only the diges- tive tract, but also surrounding tissues and organs. A specialized endoscope, housing a tiny ultrasound device is used. e endoscope's camera provides constant video on a monitor, while the ultrasound device can provide sub- dermal information just like prenatal ultrasounds. EUS can be used to: • Diagnose & stage different cancers • Evaluate the pancreas • Study muscles of the intestinal wall • Study abnormalities, suspicious nodules or tumors in organs, such as the gallbladder and liver. e procedure has become especially valuable in detecting and diagnosing pancreatic disorders and cancer. Most pancreatic cancers are diagnosed in advanced stages aer they have already spread. is leads to very low survival rates. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, ac- tor Patrick Swayze and NFL-great Gene Upshaw all died from the disease. Joseph Henderson, D.O., is a gastro- enterologist with Fayetteville Gastro- enterology Associates who specializes in interventional gastroenterology. He says the problem with diagnosing pan- creatic cancer lies in the organ's loca- tion. It's tucked away behind the intes- tines, making it difficult to explore. "EUS endoscopes have changed the playing field," Dr. Henderson said. "ey can be advanced all the way down to the small bowel if necessary while constantly feeding back live im- ages and data." If a problem area is found, doctors can use the same endoscope to take tis- sue samples or deliver medication right to the site without having to remove the original endoscope tubing. Dr. Henderson also performs Endo- scopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancrea- tograpy, or ERCP. It's similar to EUS in its use of modified endoscopes. ERCP is used to examine or test the pancreas or bile ducts for disease or cancer. It can also be used before or aer surgery to help remove bile duct stones, tumors or blockages of the bile duct. Bile is a thick, viscous fluid secreted by the liver. It is stored in the gall blad- der between each meal. It is eventually By DoNNie Byers gastroenterology

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