Common Procedures
Capsule Endoscopy:
Capsule Endoscopy helps your physician determine the cause for recurrent or persistent symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding or anemia, in cases where other diagnostic procedures have failed to determine the reason for your symptoms. In certain chronic gastrointestinal diseases, this procedure can help to evaluate the extent to which your small intestine is involved or to monitor the effect of therapeutics.
This procedure is performed in our office location.
In preparation for this procedure the specific instructions are available in the
FORMS section of our web-site.
What is it?
A Capsule Endoscopy enables your doctor to examine the three portions (duodenum, jejunum, ileum) of your small intestine. Your doctor will use a vitamin-pill sized video capsule as an endoscope, which has its own camera and light source. Our Medical Professional, will review the process with you and set up the arrays. While the video capsule travels through your body, images are sent to a data recorder which you wear on a waist belt (for approximately 8 hours). Most patients consider the test comfortable and are able to complete normal daily living activities.
Usually within two weeks after completing the procedure your physician will notify you of the results.
Additional information is available at our office through our medical professionals.
ColonoscopyColonoscopy is the visual examination of the large intestine (colon) using a lighted, flexible fiber optic or video endoscope. The colon begins in the right-lower abdomen and looks like a big question mark as it moves up and around the abdomen, ending in the rectum. It is 5 to 6 feet long. The colons main function is to store unabsorbed food waste and absorb water and other body fluids before the waste is eliminated as stool.
There are many types of problems that can occur in the colon. The medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests and x-rays can provide information useful in making a diagnosis. Directly viewing the inside of the colon by colonoscopy is the most accurate exam.
Colonoscopy is used for:
- Colon Cancer – a serious but highly curable malignancy
- Polyps – fleshy tumors which usually are the forerunners of colon cancer.
- Colitis (Ulcerative or Crohn’s) – chronic, recurrent inflammation of the colon.
- Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis – pockets along the intestinal wall that develop over time and can become infected.
- Bleeding lesions – bleeding may occur from different points in the colon
- Abdominal symptoms, such as pain or discomfort, particularly if associated with weight loss or anemia
- Chronic diarrhea, constipation, or a change in bowel habits.
Preparation:
Based on the location of your procedure, please review the prep instructions for that location found in the
FORMS section of our website.
The Procedure:
Colonoscopy is usually performed on an outpatient basis.
The patient is sedated, the endoscope is inserted through the anus and moved gently around the bends of the colon. This procedure takes 15 to 30 minutes and is seldom remembered by the sedated patient.
A recovery area is available to monitor vital signs until the patient is fully awake.
The Results:
After the exam, the physician explains the findings to the patient and family. If a biopsy has been performed or a polyp removed, the results of these are not usually available for five to seven days. Please contact our office if you have not heard from us at 269-349-2266 and ask for the doctors’ nurse.
You must not drive a car, operate heavy machinery or make important decisions until the following day and therefore will need to have someone available to drive you home.
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy:
What is it?
A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a direct examination of your sigmoid colon (lower part of your colon) using a thin flexible instrument (endoscope).
This procedure aids your doctor in the diagnosis and treatment of some lower GI symptoms, such as rectal pain, bleeding, diarrhea and constipation.
Preparation information is available in the
FORMS section of our website.
This procedure is performed at our office location
EGD (Upper Endoscopy)This is a procedure that enables the physician to examine the lining of the upper part of your gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (first portion of the small intestine) using a thin flexible tube with its own lens and light source. This procedure does not interfere with your breathing.
This procedure is usually performed to evaluate symptoms of persistent upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, or difficulty swallowing. It is also the best test for locating the cause of bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract. This procedure can detect early cancer and can distinguish between benign and malignant (cancerous) conditions when biopsies (small tissue samples) of suspicious areas are obtained. Biopsies are taken for many reasons and do not necessarily mean that cancer is suspected. A cytology test (introduction of a small brush to collect cells) may also be performed.
You must not drive a car, operate heavy machinery or make important decisions until the following day and therefore will need to have someone available to drive you home.
Please see the
FORMS section for preparation information for this procedure.
The EGD or upper endoscopies are performed at all three locations, Kalamazoo Endo Center (KEC), Bronson Hospital, and Borgess Hospital.
ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangeio-Pancreatography)ERCP is a specialized technique used to study the ducts (drainage routes) of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas (the drainage channels from the liver are called bile ducts or biliary ducts). An endoscope (flexible thin tube) is passed through the mouth, esophagus and stomach into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). After the common opening to ducts from the liver and pancreas is visually identified, a catheter (narrow plastic tube) is passed through the endoscope into the ducts. Contrast material (“dye”) is then injected gently into the ducts (pancreatic or biliary) and X-rays are taken.
ERCP is a valuable tool that is used for diagnosing many diseases of the pancreas, bile ducts, liver and gallbladder. Structural abnormalities suspected by symptoms, physician examination, lab tests, or x-ray can be shown in detail and biopsies of abnormal tissue can be obtained if necessary. ERCP can make the important distinction between whether jaundice (yellow discoloration of the eyes and skin) is caused by diseases that are treated medically, such as hepatitis, or by structural diseases such as gallstones, tumors, or strictures (obstructing scar tissue) that are treated surgically or endoscopically. ERCP may also provide important diagnostic information. ERCP can be used to determine whether or not surgery is necessary and is helpful in providing the anatomic detail if surgery is necessary.
Diagnostic ERCP is the necessary first step for therapeutic ERCP. Several conditions of the biliary or pancreatic duct can be treated (cured or improved) by therapeutic ERCP techniques that can open the end of the bile duct, extract stones, and place stents (plastic or metal drainage tubes) across obstructed ducts to improve their drainage.
Press FORMS to review preparation requirements for your ERCP.
What can be expected during ERCP?
After your physician discusses why ERCP is being performed, potential complications from ERCP and alternative diagnostic or therapeutic tests that are available. A local anesthetic may be applied to your throat and an intravenous sedative will be given to make you more comfortable during the test. Some patients also receive antibiotics before the procedure. The test begins with you lying on your left side on a table. The endoscope is passed through the mouth, esophagus, and stomach into the duodenum. The instrument does not interfere with breathing. The injection of contrast into the ducts rarely causes discomfort.
At the conclusion of your procedure you will be taken to the recovery area until the effects of the intravenous medication wear off. You must not drive a car, operate heavy machinery or make important decisions until the following day and therefore will need to have someone available to drive you home.
ERCP is performed in a hospital setting such as Bronson Methodist Hospital and Borgess Hospital.
Liver Biopsy:The live is found in the right upper abdomen, behind the ribs. There are many different problems that can occur in the liver and some may cause permanent damage. The conditions include virus infections, reactions to drugs or alcohol, tumors, hereditary conditions, and problems with the body’s immune system.
When a physician evaluates a liver condition he will take a medical history and perform a physical exam. Blood studies, known as liver function tests (LFT), give an overview of the health of the liver. If LFT results are persistently abnormal, the physician will then perform additional medical studies to determine the cause of the problem.
The liver biopsy helps to answer questions that the physician has with regards to the patients condition. The biopsy is a small sample of liver tissue which is prepared and stained in a laboratory, so the pathologist can view it microscopically. This helps the physician make a specific diagnosis and determine the extent and seriousness of the liver condition.
The Procedure:
An ultrasound is used to identify the best location to make the biopsy. After the physician determines the location, the patient lies quietly on the back. That area of the skin where the biopsy will be done is carefully cleaned. A local anesthetic is used to numb the skin and tissue. A specicially designed needle is inserted through the sking into the liver and a small core of tissue is obtained. The procedure takes on 15 to 20 minutes.
Please see the Forms Sections for additional information. This procedure is performed only in a hospital setting such as Bronson Methodist Hospital and Borgess Hospital.
Recovery:
The patient is kept at rest for several hours following the exam. Medical personnel check the heart rate and blood pressure during this time. Before being discharged, the patient is given instructions about returning to normal activities and about eating. Activity is usually restricted for a day or so after the biopsy.