Diagnosing Digestive Disorders
Health Campus Endoscopy Lab
Heartburn. Indigestion. Abnormal bowel movements. Digestive disorders affect more than 60 million men and women in the United States (National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse). When untreated or undiagnosed, these concerns can interfere with quality of life or develop into something more serious, including cancer.
To gain relief from digestive concerns, individuals often seek the help of a gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist is a medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders involving the stomach, intestines, and associated organs.
Gastroenterologists use diagnostic tests to help them determine the primary cause for a patient’s discomfort. As they interpret the results, they can then plan an appropriate course of treatment.
Regional Gastroenterology Associates of Lancaster (RGAL) and Lancaster Gastroenterology, Inc. frequently refer patients to the Lancaster General Endoscopy Lab at the Lancaster General Health Campus for diagnostic exams and therapeutic procedures.
Both Dale Rosenberg, MD, RGAL, and Frederick Saunders, MD, Lancaster Gastroenterology, Inc., appreciate the technologies the lab provides and the professionalism of the staff.
“The nurses are well-trained and knowledgeable. They’re friendly and help make the patients feel comfortable,” Dr. Rosenberg says.
Dr. Rosenberg explains that he may recommend endoscopic tests when he has a patient who has trouble swallowing; complains of heartburn; or notices major changes in bowel habits.
Dr. Saunders says that patients do not always need to exhibit symptoms for doctors to recommend a colonoscopy. “For men and women who are over 50 years of age with no family history of colon cancer or previous polyps, I recommend a colonoscopy every 10 years. For those who have had polyps or a family history of the disease, I recommend a colonoscopy every 3-5 years,” he says.
Getting a colonoscopy or other endoscopic test really isn’t as bad as people sometimes imagine, say both doctors. After a colonoscopy, many patients actually remark, “I can’t believe how easy that was.”
Susan Musser, Team Leader, Endoscopy Lab, says that her team tries to put patients at ease. She also notes that Lancaster General is committed to offering state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment tools. Advanced technologies improve the patients’ experience as well as the doctors’ abilities to locate, diagnose and treat different problems.
Soon, the lab will be offering an exciting new diagnostic tool—capsule endoscopy. Capsule endoscopy offers a minimally invasive option for examination of the small intestines (also called small bowel). Patients swallow a capsule that travels through the body and transmits information from the intestines to a recording device worn outside the body. Patients do not need to remain at the lab during the test. Once the test is completed, patients return the recorder to the lab and the doctor can view the images taken from inside the patient’s body.
With capsule endoscopy, doctors will be able to examine a section of the small intestine that is otherwise difficult to see, says Dr. Rosenberg. However, he cautions that the technology will not replace the effectiveness or use of colonoscopy as a screening test—a common misconception.
Dr. Saunders is also encouraged by the diagnostic capabilities of the procedure. “Capsule endoscopy will enable doctors to find ruptured blood vessels, tiny ulcers, worms and early stages of Crohn’s Disease. It will help us understand what is causing the problem and show us where the problem exists,” he explains.
After a doctor determines what is wrong, patients may return to the Endoscopy Lab for therapies to manage and relieve digestive disorders. Two common procedures include esophageal dilation, which helps with swallowing problems, and tube placement, which provides nutritional maintenance for patients who cannot swallow or get enough calories orally. Doctors can also perform liver biopsies in the endoscopy suite.
To learn more about digestive disorders, visit “Health Information,” “Adult Health Library.” For information about Lancaster General Endoscopy Services, please call 544-3125.
Common diagnostic tests:
- Colonoscopy
The gastroenterologist examines the inside of the colon (large bowel) by inserting a flexible tube and slowly advancing it. Images of the colon are viewed on a monitor. This test helps determine the cause of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhea, bowel habit changes or other abnormalities. A colonoscopy can also help find polyps in their earliest stages.
- Esophageal manometry
This test determines how well the esophagus (swallowing tube/muscle) is working. It helps in the evaluation of problems with swallowing food, acid reflux (backwash of stomach acid into the swallowing tube) and chest pain near the esophagus.
- Esophageal pH monitoring
This test determines the level of acid reflux in the esophagus. The results contribute to the diagnosis of acid reflux and to see if preventive medications are working.
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy
The gastroenterolgoist uses a flexible endoscopic tube (sigmoidoscope) to inspect the lower colon and rectum. If an abnormality is found, a biopsy can be performed.
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Upper endoscopy or EGD
The gastroenterologist examines the esophagus (swallowing tube), stomach and portion of the small bowel using a thin, flexible tube that transmits images onto a monitor. Doctors use the results to help determine problems involving the esophagus, stomach or small bowel.
Coming to the Lancaster General Health Campus in February 2004:
The Colossal Colon
This oversized model of a human colon is 40 feet long and 4 feet tall. Visitors crawl through to learn about diseases of the colon. Keep watching our website for details.