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The Center for Digestive Diseases is renowned for its expert diagnosis and treatment of difficult cases. Our medical specialists offer a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients suffering from a variety of gastrointestinal diseases.
- 24-Hour pH Study measure how often stomach acid flows into the lower esophagus and the degree of acidity during a 12-24 hour period. The equipment consists of a small, thin probe at the end of tubing. This probe measures acidity. The tubing is gently inserted through the nose, down to the end of the esophagus. It is attached to a portable recorder that is carried at the waist. Over 12 to 24 hours, the acidity in the lower esophagus is recorded on a paper tape. When the patient experiences reflux or other symptoms, he/she presses a button on the recorder. This marks the time so as to see how it relates to the acidity levels measured by the probe. The recording is then analyzed, and a full report is sent back to the physician.
- Colonoscopy this is camera-assisted study of the internal structures and tissues of the entire large intestine, which is also known as the colon, the rectum, and the anus. Samples of tissue (known as biopsies) can be taken at the time of the procedure. The colonoscope is a long, flexible tube that has a lighted camera at the tip end and an eyepiece and directional dial at the head of the scope, which the doctor uses to maneuver the tip around the curving pathways of the bowel. Instruments used in colonoscopy run through the length of the scope and enter through a port near the directional dial. Preparation for the test includes a bowel cleansing routine to clear any stool from the colon, and nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the day of the test. It is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with mild sedation and pain medicine. You will need someone who can drive you home afterwards, as you will be drowsy.
- EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) is a camera-assisted study of the internal structures and tissues of the esophagus, lower esophageal sphincter, stomach, pyloric valve, and duodenum. The EGD uses a moderately long flexible that has a lighted camera at the tip end and an eyepiece and directional dial at the head of the scope, which the doctor uses to maneuver the tip around the curving pathways of the throat, stomach, and upper small bowel. Instruments used in the EGD run through the length of the scope and enter through a port near the directional dial. Preparation for the test requires that the patient does not eat or drink after midnight on the day of the test. It is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with mild sedation and pain medicine. You will need someone who can drive you home afterwards, as you will be drowsy.
- Endoscopy the term used for a test that uses a flexible internal camera to see inside body structures. Endoscopes range in diameter from 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch, and range from 1 foot to 5 feet long. The doctor can see areas of ulceration, irritation, inflammation and abnormal tissue growth. Tissue samples can be taken of any suspicious groups of cells, such as a polyp. The lining and the inner layers of the digestive tract do not have pain-sensing nerves, with the exception of the lower part of the anus, and so the tissue sampling itself is painless. Endoscopes can also be used for treatment of conditions by passing different instruments through the tip of the scope to open blocked ducts, close off bleeding blood vessels, or to remove small growths.
- Endoscopic Ultrasound Upper an ultrasound study uses sound waves to produce pictures of internal structures. An endoscopic ultrasound of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract uses a probe at the tip of the endoscope, passed through the mouth and down the esophagus, to examine the lining of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Preparation for the test requires that the patient does not eat or drink after midnight on the day of the test. It is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with mild sedation and pain medicine. You will need someone who can drive you home afterwards, as you will be drowsy. This procedure is performed by our group at our University of Chicago location.
- Endoscopic Ultrasound Lower an ultrasound study uses sound waves to produce pictures of internal structures. An endoscopic ultrasound of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract uses a probe at the tip of the endoscope, passed through the anus and up into the colon, to examine the lining of the lower gastrointestinal tract. Preparation for the test includes a bowel cleansing routine to clear any stool from the colon, and nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the day of the test. It is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with mild sedation and pain medicine. You will need someone who can drive you home afterwards, as you will be drowsy. This procedure is performed by our group at our University of Chicago location.
- ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) is used as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure to manage gall bladder duct (biliary) obstruction because of gallstones and strictures (excessive narrowing). ERCP is also used in the diagnosis of pancreatic disease. It involves a small internal camera that is able to fit into very narrow spaces can also deliver delicate instruments into those spaces at the same time. It is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with mild sedation and pain medicine. You will need someone who can drive you home afterwards, as you will be drowsy.
- Esophageal Motility/Manometry a study of the how the esophagus moves fluids and foods from the throat to the stomach. A tube with pressure gauges along its surface is inserted into the esophagus. The force of the contractions of the esophagus is measured to determine whether they are strong enough to move food from the throat to the stomach effectively. A similar device is sometimes used in the bowel to determine if the contractions of the bowel are forceful enough to move stool effectively through the colon to the rectum. This procedure is performed by our group at our University of Chicago location.
- Esophageal pH Test this is a test to measure acidity in the esophagus. This procedure is performed by our group at our University of Chicago location.
- H.Pylori Breath Test a test to measure the presence of an acid-loving bacteria, called heliobacter pylori, known to have a strong association with the formation of stomach ulcers.
- Liver Biopsy sometimes it is necessary to take a sample of liver tissue to diagnose certain types of liver disease with accuracy. This can be accomplished using special, hollow tubes and a needle to capture a pinch of tissue, which is then used by a doctor called a pathologist to prepare a series of microscope slides from the tissue sample to determine the histology or cellular structures of the liver tissue. This procedure is performed in the Radiology department.
- PEG Placement (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) This procedure places a feeding tube into the stomach using the endoscopic approach, a small amount of local anesthetic and sedation. It is appropriate for patients who have difficulty with the mechanics of eating, neurologic disease that causes the loss of appetite, or those with disease that prevent normal eating, swallowing, or digestion.
- Remicade Infusion Remicade is a powerful drug used to treat autoimmune disorders like Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Sigmoidoscopy this is camera-assisted study of the internal structures and tissues of the lower large intestine, the rectum, and the anus. Samples of tissue (known as biopsies) can be taken at the time of the procedure. The sigmoidoscope is a long, flexible tube that has a lighted camera at the tip end and an eyepiece and directional dial at the head of the scope, which the doctor uses to maneuver the tip around the curving pathways of the bowel. Instruments used in sigmoidoscopy run through the length of the scope and enter through a port near the directional dial. Preparation for the test includes a bowel cleansing routine to clear any stool from the colon, and nothing to eat or drink after midnight on the day of the test. It is usually performed as an outpatient procedure with mild sedation and pain medicine. You will need someone who can drive you home afterwards, as you will be drowsy.
- Small Bowel Capsule this is an endoscopic procedure using a camera inside a swallowed capsule. As the camera capsule passes through the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, images are transmitted for review. This procedure is performed by our group at our University of Chicago location.
Please contact the Center for Digestive Diseases for more information or to schedule an appointment.
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