Endoscopy

Physicians at Bristol Health use the latest, minimally invasive technology to diagnose problems affecting the digestive tract and lungs. Endoscopy uses an endoscope, a thin camera, to examine inside your organs without making a single incision. They can also use specialized tools to take small tissue samples for testing. This safe technique can help you find the answers you need for your health with fewer risks and downtime than surgery.
During all endoscopic procedures, you’ll be sedated and kept comfortable. You’ll be able to return home within an hour of the end of your procedure and return to normal activities the next day. At Bristol Health, we use endoscopy technology for many different diagnostic procedures, including:

Colonoscopy

During a colonoscopy, a physician guides an endoscope through the rectum up into the colon to look for polyps or other abnormalities. The physician can remove polyps or take tissue samples to test for other conditions. Colonoscopies to screen for colon cancer are recommended for all adults at age 50. Screening for colon cancer has saved lives by helping doctors find and remove polyps before they become cancerous and to diagnose cancer before it has spread.

At Bristol Health, we make it easier for you to receive a screening colonoscopy through our open access colonoscopy program. In this program, you don’t need a doctor’s referral to receive a colonoscopy. You also don’t have to meet with a provider before your colonoscopy and can receive all preparation information over the phone. This program helps you miss fewer days at work and saves you money on copays.

Because colonoscopies can save lives, we are dedicated to ensuring all members of our community can receive this important screening. We also offer an initiative for patients who are uninsured or underinsured. In this program, qualified patients can receive a free colonoscopy at the Center for Surgery and Endoscopy.

Gastroscopy

During a gastroscopy, or upper gastric endoscopy, your physician guides the endoscope through your mouth, down your esophagus (food tube) and into your stomach. This procedure is often used to check for signs of gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), Barrett’s esophagus or stomach ulcers.

Enteroscopy

Enteroscopy, also called push enteroscopy, allows physicians to insert an endoscope through your mouth to examine your small intestine. This type of endoscopy may also use balloons or other special tools to move the intestine around to better examine the intestinal walls and take tissue samples.

Endoscopic Ultrasound

At Bristol Health, we also offer advanced endoscopic ultrasound procedures. In addition to the endoscope camera inserted through the mouth, physicians can use a specially designed ultrasound probe, which makes pictures using sound waves, to examine organs like your pancreas or esophagus. This additional information can help them identify both cancerous and benign tumors in your digestive organs. We perform both upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasounds, providing a careful examination of your entire digestive tract.

Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)

An endobronchial ultrasound examines the inside of your lungs. During this procedure, the doctor inserts the endoscope and an ultrasound probe through your mouth, down your trachea (wind pipe) and into the bronchi (the airways in the lungs). EBUS allows your physician to examine your lungs as well as take tissue samples to check for lung cancer or lung infections.