Center for Advanced Endoscopy, Research & Education – Procedures and Services
Advanced endoscopy includes a variety of diagnostic and treatment procedures for digestive disorders performed through thin, flexible endoscope tubes. Historically, digestive diseases that couldn’t be managed through standard endoscopy were treated with surgery. This required prolonged hospital stays for patients and was associated with higher complication rates and costs. Advanced endoscopy offers a minimally invasive and highly effective alternative to surgery.
At the Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute Center for Advanced Endoscopy, Research & Education, advanced endoscopy is performed by highly skilled gastroenterologists who have undergone additional training (endoscopy fellowship) to perform these procedures, which include:
Chronic pancreatitis is a long-lasting disorder characterized by inflammation of the pancreas. Treatment can include diet and lifestyle modifications, medication and surgery — alone or in combination — depending on the severity of disease. For relief of severe pain, our skilled CARE team can perform an EUS-guided celiac plexus block, in which injections near the pancreas block the nerves that transmit pain sensation.
The Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute’s CARE team of specialists offers patients advanced care, with leading-edge procedures to heal the pancreas and provide relief from symptoms of pancreatitis, such as abdominal pain. Treatment options can include endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and feeding tubes.
EUS is a minimally invasive medical procedure that combines endoscopy with ultrasound to provide clear images of the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent internal organs. These detailed images serve as a better diagnostic tool than other imaging tests, such as CT scan, to allow your doctor to better evaluate digestive disorders and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
A minimally invasive procedure that combines endoscopy with X-ray capability, ERCP gives your doctor the ability to look inside specific organs that aid in digestion for any sign of disease or dysfunction. ERCP is used for diagnosis and evaluation of disease as well as to perform treatments including removal of blockages or stones and repair of fluid leakage in the bile ducts.
At CARE, we offer endoscopic approaches for the placement of feeding tubes in patients who are unable to consume food adequately by mouth. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), which places the feeding tube directly into the stomach, and percutaneous endoscopic transgastric jejunostomy (PEG-J), which goes into the small intestines, provide vital nutritional support while bypassing the need for oral ingestion.
DBE provides minimally invasive, advanced endoscopy capabilities that allow for visualization of the entire small bowel. CARE specialists perform DBE for the diagnosis or treatment of conditions affecting the small bowel, without the need for surgical intervention.
Minimally invasive procedures, endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) are performed to remove polyps or lesions found on the surface of the bowel. At CARE, both EMR and ESD often can be performed as outpatient procedures or with just one to two days of inpatient observation, offering safe, effective treatment options over traditional surgical methods.
Both minimally invasive procedures, POEM is performed to treat esophageal or gastric dysmotility, and STER is used to remove tumors from the deep layers of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the esophagus and stomach. POEM and STER offer patients effective treatment options with quicker recovery times than standard surgery.
