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Endoscopic Ultrasound
February 21, 2009 |
When doctors want to see a clear picture of what’s going on in your body they can
use endoscopic ultrasound. This method combines endoscopy and ultrasound to get a better look at your digestive tract and the surrounding organs.
Dr. Bradley Trope is a gastroenterologist on the medical staff of Lee Memorial Health
System. He says, “And what this does is allows visualization of anatomy in a different
way than either of the technologies alone. You see the structure and then using
the ultrasound or sound waves it generates an additional images that’s a two dimensional
image and it tends to be a high resolution, high quality image.”
The procedure is performed with a long, flexible tube that’s inserted through the
mouth or rectum to visualize the digestive tract. “There are two types of scopes,
the first being a radial scope that is very good for defining anatomy and second
scope called a linear scope that’s used if a biopsy needs to be obtained,” adds
Dr. Trope.
Usually this in-depth look at your organs is needed when previous test show a glimpse
of bigger problems. This can to be vital in a patient’s diagnosis. Dr. Trope says,
“Potentially one could either spare a patient an unnecessary evaluation operatively
or one
would direct them to that rapidly.”
Doctors say there are low risks involved with the endoscopic ultrasound. Speak with
your physician to see if this procedure is right for you. |
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