I-70 Medical Center Offers New G.I. Clinic

I-70 Medical Center is proud to announce the opening of the new Gastrointestinal (GI) Clinic. The clinic, which opened May 24, 2007, incorporates both upper and lower endoscopies. Dr. Ivan Elias will be available to perform the procedures every other Thursday.

Endoscopy is a minimally invasive diagnostic medical procedure used to assess the interior surfaces of an organ by inserting a tube into the body. The instrument may have a rigid or flexible tube and not only provides an image for visual inspection and photography, but also enables taking biopsies and retrieval of foreign objects. Endoscopy is the vehicle for minimally invasive surgery. Many endoscopic procedures are considered to be relatively painless and at worst only associated with mild discomfort.

According to the American Digestive Health Foundation, at least 40 million Americans suffer from chronic digestive diseases that impact their lifestyle, and many more people are affected less severely by digestive illness. Women are more likely than men to suffer from certain gastrointestinal illnesses and are equally affected by colon cancer, the most deadly digestive disease.

It is important that patients openly discuss digestive health with their physician. The physician can help the patient identify risk factors which are:

A family history of benign colorectal polyps

You or a family member has had colorectal cancer

A family or personal history of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease

A history of endometrial, breast or ovarian cancer in you or a family member

Hispanics or African Americans, often diagnosed at later stages of colorectal cancer

 A person who is age 50 or older

Doctors have different names for endoscopy depending on which part of the digestive tract they are looking at.

• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD): Also called upper endoscopy, this test examines the lining of the esophagus (the tube between the mouth and stomach), the stomach, and the duodenum (the upper part of the small intestine).
• Colonoscopy: This test examines the lining of the colon, or large intestine, and sometimes the lower part of the ileum (the lowest part of the small intestine).
• Sigmoidoscopy: This test examines the lining of the lowest third of the colon, which includes the rectum. The name of the test derives from a bend called the sigmoid in this part of the colon.

Which of these tests your doctor chooses to do depends on the symptoms you have. Your symptoms suggest which part of your digestive tract is involved. For example, nausea and vomiting and dyspepsia suggest that the upper part of the tract is affected, and an EGD would probably be done. Rectal bleeding or pain with bowel movements, on the other hand, suggests that the lowest part of the tract is affected, and a sigmoidoscopy would probably be the first choice of test. Because colonoscopy allows examination of the lowest part of the small intestine, as well as the colon, this is the usual test of choice when Crohn’s disease is suspected.

Endoscopy allows the doctor to not only see the inside of the digestive tract, but also to take small samples (biopsies) of tissue for further examination under a microscope. This can help confirm the diagnosis and show the extent of the disease.

All of this information and more can be found on our Medical Center Website at www.i70medcenter.com and New! this Month listen to our I-70 Medical Moment on KMZU Radio, 100.7 on the FM dial where James Noble will be discussing health topics that affect you and your family and where you can go for the help that you need.