Endoscopy at Doctors Hospital

Endoscopy is a procedure that allows the physician to examine the body’s passageways, including the esophagus, stomach, duodenum (first portion of the small intestine), and the entire large intestine. Different types of endoscopies are performed to detect:

  • Inflamed tissue
  • Abnormal growths or ulcers
  • Early signs of cancer

It is also used to evaluate symptoms, such as heartburn, rectal bleeding, difficulty swallowing, and a chronic cough (to name a few). A lighted flexible fiberoptic or video endoscope is used for the procedures and can be viewed by the physician on a monitor screen. Moderate sedation is used for most of the procedures.
 

The following endoscopic procedures are done in the Endoscopy Unit:

  • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy – rectum to lower colon
  • Colonoscopy – entire colon from rectum to the lower end of the small intestine
  • EGD – Esophagogastroduodenoscopy – esophagus, stomach, and duodenum of the small intestine
  • ERCP – Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography – gallbladder, pancreas, bile ducts
  • PEG – Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy – feeding tube insertion
  • TEE – Transesophageal Echocardiogram – cardiac endoscopy
  • Bronchoscopy – pulmonary endoscopy to view the trachea and bronchial tree of lung

The following non-endoscopic procedures are also performed in the Endoscopy Unit:

  • Liver Biopsy - removal of a small piece of tissue for laboratory examination
  • Paracentesis - remove fluid that has accumulated in the abdominal cavity (peritoneal fluid).
  • Thoracentesis - remove fluid from the space between the lining of the outside of the lungs (pleura) and the wall of the chest.

The Endoscopy Unit is located on the first floor, above the Registration area.

Contact Us
706-494-4031 or 706-494-4391

Learn more about Endoscopy Services at The Medical Center
 
As the region's leading provider of healthcare, Columbus Regional Healthcare System has touched the lives of most of the children and adults in this region through its comprehensive network of services. Located in the West Georgia city of Columbus, Columbus Regional was established in 1986 as a not-for-profit health services organization, but its roots can be traced back to 1836 when the local hospital was a small wooden building on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.