Treating Digestive Disorders
Physicians at Corona Regional Medical Center use advanced endoscopic equipment to help diagnose and treat digestive disorders. These disorders can be found in the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, colon, gallbladder, liver and pancreas. The staff includes board-certified or board-eligible gastroenterologists and surgeons with expertise in digestive disease, biliary tract disease (gall stones), pancreatic diseases and inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease).
Find a Doctor for Gastroenterology
To find a doctor who's right for you, call our free physician referral service at 800-882-4362 or search for a physician online.
Endoscopic Services for Gastrointestinal Conditions
We perform many procedures using an endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a light and viewing system. Physicians use these devices to look inside hollow organs and project images onto a monitor or computer screen. Endoscopic procedures can be used to treat many gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Most of these procedures are non-invasive, which means you can normally leave the hospital the same day as the procedure and don't have to stay overnight.
Colonoscopy
During a colonoscopy, your doctor will look inside your large intestine using a colonoscope. Things such as inflamed tissue, abnormal growths and ulcers can be seen during the procedure, and polyps can be removed. A colonoscopy may be part of routine colon cancer screening, which starts at age 45. Or, it can be used to look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits.
Upper Endoscopy (EGD)
A surgeon will perform an upper endoscopy to examine the lining of the upper part of your GI tract. This includes the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first portion of the small intestine). This procedure can help your doctor evaluate symptoms of persistent upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or difficulty swallowing. It is the best test for helping to find the cause of bleeding in the GI tract.
EndoFLIP (Endoluminal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe)
EndoFLIP is a minimally invasive probe used during endoscopy procedures to measure pressure and dimensions in the esophagus and pylorus. It is used to help identify motility disorders, which may hinder your GI organs from performing their digestive functions.
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is a procedure that combines endoscopy and ultrasound imaging to visualize the lining of the GI tract and adjacent organs such as the pancreas and liver. Indications include:
- Staging tumors of the GI tract, pancreas and bile ducts
- Abnormalities of the GI wall, biliary tree, pancreas or adjacent structures
- Tissue sampling of lesions within or adjacent to the wall of the GI tract (FNA or FNB) including masses, pseudocysts and chronic pancreatitis
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
ERCP combines the use of an endoscope with X-ray pictures to examine the tubes that drain the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. ERCP can help a doctor make a diagnosis, remove a gallstone, widen or support a bile duct with a stent, or take a sample of tissue or fluid for laboratory analysis.
BRAVO™ Capsule Placement
The Bravo™ reflux capsule is a device that attaches to the esophageal tissue to assess pH levels. It reveals how often stomach contents reflux into the lower esophagus and how much acid the reflux contains. It is used to evaluate heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Hemorrhoid Energy Therapy (HET)
HET is a quick, non-surgical hemorrhoid treatment option that uses low temperature energy to treat grade I-II hemorrhoids with minimal pain.
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR)
EMR is a procedure used to remove cancerous or other abnormal lesions just beneath the mucosal wall.