Digestive Health Treatments and Procedures

 

Elmbrook Memorial’s Center for Digestive Health offers many treatment options available including pharmaceutical treatment and minimally invasive surgical procedures featuring endoscopic techniques and robot-assisted surgery.

The following is a sample of some of the many digestive health procedures performed routinely here by our team of expert surgeons:

Common Endoscopic Procedures:

• Colonoscopy: an endoscopic examination of the colon usually performed to screen for colon or rectal cancers
  • Patient information for a colonoscopy at Elmbrook Memorial 
• Removal of polyps

• Esophagogastroduodenscopy (EGD): examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera
  • Patient information for an EGD at Elmbrook Memorial  
• Flexibly signoidoscopy: examines the lower portion of the colon and rectum

Advanced Diagnostic Procedures:

• Esophageal dilation: placement of esophageal clips to evaluate acid reflux 
• TIF (Transoral Incision-less Fundoplication) - learn more about this incision-less treatment of GERD. Watch a video.
• Therapeutic ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography): a procedure used to identify stones, tumors, or narrowing of the bile ducts
• Esophagogascopy with ablation (for Barrett's Esophagus)
• Removal of gallstones 
• Esophageal or colon stent placement: used to prop open an obstruction in esophagus or colon to allow food or waste to pass more easily
• "Pillcam": colon endoscopy capsule. A video equipped capsule is swallowed and takes and stores thousands of images as it travels through the GI tract 
  • Patient information for the “Pillcam” at Elmbrook Memorial
• Esophageal manometry: a swallow test to measure the pressure and strength of the lower part of the esophagus
• Rectal Manometry: used to diagnose chronic constipation and incontinence

Get patient information for the following procedures: Colonoscopy  EGD  “Pillcam”

Early Diagnosis of Esophogeal Cancer

If you have chronic acid reflux or frequent heartburn, you are at risk for a condition called Barrett’s esophagus. Barrett’s esophagus is a change in the lining of the esophagus, the swallowing tube that carries foods and liquids from the mouth to the stomach. Left untreated, it can lead to cancer of the esophagus.

Elmbrook Memorial is pleased to offer a ground breaking outpatient treatment that identifies and destroys pre-cancerous tissue in the lining of the esophagus and prevents esophageal cancer, a very important diagnosis tool for individuals with chronic heartburn or GERD. Learn more about this procedure.


Colorectal Surgical Procedures 

• Inflammatory bowel disease surgeries
• Resection for colon tumors/cancer
• Segmental resection colon tumors/cancer
• Robot-Assisted colorectal surgery
  

Robotic-assisted surgery is the latest breakthrough in minimally invasive surgery for colon and rectal diseases. Elmbrook Memorial’s da Vinci® Surgical System is an ideal tool for surgeons to treat diseases and cancers found in the pelvis, including rectal and anal cancers and diverticulitis. Patients benefit from a much smaller surgical incision, which leads to less pain, a shorter recovery time, less scarring and fewer complications. Robotic-assisted surgery often allows the surgeon to keep more of the colon intact, reducing the need for a colostomy. The chances are also much higher that sexual function and bladder control will be preserved, greatly improving the patient's quality of life. Learn more about robotic assisted colo-rectal surgery.


For more information 

• Find a gastroenterologist who practices at Elmbrook Memorial.
• Find a physician who performs colo-rectal surgery at Elmbrook Memorial.
• To learn more about the Center for Digestive Health at Elmbrook Memorial, please call us at (262)785- 2301.