Minimally Invasive Surgery (Endoscopy)
Endoscopy is a minimally invasive method which can be used to evaluate many areas of the body. In some cases, an endoscopic procedure may reduce or eliminate the need for a more extensive open surgery. Our endoscopy equipment includes 3 flexible and 3 rigid scopes of various sizes, several cameras, monitor and an extensive array of endoscopic surgical equipment. We are able to use the fiber optic scopes attached to a camera to pass into certain areas of the body. The camera projects a magnified image on a monitor that allows us to visualize structures, identify abnormalities and in many cases obtain diagnostic samples. Examples include:
- Esophagoscopy - evaluation of the esophagus
- Gastroscopy - evaluation of the stomach
- Duodenoscopy - evaluation of the upper portion of the intestine
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy - evaluation of the esophagus, stomach, and upper portion of the intestine
- Colonoscopy - evaluation of the Colon
- Cystoscopy - evaluation of the bladder
- Rhinoscopy - evaluation of the nasal cavity
- Laparoscopy - evaluation of the abdominal cavity
- Arthroscopy - evaluation of a joint
- Otoscopy - evaluation of the ear canal
- Thoracoscopy - evaluation of the chest cavity
Your doctor will give you the benefits and drawbacks of any endoscopic procedures recommended. All of the above procedures require general anesthesia.
Anesthesia
Our doctors perform just about 1500 anesthetic procedures each year. This experience, along with an excellent technical staff and the state-of-the-art anesthetic monitoring equipment available at our hospital, minimize the risk associated with anesthetic and surgical procedures. While the risks of anesthesia cannot be eliminated, we do our best to keep you informed of the level of risk as well as to be proactive in detecting and treating problems that may add to this risk. We have a wide array of anesthetic medications available and tailor our anesthetic protocol to each patient's needs.
