What is an endoscopic ultrasound?
At Advanced Medical GI, Soloman Shah, MD, performs endoscopic ultrasounds (EUS) to produce detailed images of your GI tract and the nearby organs.
The endoscope is a slim, flexible tube that holds an ultrasound probe. The probe sends out painless high-frequency sound waves. As the waves bounce off structures and return to the probe, the probe transmits the information to a computer that produces the images.
What structures are examined during an endoscopic ultrasound?
Dr. Shah performs two procedures:
Upper EUS
Dr. Shah does this procedure to examine your upper GI tract, which includes your esophagus, stomach, and the upper part of your small intestine (the duodenum). During an upper EUS, he can also get great images of your pancreas, gallbladder, and lungs.
Lower EUS
The lower EUS produces images of your rectum and colon (large intestine).
When might I need an endoscopic ultrasound?
Endoscopic ultrasounds diagnose the cause of symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain, and unexplained weight loss. Dr. Shah may also recommend an EUS to assess the extent of an existing disease or to verify the results of other diagnostic tests.
The conditions often diagnosed during an EUS include:
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Pancreatitis
- Pancreatic cysts
- Bile duct and pancreatic duct stones
- Lymphoma
- Neuroendocrine tumors
- Liver masses
- Cancer
Dr. Shah performs an EUS to diagnose cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, lungs, stomach, colon, and rectum. The details obtained with an EUS allow him to precisely grade cancerous tumors, identifying the tumor’s size and if the cancer has spread.
What happens during an endoscopic ultrasound?
You will need to fast before an upper EUS or cleanse your colon for a lower EUS. The team at Advanced Medical GI gives you the preparation information before your procedure.
Upper EUS
After you receive a sedative, Dr. Shah sprays a local anesthetic in your throat. Then he inserts the scope through your mouth and guides it down your esophagus, through your stomach, and into the small intestine. Depending on the images he needs, he stops the scope along the way to direct the sound waves toward a specific area.
Lower EUS
You may also receive a sedative for a lower EUS, but this procedure doesn’t require other anesthetic medications. Dr. Shah inserts the scope through your anus and advances it through the rectum and colon, stopping as needed to get specific images.
If you have questions about endoscopic ultrasound or you need to schedule a procedure, call Advanced Medical GI today.
