Gastroenterology and Digestive Health at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center

Colonoscopy is the examination of the entire colon (large intestine) to look for early signs of colon cancer (polyps). 

Usually performed as an outpatient procedure, colonoscopy involves inserting a flexible lighted tube into the rectum. It requires intravenous sedation and adequate preparation to clean the colon beforehand. 

The exam will only take about 20 minutes but can save your life.

Colonoscopy screening is recommended for everyone at age 50 and every 10 years following if test results are normal. People with a family history of colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or ulcerative colitis need to have the procedure at a younger age and more frequently.

Watch our video to learn more about how a colonoscopy is performed, and why this procedure is a life-saver when it comes to early detection of colon cancer.

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This high-tech procedure uses a pill-sized video camera to capture images of the small intestine which cannot be viewed with traditional upper endoscopy or colonoscopy. 

The camera takes multiple pictures of the small intestine as it passes through the bowel. 

The most common use of our “PillCam” technology is to search for causes of bleeding from the small intestine. It can also be used to test for Crohn’s disease and the diagnosis of small bowel tumors.

On the day prior to the procedure, a laxative solution is given to cleanse the small intestine. The PillCam is then swallowed and passes through the digestive tract, while transmitting video images to a recorder worn on the patient’s belt. 

The test takes about eight hours.

Upper GI endoscopy, sometimes called EGD, helps in diagnosing and treating esophagitis, heartburn, ulcers, and bleeding. 

The procedure allows for the visual examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract, using a lighted flexible endoscope. It’s  performed in an outpatient setting and intravenous sedation is given to relax the patient. 

An endoscope is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine. 

The exam takes around 5 to 10 minutes.

ERCP enables the physician to diagnose problems that involve the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas. 

In this procedure, a flexible lighted tube is passed through the mouth and into the stomach and upper intestine to visualize the opening to ducts from the liver and pancreas. 

Once the opening is identified, a narrow plastic tube is passed through the scope into the duct. A dye is injected and X-rays are taken. 

If the exam shows a gallstone or narrowing of the ducts, specialized equipment can be used to remove the stones or relieve the obstruction. 

The exam takes 30-60 minutes.

SpyGlass™ technology is a new alternative to traditional ERCP. 

With this cutting-edge technology, physicians use a fiberoptic probe that’s attached to a camera to examine portions of a patient’s digestive system in great detail. The probe performs biopsies from inside the bile ducts during the examination. 

This technology improves a gastrointestinal physician’s ability to accurately diagnose or rule out cancer or other potentially serious conditions without the need for additional scans, tests or invasive surgery.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is a new treatment that’s been shown to be over 90 percent effective for treating C. difficile infection in patients who previously failed to recover with antibiotic therapy. 

The purpose of fecal transplant is to replace good bacteria that has been killed or suppressed, usually by the use of antibiotics. This causes bad bacteria to over-populate the colon.