RF (radiofrequency) ablation for treating the esophagus

RF ablation treats Barrett’s esophagus, a condition in which a patient’s lining of the esophagus becomes thickened and irritated.

The innovative treatment prevents the development of cancer cells in the esophageal mucous membranes. The ablation procedure uses radio waves to burn and destroy the pre-cancerous membranes in the esophagus of people who have gastrointestinal reflux.

EUS: endoscopic ultrasound exam

The endoscopic ultrasound is used to diagnose and treat organs in the abdomen such as the:

• Digestive system organs
• Pancreas
• Gallbladder
• Esophagus
• Bile ducts
• Spleen
• Lymph nodes

Gastroenterologists perform an EUS to diagnose small developments and tumors in the gastrointestinal tract.

During the exam, the physician inserts a flexible tube (endoscope) with a small ultrasound device into the GI tract through the patient’s mouth. The device’s high-frequency sound waves create a precise image of the organs and transmit the images to a display screen so the physician can evaluate organ structure and function.

ERCP: endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

ERCP is designed to diagnose and treat ducts (pathways) in the bile system and pancreas in cases of obstruction, narrowing, or stones.

The physician performs the ERCP by inserting a flexible tube through the patient’s mouth, passing through the opening of the bile ducts and pancreas to the first part of the small intestine (duodenum).

During the procedure, which is performed under anesthesia, the physician can inject dye into the organs to show blockages, narrowed areas, or stones under X-ray.

24-hour esophageal acidity monitoring

The purpose of the acidity-monitoring test is to assess, over a 24-hour period, the esophagus’s exposure to stomach acid.

During the test, the clinician inserts a thin, flexible catheter that contains a monitor through the patient’s nostril into the esophagus. The monitor measures the fluctuations in acidity levels in the patient’s esophagus for an entire day, to check if it is overexposed to the acid, which can cause various symptoms.