Gastrointestinal endoscopy using a flexible endoscope allows a doctor to access the gastrointestinal tract through the natural orifices of the mouth or anus. A channel within the endoscope provides a conduit to introduce miniature instruments such as biopsy forceps or a polypectomy snare into the gastrointestinal tract. The gastrointestinal tract also includes the bile and pancreatic ducts, a network of tubes draining the pancreas and liver. Procedures can be performed in these ducts by passing endoscopic tools out of the endoscope through a structure in the duodenum (a part of the small bowel) called the ampulla. Standard gastrointestinal endoscopy involves a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and is performed in many community hospitals.
Complex interventional endoscopic procedures differ from the routine endoscopic procedures performed in the community by their complexity and the specialized expertise needed to achieve the best outcomes. Utilizing the most cutting-edge technology not available in most facilities, the Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center in San Francisco is able to diagnose and treat an ever-growing list of conditions including:
- Barrett's esophagus
- Early stage cancer
- Obstructive cancer
- Benign stricture
- Bile and pancreatic cancer
- Bile and pancreatic stones
- Variceal bleeding
- Non-variceal bleeding
- Fistulas and leaks
- Zenker's diverticulum
- Obesity and diabetes
- GERD
- Achalasia
- Large polyps
- Submucosal tumors
- Pseudocysts, walled off necroses (WON)
- Acute cholecystitis and gallstones
- Gastric outlet obstruction
Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center
The distinguished Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center is the premier referral center in Northern California and the greater region for patients requiring complex endoscopic therapy.
Led by Dr. Kenneth Binmoeller, who founded the Interventional Endoscopy Services (IES) program at California Pacific Medical Center in 2001, the Center provides the most advanced minimally invasive approach that endoscopy affords, providing an enormous benefit to patients as well as substantial healthcare cost savings.
