Spring 2024 5 If you are facing a digestive health problem, your doctor may need to look inside your gastrointestinal (GI) tract to find out why and help you begin your healing journey. And if your doctor needs a better view than a traditional endoscopy can provide, Texas Health Huguley Hospital has just the procedure: endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). EUS combines endoscopy (a lighted scope) with ultrasound (images made with sound waves) to examine the digestive tract. When it’s needed You might need an EUS if you have symptoms of a digestive health problem, such as stomach pain, or if your doctor found lumps or lesions on the walls of your GI tract during a previous endoscopy, X-ray or CT scan. EUS provides more details about these abnormalities than an endoscopy can. And during the exam, the doctor can simultaneously perform a biopsy to check for cancer. “Sometimes these lesions are outside the reach of a traditional endoscopy and could be missed,” notes Gastroenterologist Akeem Adebogun, MD. “Often, these lesions are not harmful, but they can be precancerous.” EUS is also used to look for problems with organs near the GI tract, like the gallbladder and pancreas. In people who have been diagnosed with cancers of the esophagus, stomach or pancreas, EUS can show how large their tumor is and if it has spread. This helps doctors plan the most effective treatments. Dr. Adebogun has the advanced training to perform EUS, which is available by referral from your doctor. EUS is typically an outpatient procedure. While you are sedated, Dr. Adebogun will pass the EUS scope into your esophagus. The procedure should take between 30 and 90 minutes. Afterward, you’ll Discover more digestive health services Visit TexasHealthHuguley.org/ DigestiveCare. Diagnosing digestive diseases with innovative technology EUS offers a better picture of the GI tract stay in a recovery room until the sedation wears off, and your test results will generally be ready for Dr. Adebogun to discuss with you at that time. If a biopsy was taken, he’ll discuss those results in a follow-up phone call or office visit. Your doctor also will receive your test results. Texas Health Huguley Hospital is the only facility in Johnson County offering EUS—one more way its experienced and compassionate team helps you get the diagnosis and treatment you need close to home. “When someone is ill or in pain, they typically will want to stay close to home. In the past, you would have driven downtown to have this procedure done and to see your doctor for follow-up care,” says Director of Outpatient Surgical Services Lynnette Roberts, MSN, RN, CGRN, CFER. “Now we offer EUS here, in our community, and you can see all your doctors right here.”
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