Endoscopy is a diagnostic and therapeutic technique that provides direct view of the inside of certain organs, with an aim to verify the possible presence of alterations or lesions and if necessary, perform small interventions such as removal of pathological material, cauterization, and biopsy. Endoscopy is a technique that uses specific instruments (endoscopes), usually consisting of a small flexible tube composed of very thin optical fibers, which are inserted into the body through the natural cavities : mouth or anus, depending on the area that needs to be examined.
The tests most commonly performed with this technique are gastroscopy, used to examine the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, and сolonoscopy, used to examine the intestine.
Nowadays, endoscopy is a one step diagnostic approach that is indispensible for all gastrointestinal diseases. In fact, it allows both to identify and characterize benign pathologies and to prevent, monitor and treat malignant cells.
The Department of Endoscopy at Humanitas performs all types of endoscopic, diagnostic and therapeutic examinations, using an advanced capsule endoscopy for the gastrointestinal system. The environment of the Endoscopic area guarantees the Department’s 10,500 annual patients the best conditions of comfort before and after the examination: highly specialized personnel, conscious sedation and constant monitoring in order to guarantee absolute safety.
All procedures are routinely performed using a mild sedation, a drug that takes away the pain and allows a particularly careful examination to be carried out. Each patient is placed in a ward-like area that allows the best preparation for the endoscopic diagnostics, as well as excellent comfort for resting after the examination, with constant monitoring of vital signs, nursing and the possibility to stay in a private room in specific cases of diseases and special needs.
The dedicated staff – head physician Dr. Alessandro Repici, six doctors, six nurses and a head nurse – has a long experience in the field of digestive endoscopy and continuously follows dedicated training programs to remain updated on the latest methods and technologies in the sector.
The new endoscopic area at Humanitas uses:
- A room dedicated to radiological examinations
- 5 rooms equipped with the most advanced technological equipment available today
- A vast number of tools, ranging from traditional to super thin, with a diameter of a few millimeters, which allow, for example, to perform Transnasal Gastroscopy if the patient is not able to undergo a traditional examination.
- A room dedicated to eco-endoscopy
- Endoscopes of the latest generation
- Flat panel LCG that displays the diagnostic images
