Endoscopic Ultrasound

An endoscopic ultrasound combines endoscopy and ultrasound to create images of your digestive tract and the surrounding organs. Your SSM Health physician will use a long, thin tube containing a camera in order to see inside your body. An endoscopic ultrasound is a minimally invasive procedure.

At SSM Health, our digestive health specialists provide a full range of outpatient gastrointestinal diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including endoscopic ultrasound. Schedule an appointment today if you have questions or concerns about your digestive health.

About the Procedure

Your physician may perform an endoscopic ultrasound in order to get a more detailed examination of your digestive tract, including your esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum, and for organs near the digestive tract, including the pancreas, liver, and gall bladder. It can help your doctor diagnose causes of abdominal pain or abnormal weight loss. Other uses include:

• Diagnosing cancer
• Evaluating pancreatic disease
• Evaluating bile ducts and gall bladder
• Characterize lesions or bumps on the walls of the intestines

SSM Health offers both inpatient and outpatient endoscopic procedures, in which our highly skilled physicians and staff look for cancers, polyps, ulcers, inflammations, gall stones, strictures or any other malformation.

What to Expect

Your SSM Health physician will likely give you medication to help you relax. During the procedure, your doctor will pass the endoscope through your mouth and through your digestive tract. An ultrasound device in the tube will create a precise image of surrounding tissue, including lymph nodes in your chest. The endoscope is then gradually withdrawn. The entire procedure usually lasts less than an hour.

Your digestive health is important – take charge of it today. Contact us to find a provider, schedule an appointment, or if you have any questions or concerns. At SSM Health, we will customize a treatment plan to ensure you get the care you deserve.