Endoscopy and Colonoscopy

Endoscopy

Lifespan’s endoscopy units offer diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy as a safe and reliable method of examining the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Our multidisciplinary approach to patient care involves:

  • Gastroenterologists
  • Radiologists
  • Surgeons
  • Nurses
  • Pathologists
  • Other health care professionals

Endoscopy is used to:

  • Detect inflammation, ulcers or tumors of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, stomach, small bowel, colon, biliary/pancreatic system, or lower gastrointestinal tract
  • Diagnose or evaluate the severity of a digestive condition, or monitor the status of an existing digestive disorder
  • Perform a biopsy for laboratory analysis
  • Screen for cancer
  • Remove polyps
  • Evaluate and treat intestinal bleeding

Our physicians teach the next generation of specialists at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. We participate in ongoing research to develop new patient treatments. Proven and emerging methods enable us to treat:

  • Barrett’s esophagus
  • Esophageal bleeding
  • Strictures
  • Cancer
  • Swallowing disorders
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Ulcers
  • Gastrointestinal cancer
  • Pancreatitis
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Hepatobiliary disease

Endoscopy Technology

The department of endoscopy at Rhode Island Hospital employs the latest technology to diagnose and treat patients with stomach, bowel, colon, biliary/pancreatic and esophagus disorders, including Barrett’s esophagus with dysplasia, and esophageal cancer.

truFreeze

Rhode Island Hospital is the only hospital in the state, and all of southern New England, to offer truFreeze, the latest advance in spray cryotherapy technology.

Cryoablation using truFreeze involves spraying liquid nitrogen through a small catheter onto diseased tissue in the esophageal tract. This freezing and thawing process is repeated three to four times over the course of a single treatment.

A patient’s course of care typically includes three to five brief outpatient procedures that are scheduled four to six weeks apart.

Benefits of truFreeze

  • Outpatient procedure
  • Faster procedure times
  • Quicker recovery

If a referring physician, patient or family member has any questions, or would like to learn more, please call 401-444-5038.

Endoscopy and Colonoscopy