Endoscopic ultrasound – an advanced technique for diagnosing gastrointestinal tumors

Hoang Long Clinic - Endoscopic ultrasound is considered a revolution in gastrointestinal endoscopy. Few medical facilities invest in this system because it requires the high expertise of doctors. This technique can help to diagnose the stage of the tumor accurately.

Patients often confuse endoscopic ultrasound with GI endoscopy. Hoang Long Clinic will go deeply into the differences between these two terms.

Photo: Prof. Dao Van Long performs endoscopic ultrasound at Hoang Long Clinic

What is "endoscopic ultrasound"?

Upper GI endoscopy uses a flexible tube with a camera on the tip to investigate the digestive tract, helping the doctor detect lesions and assess the extent of the damage on the surface (the mucosa). How will lesions below the surface of the digestive tract be seen and evaluated? From that question, the scientists integrated a high-frequency ultrasound transducer into the endoscope.

This technique is a combination of endoscopy and ultrasound. When the endoscope tip is pressed against the gastrointestinal mucosa according to the appropriate anatomical landmarks or directly onto the lesion, it will help determine the characteristics of the lesion. From there, the doctor will know which layer the lesion comes from, the depth of invasion and whether it has metastases to the surrounding area or lymph nodes...

According to Prof. Dr. Dao Van Long - Founder of Hoang Long Clinic, Former Head of Gastroenterology Department of Bach Mai Hospital: "endoscopic ultrasound is an important medical advancement in the field of gastroenterology, contributing to the diagnosis and treatment of gastric diseases. It is effective in early detection and stage assessment of gastrointestinal cancer".

When to apply endoscopic ultrasound?

With its differences from conventional endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound is indicated when the doctors need to evaluate abnormalities under the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract. Indications of endoscopic ultrasound of the stomach include:

• Screening and detecting early gastrointestinal cancer, evaluating tumor characteristics.
• Assess the extent of invasion, boundary, and metastasis of cancer.
• Detecting liver tumors or diseases in the liver and biliary tract.
• Detecting abnormalities in the bile duct, biliary-pancreatic diseases such as acute pancreatitis of unknown causes, chronic pancreatitis, gallbladder stones and polyps...
• Detecting and evaluating the degree of gastric ulcer.
• Examine the gastrointestinal tract and surrounding areas such as the pancreas and biliary tract.

Photo: Hoang Long Clinic is a reputable place to performing endoscopic ultrasound

Which cases are contraindications of endoscopic ultrasound?

Like upper GI endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound is contraindicated in the following cases:

• People with poor health.
• Esophageal conditions with risks of perforation during endoscopy.
• Patients with hypertension, heart diseases, heart failure, or myocardial infarction.
• Patients who do not cooperate during endoscopy such as having mental diseases.

Where is the best place for undertaking endoscopic ultrasound?

Endoscopic ultrasound is an advanced technique requiring a team of experienced doctors to examine the gastrointestinal tract and surrounding regions accurately. At the same time, this technique requires modern machinery and equipment to assist in the procedures.

Therefore, not all medical facilities have the equipment and a team of doctors to utilize endoscopic ultrasound in the examination.

In addition to central hospitals, few hospitals and clinics have the equipment and qualified medical staff to operate endoscopic ultrasound equipment. Hoang Long Clinic is one of the few such units.

To best examine and advise patients, patients should contact the clinic to schedule an appointment that suits their time.

Contact information: Hoang Long Clinic

- Address: 10th floor, VCCI tower, 9 Dao Duy Anh, Dong Da, Hanoi.

                  18th floor, CONINCO tower, 4 Ton That Tung, Dong Da, Hanoi.

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