Quality Measures for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Evidence indicates that medical centers that do more of a specific procedure tend to have better outcomes for the patient.
Endoscopy and colonoscopy both use thin, flexible instruments to allow a doctor to see inside the esophagus, the stomach and the intestines -- the gastrointestinal system.
The types and volumes of gastronintestinal endoscopic procedures performed at Cedars-Sinai are summarized in the chart below:
| Performance Measures for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Procedure Volumes/Year | Cedars-Sinai 2007 | Cedars-Sinai 2008 |
| Colonoscopy: is an internal examination of the colon (large intestine), using an instrument called a colonoscope. The colonoscope is a small camera attached to a flexible tube. Unlike sigmoidoscopy, which examines only the lower third of the colon, colonoscopy examines the entire length of the colon. | 6,309 | 6,280 |
| Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum with a small camera (flexible endoscope) which is inserted down the throat | 4,971 | 5,155 |
| Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an procedure used to identify stones, tumors, or narrowing in the bile ducts. The procedure is done through an endoscope | 804 | 751 | Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS): This procedure uses sound waves to create an image of the pancreas or gastrointestinal tract. | 667 | 639 | Double Balloon Study: This is a new technique to evaluate the small bowel in people who have gastrointestinal lesions. Lesions found on Wireless Capsule can be biopsied and treated with Double Balloon Study. | 200 | 315 |
| 1,029 | 1,174 | |
| Wireless Capsule Procedure: This is a procedure in which the patient swallows a capsule that is about the size of multi-vitamin pill that has a camera attached to it. As the capsule moves through the intestines, it takes pictures that are transmitted to a data recorder the patient wears on a belt. These pictures are used by the doctor to diagnose intestinal bleeding and other disorders. | 311 | 230 |
To learn more about how patients receiving gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures at Cedars-Sinai rated their experience, click here.
