Interventional gastroenterologists at UC Davis Health are offering a broad repertoire of new endoscopic procedures for patients out of the academic medical center's new leading-edge endoscopy suite.
The University Tower Endoscopy Suite, opened in 2022 on the second floor of UC Davis Medical Center, is a dedicated endoscopy facility within the Division of Perioperative Services. It has eight procedure rooms. This includes rooms with HVAC air isolation, rooms with technology to provide complex interventional procedures, a recovery bay, and a state-of-the-art flexible scope processing room.
"This new suite is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that allows us to provide the cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedures that UC Davis Health is known for," said Antonio Mendoza-Ladd, medical director of endoscopy for gastroenterology. "It is the ideal setting for us to provide the expertise of interventional endoscopy to patients in Sacramento and the region so that they don't have to drive long distances to get these procedures."
Some of the endoscopic procedures Mendoza-Ladd and his team are providing advanced care for include:
- Endoscopic treatment for Achalasia, Gastroparesis and Zenkers diverticulum with peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM)
- Locating and removing precancerous polyps as well as early-stage tumors in the colon, esophagus, stomach and duodenum
- Non-surgical treatment for gallbladder problems and gallstones and obstructions from GI cancers and other conditions
- Characterization of pancreatic cysts using real time laser microscopy which obviates the need for biopsies
"We know that there is a definite need for these services in this area," Mendoza-Ladd added. "These procedures will provide our patients with a more effective approach to treat their condition and keep them from needing painful, costly and more invasive procedures."
This new suite is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that allows us to provide the cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedures that UC Davis Health is known for. It is the ideal setting for us to provide the expertise of interventional endoscopy to patients in Sacramento and the region so that they don't have to drive long distances to get these procedures."-Antonio Mendoza-Ladd
Added technologies for new procedures
The endoscopy suite features state-of-the-art technology to assist with endoscopy procedures. Some of the advanced technology includes:
- Advanced integrated fluoroscopy suites, which enables physicians to look at many body systems, including the skeletal, digestive, urinary, respiratory, and reproductive systems
- 3-D mobile C-arm system, which can quickly generate transverse, sagittal and coronal planes during surgery Tomographic and 3D stereoscopic images
- EndoFlip, a technology that simultaneously measures the area across the inside of a gastrointestinal organ and the pressure inside that organ
- Full thickness resection device, an endoscopic device approved for the resection of colorectal lesions
- Cellvizio System, which shows precisely where to target biopsies, examine cells from inside a nodule, discover previously undetected lesions or see the immediate impact of a drug on cells
"The advanced technology we have allows us to care for some of the most sick and complex patients in our community," explained Mendoza-Ladd. "Many of our patients require more advanced procedures than other health providers in the community can usually support."
Cleaning of scopes
The new suite is equipped with the Sacramento region's most advanced automated cleaning and storage system of flexible endoscopes. This scope processing room leverages technology to help reduce human error and eliminate cross-contamination, while making endoscopes safely available for every patient.
Within the endoscope processing room highly trained and certified technologists manually clean and inspect scopes for holes and damage. Next, the scopes are placed in an advanced automated cleaning washer to sterilize them. Lastly, the scopes are placed in automated drying storage cabinets which monitor the conditions to ensure they remain safe for patient use.
"Our scope processing system is at peak industry standards to ensure patients have highly disinfected and safe scopes for their procedures," said John Ortiz, nurse manager of the University Tower Endoscopy Suite. "It is just another way we are able to secure the safety of and improve the experience of our patients during their procedures."
