LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA (February 27, 2008) – High-definition television (HDTV) is making its way from the living room to the outpatient procedure room. Now, Saints Streets Endoscopy Center, a partner with Lafayette General Medical Center, is the first in Acadiana to be fully equipped with this technology as part of a new endoscopy platform that helps doctors diagnose diseases in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. The increased field of vision and depth of perception enables the physician to see small, flat lesions in the colon that are unable to be seen with regular definition technology. This is a big advantage in screening patients for colorectal cancer – which is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women in the United States.
The new system, called EVIS EXERA II, from Olympus, combines high-definition endoscopy with Narrow Band Imaging. "Our Center upgraded to this technology because, compared to our previous system, it provides us with sharper images and better contrast, so our view of the GI tract is better than ever,” says Dr. Stephen Abshire, gastroenterologist, one of the practicing physicians at Saints Streets Endoscopy Center. "In addition, the new scopes provide a wide angle view of 170 degrees – an improvement over the traditional 140-degree field of view. These advantages allow us to make more accurate diagnoses, and shorten the procedure time for patients.”
The HDTV signal from the endoscopy platform's video processor is designed to produce an impressive 1080 lines of resolution, more than twice the number of scan lines used by conventional systems, offering doctors breathtaking images with a high level of detail and color. Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) is a new image processing technique that takes advantage of the scattering and absorption properties of human tissue, thereby improving visual contrast on mucosal surfaces during endoscopic observation of the GI tract. The result is remarkably clear views of the anatomical structures and fine capillary patterns of mucous membranes, which are normally difficult to distinguish.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) projects that colorectal cancer (CRC) will kill 55,170 Americans this year, and an additional 150,000 new cases are diagnosed yearly. The ACS also points out that the 5-year survival rate for CRC that is detected and treated in an early stage is greater than 90%. The recommended age to begin screening for colorectal cancer is age 50 for those in the standard risk group. People with CRC risk factors, such as a personal of colorectal or certain other types of cancers, a personal history of adenomatous polyps, or a strong family history of CRC or polyps should begin CRC screening at an earlier age and may need more frequent screening.
ABOUT SAINTS STREETS ENDOSCOPY CENTER
Saints Streets Endoscopy Center has been providing endoscopy care in Acadiana for over 30 years. In 2006, Lafayette General Medical Center became a corporate partner, joining the physician partners Stephen Abshire, MD, James Arterburn, MD and Jacque Noel, III, MD. Upcoming plans include the building of a new endoscopy center on the LGMC campus.
