UCLA has more interventional endoscopy specialists than any hospital in Los Angeles. Our interventional endoscopy team provides advanced diagnosis and treatment without surgery.
During this procedure, doctors insert a thin, flexible tube with a camera (endoscope) down your throat and into the digestive tract. This allows doctors to see the pancreas and surrounding organs without open surgery.
Recent advances have allowed specialists to manage many conditions endoscopically that once required surgery. In addition to being an imaging tool, doctors can also use endoscopy to take tissue samples and even relieve symptoms. Best of all, you can often get all of this done in a single visit, which speeds up your treatment and helps you avoid the potential complications of surgery.
Our interventional endoscopists are nationally recognized experts. They help train doctors from other facilities and even write national guidelines for endoscopic procedures.
Because reusing endoscopes carries infection risks, we have developed an extremely strict reprocessing program for cleaning and disinfecting these tools. Our reprocessing program for endoscopes is extremely strict. Our rigorous standards have led other centers to model their reprocessing programs after ours.
Because endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure, patients can get multiple tests and even symptom relief in a single visit to our clinic.
Endoscopic therapies can also help treat patients without surgery. Endoscopic treatment techniques include:
EUS uses sound waves to create detailed images of the pancreas. Specialists use EUS for:
ERCP is used for both diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic disease. Our team of interventional endoscopists uses ERCP for several purposes, including:
Pancreatoscopy involves placing a small camera through an endoscope to give specialists detailed images of the pancreatic duct.
Our specialists primarily use the Spyglass™ device when performing pancreatoscopy. This device provides high-resolution digital images. It’s also disposable, minimizing infection risks.
UCLA is one of the top two largest centers in the country using Spyglass™ for pancreatoscopy, even training other doctors how to use it.
Intracystic endoscopy is a non-surgical technique that allows doctors to diagnose and treat pancreatic cysts. The procedure involves using endoscopic procedures to insert a small needle directly into the cyst. It is used for:
In fiducial marker placement, interventional endoscopists place small markers on the edges of tumors. These markers help radiation oncologists target tumors during radiation therapy.
Patients with acute pancreatitis may need surgery to remove infected pancreatic tissue. In some cases, our interventional endoscopists can remove the necrotized (dead) tissue endoscopically.