What is an Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)?

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive procedure to assess diseases of the digestive (gastrointestinal) tract and other nearby organs and tissues

What are the various adjunct procedures that can be done with EUS?

EUS can be combined with FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology) or biopsy. If not for EUS and biopsy, the only alternative left in certain circumstances is the option of operative biopsy. Thus, technically it can avoid surgery in certain circumstances.

Who needs to undergo an EUS procedure?

  1. If you are having stones in your bile duct (either confirmed or suspected).
  2. If you are having cancer or cancer-like lesion in your gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, etc.
  3. If you are having a cystic lesion of the pancreas or liver.
  4. It also helps in an accurate sampling of various tissues where your doctor has either suspicion of cancer or for establishing the diagnosis of various other diseases like tuberculosis or sarcoidosis.
  5. It is also used for accurate staging of various cancers which are located within the gastrointestinal system.

How is the procedure of EUS done?

An EUS device placed down the throat can capture images of the esophagus, stomach and parts of the small intestine. An EUS device inserted through the anus captures images of the rectum, parts of the large intestine (colon) and surrounding tissue such as lymph nodes.

Myths and Facts about endoscopy

Myths

Facts

  1. It is painful.
  2. It is dangerous.
  3. We need to admit to the hospital to get it done.
  4. It takes a long time after the procedure for recovering.
  5. It needs to be repeated frequently.
  6. The same scope is used for all patients and hence it is not safe.
  7. It is not of any use.
  8. This procedure involves exposure to a lot of radiation.
  1. It has only mild discomfort.
  2. It is safe in experienced hands.
  3. It can be done on an outpatient basis without admission to certain patients.
  4. Many people resume their routine immediately after the procedure.
  5. Most people doesn’t it to be repeated again.
  6. As long as complete sterility and aseptic precautions are taken care of appropriately it is safe.
  7. It is used for diagnosing and treating many diseases.
  8. This procedure doesn’t involve any sort of radiation exposure.

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)