Moon Township, PA, (November 29, 2011) – In a continued effort to bring state-of-the-art, high quality health care services into the community, Heritage Valley Health System now offers endoscopic and endobrochial ultrasound procedures at Heritage Valley’s Beaver campus. The procedures utilize equipment recently purchased by Heritage Valley to enable physicians to more conveniently diagnose and stage lung, pancreatic, esophageal and stomach cancer, as well as other diseases.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) technology provides high-resolution images and information about the digestive and bronchial tracts and the surrounding tissue and organs. EUS uses electronic radial scanning echoendoscopes to provide panoramic imaging for complete visualization of the digestive organs. It also gives doctors the ability to inject pain medication from inside the body of patients with pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis without damaging surrounding tissues.

“Endoscopic ultrasound or echo-endoscopy is a medical procedure in endoscopy which is combined with ultrasound to obtain images of the internal organs in the chest and abdomen,” said Dr. Michelle Victain, gastroenterologist with Valley Gastro Associates. “Among other uses, it allows for screening for pancreatic, esophageal, and gastric cancer as well as benign tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract. It also allows a non-surgical approach for characterization and biopsy of any focal lesions found in the upper gastrointestinal tract.”

EBUS, one of the most effective methods for diagnosing and staging lung cancer, offers a non-surgical alternative to traditional procedures that examine the chest. This is achieved with a bronchoscope that has aspiration needles specifically designed for diagnosing biopsies and staging lung cancer in real-time with ultrasound.

“This minimally invasive procedure will be an important tool in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer as well as other thoracic malignancies and benign processes,” said Dr. Philip Ovadia a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Heritage Valley Heart & Vascular Center who performed the first procedure at the Beaver campus of Heritage Valley earlier this month. “It is another fine example of the high quality and cutting edge care that we can offer our patients.”

Prior to Heritage Valley Health System’s purchase of endoscopic ultrasound equipment, this type of advanced care could only be found regionally at larger Pittsburgh-based hospitals.

“Having this service available at Heritage Valley affords patients the convenience of receiving advanced care in their own community setting,” added Kathy Harley, vice president and chief nursing officer of surgical services and cardiology at Heritage Valley. “Offering and expanding these specialty services in our community is a top priority at Heritage Valley.”