Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that allows a doctor to obtain images of internal organs in the upper and lower digestive tracts, e.g. esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, and rectum. This is accomplished by using an ultrasound attached to the endoscope. This allows the doctor to achieve high-quality images of the organs in greater detail than traditional ultrasound.
EUS is performed to:
- Stage esophageal, gastric and rectal cancer
- Diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer. A sample of a pancreatic mass can be obtained by fine needle aspiration (FNA)
- Diagnose stones in the bile duct and gall bladder
- Obtain tissue samples of submucosal polyps in the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum
- Study the muscle of the anorectal area, if there is fecal incontinence
The ERCP generally lasts from fifteen minutes to one hour, depending on the patient’s anatomy and any abnormalities the doctor finds. This procedure can be performed in the outpatient setting.