Gastrointestinal Laboratory

The Gastrointestinal Laboratory is located on the Medical Center's Second Floor and is a six bed outpatient unit with a staff of five registered nurses, two gastrointestinal technicians, and one nursing assistant.  New, state-of-the-art equipment enables the gastroenterologist to take an endoscopic view of the patient's esophagus, stomach and colon while the patient receives a combination of medicines to help them relax during the examination.
Most procedures take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Patients recover for at least 30 minutes in a separate recovery area before returning to their room. Patients normally arrive early on the morning of their procedure and are home by early afternoon, if not before.
Some of the most common procedures conducted in the Gastrointestinal Laboratory include: colonoscopy, gastroscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, paracentesis, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram (ERCP).