Diseases that affect the esophagus and stomach are often complex and cross the boundaries of many traditional medical disciplines.
The UCHealth Esophagus and Gastric Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic at University of Colorado Hospital offers patients a comprehensive evaluation by a team of experts from all the specialties that treat diseases of the esophagus and stomach (surgeons, gastroenterologists, pathologists, oncologists, radiologists, nutritionists, and more) working together to analyze your situation and create a specific treatment plan for you.
Learn the advantages of our multidisciplinary clinic
A huge benefit of multidisciplinary care is that the knowledge and skill of multiple specialists is integrated to your plan of care. As Martin McCarter, surgical director of the Esophageal and Gastric Center, notes:
“The complexity of the diseases we deal with, the amount of information we need to know, has expanded tremendously – and it’s impossible for any one physician to keep up with all that.”
Gastrointestinal specialists at UCH are trained in advanced diagnostic and staging techniques such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).
- Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) involves use of a probe, coupled with ultrasound, to identify tumors and other malformations in the esophagus and upper gastrointestinal tract.
- Specialists use endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), a treatment first developed in Japan, as a tumor “staging” technique as well as a method to remove certain kinds of tumors.
Featured treatment: minimally invasive esophagectomy
A traditional, “open” esophageal cancer operation involves larger incisions on the abdomen and either the chest, neck or all three locations.
A minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE), however, generally involves smaller incisions on the abdomen, chest or neck. The surgeon inserts small videoscopes and instruments through these incisions, and is able to perform the same range of procedures.
In short, the MIE allows for enhanced visualization while working through smaller access incisions. The potential benefit to the patient is a faster recovery with less incisional pain. At University of Colorado Hospital, we have a team of esophageal cancer surgeons experienced in this minimally invasive cancer surgery.