Hospital Links

Parkwest Endoscopy Lab

The Parkwest Endoscopy Lab is proud to offer the services of top gastroenterologists and pulmonologists.

senior doctor shows male patient medical scan

Our doctors and nurses combine teamwork, a wealth of knowledge and true care about people.

These professionals see their work not just as performing a “procedure,” but as treating a person.

Parkwest provides therapeutic as well as diagnostic services. Our team serves patients throughout the hospital, from the Emergency Care Center to the Endoscopy Lab.

About Endoscopy

Endoscopy is a non-surgical procedure used to examine a person’s digestive tract. Using an endoscope, a flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it, your doctor can view pictures of your digestive tract on a color monitor.

Services

One of the newest, most exciting procedures in the Endoscopy Lab is bronchoscopy. This is when doctors use tiny scopes to look inside the lungs to do biopsies and check for tumors. They can use the tubes to brush off samples of lung cells to test for abnormalities.

Parkwest uses bronchoscopy technology in a variety of gastrointestinal surgeries, including:

  • Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach and upper duodenum with a small camera, which is inserted down the throat. Doctors check for inflammation, erosion, tumors, ulcers or anything else abnormal. The scope allows them to perform biopsies, remove polyps and control bleeding. An EGD also allows doctors to insert a feeding tube into the patient’s stomach when necessary.
  • Colonoscopy inserting a scope in the rectum to view the colon, check for diseases such as cancer, colitis and Crohn’s, and treat them.
  • Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) inserting a scope down the esophagus and stomach into the duodenum. Doctors perform ECRPs to remove gallstones or insert stents to keep bile ducts open so they don’t become blocked again.
  • Esophageal motility studies, inserting a catheter through the nose into the esophagus to measure the patient’s ability to swallow.
  • pH studies, inserting a catheter through the nose and esophagus to check the stomach’s acid level. These studies let patients track their behavior that sparks acid reflux, and help doctors decide how to treat it.

A not-for-profit, community-owned healthcare system

We are committed to improving the quality of life in East Tennessee through better health. In partnership with our generous donors, Covenant’s 10,000+ employees, physicians, and volunteers are providing outstanding care for our patients and their families.

Covenant Health