Endoscopy
What is Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a procedure that uses a long, thin, flexible, lighted tube, called an endoscope, to diagnose or treat a condition within the gastrointestinal tract. It was developed as a diagnostic tool but has rapidly become a means of performing therapeutic procedures which once would have required surgical intervention. The range of therapeutic endoscopy includes, control of gastrointestinal bleeding; polypectomy; palliation and treatment of GI malignancy; dilatation of strictures; removal of common bile duct (gall stones) stones, to name but a few.
As the vast majority of endoscopic procedures are performed as day cases with local anaesthesia or conscious sedation. The advantages of this over surgical intervention include negating the risks and complications of general anaesthesia and surgical procedure with much reduced morbidity and almost negligible mortality;
prevention of significant hospital stay and therefore the reduction risk of hospital
acquired infections.
Endoscopy Unit at the Royal Liverpool
The Endoscopy Unit at the Royal Liverpool is one of the most prestigious and productive units in the UK for both training and the services it offers. It performs over 12,000 Gastro-intestinal (GI) endoscopic procedures per annum and houses one of the 3 national training centres for endoscopy in the UK, (the only one based north of London). It is regarded as a Centre of Excellence.
The unit boasts a very talented and experienced multidisciplinary team of endoscopists consisting of 16 Consultants, 8 Specialist Nurses and 3 other practitioners including General Pactitioners and Radiographers (see table 1).
Table 1
|
Name |
Position |
Endoscopy Related Position-Special Interest |
Endoscopy Special Interest |
|
Prof Martin Lombard |
Consultant Hepatologist |
Faculty of the Mersey School of Endoscopy (MSE), Endoscopy Trainer |
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), EUS-FNA, ERCP |
|
Dr Sanchoy Sarkar |
Consultant Gastroenterologist & Endoscopist |
Service Lead (GRS). Audit and Research Lead, Endoscopy Trainer, Faculty of MSE |
Bowel cancer screening, Colonoscopy, EMR, EUS, ERCP, Therapeutic upper GI, Enteroscopy |
|
Dr Paul O’Toole |
Consultant Gastroenterologist & Endoscopist |
Director of MSE, Endoscopy Training Lead, Nutrition Lead |
Colonoscopy, EMR, Bowel Cancer Screening, Therapeutic upper GI endoscopy. PEJ, PEXACT, Enteroscopy. |
|
Dr Howard Smart |
Consultant Gastroenterologist |
Upper GI Cancer Lead, Faculty of MSE, Endoscopy Trainer |
Therapeutic Upper GI endoscopy including trimodal imaging, HALO, EMR. EUS and ERCP, Enteroscopy |
|
Professor Chris Probert |
Consultant Gastroenterologist |
|
IBD Surveillance
Colonoscopy, Upper GI Endoscopy |
|
Professor Tony Morris |
Consultant Gastroenterologist & Endoscopist |
Former President of the BSG & JAG, former director of MSE, Faculty of MSE and Endoscopy Trainer |
Capsule Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, EMR, Bowel cancer screening, EUS, ERCP, Therapeutic upper GI, Enteroscopy |
|
Dr Tony Ellis |
Consultant Gastroenterologist |
Colorectal Cancer Genetics, Endoscopy Trainer |
Colonoscopy, Upper GI Endoscopy |
|
Professor Mark Pritchard |
Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist |
Endoscopy Trainer |
Colonoscopy, Upper GI Endoscopy |
|
Dr Melita Gordon |
Honorary Consultant Gastroenterologist |
Endoscopy Trainer |
Colonoscopy, Upper GI Endoscopy |
|
Mr Paul Rooney |
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon |
Endoscopy Trainer |
Colonoscopy & EMR |
|
Mr Paul Carter |
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon |
Endoscopy Trainer |
Colonoscopy & EMR |
|
Dr Paul Richardson |
Consultant Hepatologist |
|
Therapeutic Upper GI Endoscopy & Colonoscopy |
|
Dr Jonathan Evans |
Consultant Radiologist |
Endoscopy Trainer, Faculty of MSE |
EUS, EUS-FNA, ERCP |
|
Mr Richard Heath |
Consultant Colorectal Surgeon |
Endoscopy Trainer |
Colonoscopy |
| Dr Paul Collins |
Locum Consultant Gastroenterologist |
Endoscopy Trainer, Faculty of MSE |
Colonoscopy, Therapeutic Upper GI Endoscopy |
|
Pauline Reid |
Nurse Consultant in Gastroenterology |
Faculty of MSE, Endoscopy Trainer |
Therapeutic Upper GI Endoscopy & Sigmoidoscopy |
|
Alison Young |
Nurse Consultant in Nutrition |
Nutrition |
PEG |
|
Karen Gowland |
Specialist Nurse |
Upper GI Cancer |
Upper GI Endoscopy |
|
Una Duffy |
Specialist Nurse |
Upper GI Cancer |
Endoscopy & Colonoscopy |
|
Belle Gregg |
Specialist Nurse |
IBD |
Sigmoidoscopy |
|
Heather Swannack |
Specialist Nurse |
IBD |
Sigmoidoscopy |
|
Dr Kuruvilla |
GP |
|
Sigmoidoscopy |
|
Dr ThorntonChan |
GP |
|
Endoscopy |
|
Geoff Fitzgerald |
Radiographer |
|
Sigmoidoscopy |
|
Lisa Leedham |
Specialist Nurse |
Nutrition |
Endoscopy |
|
Sue Kennedy |
Specialist Nurse |
Colorectal Cancer |
Sigmoidoscopy |
|
Jane Randles |
Specialist Nurse |
Colorectal Cancer |
Sigmoidoscopy |
We offer a vast range of diagnostic (gastroscopy and colonoscopy) and therapeutic procedures (ERCP, Stenting, Feeding tubes) as well as specialist/tertiary services such as Capsule Endoscopy, Endoscopic Ultrasound and Laser treatments (see table 2). It is also a Bowel Cancer Screening Centre.
The team prides itself on on providing a high quality, safe patient experience and has achieved high levels on the Global Rating Scale which looks at clinical quality and the quality of patient experience. The scale looks at a range of standards which include safety, comfort, quality, equality, aftercare, choice, privacy and dignity
Where we are based
The Endoscopy Unit is situated on the ground floor of the Royal Liverpool University Hospital opposite L, M and N Clinics. For general enquires please ring 0151 706 2720
Endoscopy Unit Guidelines
Please click here for unit guidelines.
Further Procedural Information
We offer the following procedures (see table 2) for more information click here.
Table 2
|
Diagnostic Endoscopy |
Therapeutic Advanced Endoscopy
|
Specialist Procedures |
|
Gastroscopy |
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection
(EMR) |
Pill Cam/
Capule Endoscopy |
|
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
|
Oesophageal Stent |
Pancreatic Interventional ERCP |
|
Colonoscopy
|
Pyloric Stent |
Photo Dynamic Therapy
(PDT) |
|
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
|
ERCP- Advanced Biliary Intervention |
PEXACT |
|
ERCP
|
Polypectomy
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection
(EMR) |
Colonic Stent |
|
Enteroscopy
|
Argon beam Plasma Coagulation
(APC) Therapy
|
Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided (EUS) - FNA |
|
Bowel Cancer Screening
|
Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) |
Laser Therapy |
|
|
Naso Gastric Tube (NGT)
|
(Radiofrequency ablation of Barrett's oesophagus) HALO |
|
|
Naso-gastric Tube (NG) Bridle
|
Sigmoidpexy |
|
|
Oesophageal & Pyloric Dilatation
|
Autofluoresence & Narrow Band Imaging (NBI)
|
|
|
Rubber Band Ligation of
Haemorrhoids
|
Confocal Endoscopy |
|
|
Naso-Jejunal Tube (NJT)
|
Gluing Varices |
|
|
Haemostatic UGI Bleeding techniques (Adrenalin injection, heater probe, Goldprobe, APC, haemoclips)
|
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS) |
|
|
Sclerotherapy & Banding of Varices
|
Dilatation of small & large bowel strictures
|
|
|
|
Percutanous Endoscopic Jejunostomy (PEJ)
|