Gastroenterology Services and Treatments

Full Range of GI Tests and Therapies 

The team at UMass Memorial Health provides the most advanced treatments for gastrointestinal disorders. Whether you need dietary guidance, medication or an endoscopy, we have specialists to meet your needs. You also have access to clinical trials, which offer groundbreaking new therapies before they’re widely available.

Endoscopy Experts in Central Massachusetts

Our gastroenterologists are leaders in endoscopy procedures to identify and treat digestive conditions without surgery. Endoscopy involves guiding an endoscope (thin, flexible tube with a light and camera) through your GI tract, so you don’t need incisions. We also use advanced tools on the endoscope, enabling us to diagnose and remove abnormal areas during a single procedure.

Types of endoscopy we offer include:

Capsule Endoscopy

You swallow a miniature camera that takes thousands of pictures as it moves through your GI tract. Our team uses this painless test to diagnose:

• Bleeding in your small intestine or stomach
• Celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Peptic ulcers
• Precancerous growths in your GI tract
• Ulcerative colitis

Colonoscopy

This test is the standard for detecting colorectal polyps (growths) and cancer. Learn more about colonoscopy.

Double Balloon Enteroscopy (DBE) 

Only the most experienced gastroenterology teams offer this advanced, minimally invasive procedure, which allows us to view the entire small intestine. We can identify and treat various small intestine problems that used to require surgery, such as polyps and strictures (narrowed areas).

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR)

Our endoscopic specialists use EMR to remove abnormal tissue or precancerous growths in your colon, esophagus, stomach or duodenum (upper part of small intestine).

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) combines fluoroscopy (moving X-rays) and endoscopy to diagnose and treat conditions in your bile ducts, gallbladder, liver and pancreas. When needed, our specialists use ERCP with stent placement for narrowed ducts. We also treat sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (problems with the muscular valve in the bile and pancreatic ducts).

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) combines endoscopy and ultrasound imaging to collect detailed pictures of your esophagus, pancreas, stomach and bile ducts. With this procedure, our specialists diagnose cancer, evaluate chronic pancreatitis, and examine liver and bile duct diseases. We can also view nearby organs, such as the lungs and lymph nodes.

Photodynamic Laser Therapy

This procedure treats esophageal cancers and Barrett's esophagus using light-sensitive medicine ad a laser. Our specialists use this technology to target abnormal cells without damaging healthy tissue.

Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) 

POEM is a highly effective and minimally invasive treatment for achalasia. Our specialists use an endoscope and special tools to relax the muscles from the inside, so you have no incisions and a shorter recovery than surgery.