Services

Outpatient general endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopy, EGD, and sigmoidoscopy can be scheduled by calling 919-966-5563; after hours, messages may be left at 919-966-2319.

These are considered "open access" procedures, meaning that they can be scheduled by any referring physician. Services provided by the UNC Motility Unit are also "open access". All other procedures require approval by a UNC faculty member (after completion of a referral form or following a telephone consultation).

For questions regarding urgent or complex cases, please call 919-966-5563 and ask to speak to one of the attending physicians in the procedures area.

These procedures include but are not limited to:

Clinic Appointments

Many of the faculty members of the UNC Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology are nationally and internationally recognized for their expertise. Our faculty are also known throughout the country for their clinical skills and their dedication to patients. Each year, the division performs more than 12,000 endoscopic procedures. Over 13,000 outpatient visits are made to the various GI specialty clinics per year, with 300 new patients coming in monthly. These specialties include:

• Biliary and Pancreatic Diseases
• Esophageal/Swallowing Diseases
• Functional GI and Motility Disorders
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Liver Disease and Transplantation

All New Patients must be referred to the GI or Liver Program by another physician.

To schedule a GI clinic visit, please have your physician complete the GI Specialty Referral Form and fax it to 919-966-3414.

To schedule a Liver clinic visit, please have your physician complete the UNC Hospitals New Patient Clinic Referral Form – Liver and fax it to 919-966-1700.

ERCP

All standard ERCP techniques are available at our NC Memorial Hospital Location . Routine requests may be made by faxing a NC Memorial GI Procedure Request form to 919-966-8764 . For urgent matters, contact the hospital operator at 919-966-4131 and ask to page the Biliary Fellow on call (pager number 123-7045). For telephone consultation , referring physicians may ask the page operator to page the biliary attending on call. For intra-hospital transfers, contact the Transfer center: 1-800-806-1968.

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

All standard techniques are available at our NC Memorial Hospital Location . These include staging of gastrointestinal cancers, fine needle aspiration biopsy of abdominal or mediastinal masses, evaluation of submucosal gastrointestinal mass lesions, and celiac plexus neurolysis . For routine requests, fax a NC Memorial GI Procedure Request form to 919-966-8764.

For a telephone consultation during business hours, referring physicians may call the GI Procedures Unit at 919-966-5563 and ask to have the EUS physician on duty paged.

Advanced techniques in therapeutic biliary and pancreatic endosocpy are available. These are usually scheduled in association with ERCP and/or EUS. Complex cases are usually seen in clinic prior to the procedure, after a referral request and records are faxed. Examples of these procedures include:

• Management of difficult bile duct stones, complex bile duct injuries
• Endoscopic therapy for recurrent pancreatitis; e.g., pancreas divisu
• Endoscopic cystenterostomy, choledochoduodenostomy, and pancreaticoenterostomy
• Choledochoscopy, pancreatoscopy, intraductal ultrasound

Capsule Endoscopy

Requests may be made by faxing a NC Memorial GI Procedure Request form to 919-966-8764. A UNC faculty member will review your request and contact you for additional information if needed.

Esophageal Procedures

Most patients are evaluated in the Center for Esophageal Disease and Study (CEDAS), where the appropriate procedure will be scheduled. Requests may be made by faxing a NC Memorial GI Procedure Request form to 919-966-8764.

Comprehensive Ablative Therapy for Barrett's Esophagus

• Photodynamic Therapy
• Barrx Therapy
• Esophageal endoscopic mucosal resection

Endoscopic management of achalasia: pneumatic dilatation, BoTox injection

Stenting of Benign and Malignant Esophageal Strictures

Management of complex and difficult esophageal strictures, e.g., radiation-induced strictures

Most patients are evaluated in the Center for Esophageal Disease and Study (CEDAS), where the appropriate procedure will be scheduled. Fax a referral form.

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection, e.g., difficult colonic or duodenal polyps: fax a referral form. Preprocedural clinic consultation is not usually required.

Enteral Stents - e.g., gastroduodenal, colorectal. These are usually performed by the biliary staff. For urgent matters, contact the hospital operator at 919-966-4131 and ask to page the biliary fellow on call (pager number 123-7045). For telephone consultation, referring physicians may ask the page operator to page the biliary attending on call. For intra-hospital transfers, contact the Transfer center: 1-800-806-1968.

Manometry and Breath Test Procedures

To schedule motility tests, please have your physician complete a GI Motility Lab Referral form and fax it to 919-966-8764.

• 24-hour esophageal pH Testing
• Esophageal Manometry
• Esophageal pH Impedance Monitoring
• Rectal manometry with surface sensor EMG
• Hydrogen breath testing for bacterial overgrowth and lactose intolerance
• C-13 breath testing for Helicobacter pylori
• Biofeedback
• Bravo capsule pH Monitoring System

Hemorrhoid Therapy

Infrared coagulation of hemorrhoids is available at the UNC Endoscopy Canter at Meadowmont. Please have your physician complete a GI Procedure Request Form Meadowmont Location, and fax it to 919-843-7136.

Liver Services

• Diagnosis and management of chronic liver disease.
• Novel therapies for chronic hepatitis B & C.
• Liver Transplant.
• Multidisciplinary management of hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Experimental therapies.