Media Release

Mangaluru, Jan 24: Doctors from the department of Gastroenterology at Justice K S Hegde Charitable Hospital, Deralakatte have performed the first-of-its-kind Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) guided fine needle aspiration and biopsy procedure in the city recently. The Endoscopic Ultrasound has a special ultrasound probe which enables to perform the scan from inside the stomach. This procedure is very useful to facilitate cancer diagnosis at early stage.

Saif (name changed), a 42-year-old male patient with complaints of abdominal pain and jaundice. He was evaluated elsewhere and CT scan done showed features of chronic pancreatitis with no evidence of pancreatic mass lesion. He was referred by the surgeons to Medical Gastroenterology department for endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy. The pancreas was scanned from the inside of the stomach using the advanced endoscopic ultrasound probe and a tumor was located within the head of pancreas. The tissue samples from the tumor were obtained by using special needles passed inside, through the endoscope, while visualizing the tumor by the aid of Endoscopic Ultrasound and sent for examination.

Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of cancer and patient was referred to surgery as the tumor was detected in an early stage and amenable for surgical intervention. This technique highlights the advantages of Endoscopic Ultrasound specially in the early detection of cancer and facilitating prompt treatment even in cases that may have been missed by CT or MRI scans. The team included Dr Chandrashekar Sorake and Dr Ganaraj from the Medical Gastroenterology department, surgeons under Dr Rajashekar (HOD), Dr. Rajesh Ballal (Unit Chief) and anaesthesiologists under Dr Anand Bangera (HOD), pathologists including Dr Padma Shetty under the HOD of pathology Dr Jayaprakash Shetty.

Worldwide endoscopic ultrasound has become a useful tool in diagnosis and treatment of various gastrointestinal disorders particularly of the pancreas. Medical superintendent, Maj (Dr) Shivakumar Hiremath informed that Justice K S Hedge Charitable Hospital is constantly endeavouring to bring such advanced facilities at very reasonable costs to the patients.