Staffed by a caring team of board certified physicians and skilled nurses, and equipped with the latest technology, the Princeton Medical Center Endoscopy Suite, located in the Stephen & Roxanne Distler Center for Ambulatory Surgery (Medical Arts Pavilion, Suite 200) is a specialized center where disorders of the colon, stomach, esophagus, small bowel and the biliary and pancreatic system can be diagnosed and treated in an environment dedicated to patient safety, privacy and comfort.
Services Provided
This suite provides a variety of endoscopic services to individuals undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures on an outpatient or inpatient basis. These services include:
- Full range of colonoscopy services--one of PMC's specialty areas, these procedures are used most often to look for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum; they also are used to look for causes of unexplained changes in bowel habits and to evaluate symptoms like abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, weight loss, diarrhea and constipation. By removing colon polyps, we can prevent most colon cancers from developing. This range of services includes flexible sigmoidoscopy, a limited version of colonoscopy.
- Upper Endoscopy (gastroscopy)--enabling the physician to look inside the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, it may be used to evaluate swallowing difficulties, nausea, vomiting, reflux, bleeding, indigestion, abdominal pain or chest pain
- Endoscopic Ultrasound--used by physicians to get a better look at the gastrointestinal tract and nearby organs, enabling them to better diagnose and treat certain GI and lung diseases, including cancer. It also enables physicians to perform fine-needle aspiration (biopsy) of lymph nodes and tumors and inject medicines in affected areas (e.g., injecting pain medication into the bundle of abdominal nerves known as the celiac plexus, to provide relief for patients with pancreatic cancer).
- Liver biopsy
- Bronchoscopy--sampling of lung tissue, used to view the airways and diagnose lung disease
- Transesophageal Echocardiography--uses sound waves to evaluate the function and detailed structure of the heart, including heart valves
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography (ECRP)--enabling the physician to diagnose problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas, it is used primarily to diagnose and treat conditions of the bile ducts, including gallstones, inflammatory strictures (scars), leaks (from trauma and surgery), and cancer
- PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) insertion and replacement--used for insertion of feeding tubes
- PH (acid/base) monitoring--for people who have chronic heart burn, acid reflux and related conditions
- Manometry--measures the pressure in the lower part of the esophagus
- Radiofrequency ablation--a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure to remove diseased cells from the esophagus before they become cancerous. The procedure requires moderate sedation and is typically painless with few side effects.
- Direct Access Colonoscopy program--a program to help speed the process of scheduling a routine screening colonoscopy for certain patients, who if they meet certain screening criteria, can be scheduled to have a colonoscopy within days. For more information, click here.
Clinical Expertise
Patients using our services benefit from our high level of clinical expertise.
- All of our affiliated gastroenterologists are board certified in gastroenterology or have multiple board certifications
- The nursing staff is composed entirely of registered nurses, most of whom are certified in gastroenterology nursing (CGRNs)
PMC is ahead of the curve in adopting best practices in the field. Even before a highly publicized study in the New England Journal of Medicine identified the connection between colonoscopy withdrawal times-how much time physicians spend looking through the endoscope for polyps (abnormal growths)-and the effectiveness of the procedure, PMC had begun its own study emphasizing the importance of adequate withdrawal time.
The NEJM research showed that some physicians were 10 times better at finding polyps than some of their colleagues-a rate that was greatly affected by withdrawal time. The American Gastroenterological Association has suggested guidelines recommending a minimum of six minutes before the colonoscope is withdrawn.
PMC's Endoscopy Suite is dedicated to continuing to monitor the number of minutes of withdrawal time, as well as physician success rates in getting to the cecum (the end of the colon), to improve detection rates for abnormalities.
Personal Attention
In addition to expert care, PMC's endoscopy staff focuses on personalized attention to patients and patient education. Whether we are preparing patients for their procedure, or easing their recovery in our Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), we are committed to helping patients and their family members feel comfortable and keeping them well informed.
Three Convenient Locations
In addition to the PMC Endoscopy Suite, located on the third floor of the Medical Arts Pavilion in the Stephen & Roxanne Distler Center for Ambulatory Surgery, you can access our high-quality services at the Center for Ambulatory Surgery in Monroe and at Princeton Endoscopy Center, a joint venture of Princeton Health.
Devoted exclusively to endoscopic procedures, the state-of-the-art Princeton Endoscopy Center is staffed by a team of physicians, nurses and support staff who are dedicated to ensuring your comfort and safety. Princeton Endoscopy Center has been recognized as a premier healthcare facility by the New Jersey Association of Ambulatory Surgical Centers.
PMC Endoscopy Suite
in the Stephen & Roxanne Distler Center for Ambulatory Surgery, Medical Arts Pavilion
5 Plainsboro Road, Suite 200
Plainsboro, NJ
609.853.7500
PMC Endoscopy Suite
in the Center for Ambulatory Surgery - Monroe
8 Centre Drive
Monroe, NJ
609.252.8760
Princeton Endoscopy Center
731 Alexander Road, Suite 104
Princeton, NJ
If you require assistance finding a gastroenterologist on staff at Princeton Health, call 1.888.742.7496 or visit our online Physician Directory.