Interventional Endoscopy Program

The Interventional Endoscopy Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute provides patients with noninvasive treatment for gastrointestinal diseases that would otherwise require surgical intervention. Interventional endoscopy techniques spare patients the need for larger surgical incisions, reducing the risk of potential complications and allowing for faster recovery. Additionally, patients can often go home on the same day of the procedure and return to daily life sooner.

What We Treat

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Interventional Endoscopy Program combines expertise from physicians of all specialties that treat a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from obesity and complications from previous bariatric surgery to treatment of early tumors throughout the digestive system.

Our team of specialists focus on putting Patients First. The team is highly trained in a variety of endoscopic procedures for the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of disorders of the digestive tract.

Advanced interventional endoscopy services are used to treat:

• Obesity
• Complications caused by a previous bariatric surgery (also called weight loss surgery)
• Certain swallowing disorders, such as achalasia (spasms of the muscle layer at the exit of the esophagus)
• Diffuse esophageal spasm (Abnormal contractions of the esophagus also called distal esophageal spasm)
• Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (incomplete opening at the junction between the esophagus and stomach)
• Gastroparesis (inability of the stomach to properly empty into the small intestine for digestion, common in patients with diabetes)
• Tumors of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon
• Obstruction of the intestinal organs caused by tumors of the esophagus, stomach, and colon
• Diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts.

Diagnosis Using Interventional Endoscopy

During the consultation at the Digestive Disease Institute, patients may be offered interventional endoscopy as a means of obtaining an accurate diagnosis for their symptoms. Certain interventional endoscopic techniques can be used to make a diagnosis by collecting biopsies. These techniques can also be used to clear certain blockages and/or narrowing of ducts (or tube-like structures) in the body at the same time that biopsies are obtained.

Treatment with Interventional Endoscopy

Treatment using interventional endoscopy will depend on the patient’s diagnosis. A diagnosis is made following consultation with the physician and several tests to determine the specific characteristics of the patient’s condition.

The Interventional Endoscopy Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi offers patients a wide range of state-of-the-art treatments for many conditions affecting the digestive system. Innovative procedures help patients avoid open surgeries, speeding up their recovery time and shortening their hospital stay.

Patients suffering from complications caused by a previous bariatric surgery may be treated using cutting-edge endoscopic procedures that are available for obesity and weight-related diseases. Treatment may include endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (separating off a part of the stomach without the need for an incision) and endoscopic balloon placement (inserting a balloon into the stomach to help the patient feel full faster).

Other interventional endoscopic treatments offered at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi include:

• Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM): An alternative procedure used to treat achalasia, or difficulty moving food through the esophagus. During the procedure, a thin, flexible tube is inserted into the mouth and through to the esophagus.
• Per-oral Pyloromyotomy (POP): A procedure used to treat patients suffering from gastroparesis.
• Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD): An alternative procedure to major surgery used to remove tumors of the stomach, intestine, and colon. During this procedure, a thin, flexible tube is inserted either into the mouth or the rectum and guided to the affected organ.
• Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP): A surgery using a thin, flexible tube performed to treat conditions of the pancreatic and bile duct system, such as gallstones.
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS): A procedure using a thin flexible tube to diagnose certain diseases of the pancreas, such as tumors and pancreatitis.