$10 Million Facility Provides Advanced Capabilities for Diagnosing and Treating Digestive Diseases.

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Highmark Health leaders are celebrating the opening of a new AHN Center for Advanced Endoscopy at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH). The state-of-the-art, 13,000 square-foot facility is equipped with the latest advanced technologies for diagnosing and treating disorders of the digestive system.

Located on the 1st floor of the hospital’s Snyder Pavilion, the new center houses 18 spacious pre-and post-procedure bays, six procedure rooms and is staffed by AHN’s team of experienced, highly skilled gastroenterologists, advanced endoscopists, surgeons, and nurses.

“This significant investment in the capacity and capabilities of our gastroenterology program is a testament to AGH’s long history of providing exceptional care for patients in need of gastrointestinal screenings, diagnostic exams or therapeutic interventions,” said Elie Aoun, MD, MS, Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and AHN Medical Director for Clinical Access. “We now have a beautiful, sophisticated new facility to meet the increasing demand for our services with a level of care, innovation, quality, and efficiency that is second to none in our region.”

Procedures commonly performed in the lab include colonoscopy to detect colon cancer and polyps, upper endoscopy for evaluation of mucosal disease, endoscopic ultrasound for staging and sampling of gastrointestinal tumors, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for diagnostic and therapeutic management of pancreatico-biliary diseases.

The lab’s ERCP rooms are equipped with advanced imaging equipment that includes the E-View™ MP Fluoro System from Omega Medical Imaging. The only system designed specifically for interventional endoscopy, e-view facilitates the most complex endoscopic procedures by providing physicians with unprecedented visualization of the GI anatomy while significantly reducing radiation exposure to both patients and staff.

Some of the highly specialized, complex procedures performed include endoscopic stricturotomies and fistulotomies for complex inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, lumen apposing metal stents (LAMS) to assist in the drainage of pancreatic fluid collections, and peroral endoscopic myotomy for the management of swallowing disorders such as achalasia.

“The center’s unique design and build helps facilitate these novel treatments and places it as one of the most elite for the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders,” said the AHN Director of Endoscopy. “From its innovative infection prevention technology to a video integration system which enables our staff to more seamlessly collaborate in the management of the most complex patients, this facility assures truly best-in-class patient care.” Read Full Article

About Omega Medical Imaging

Since 1991 Omega’s engineers, designers, craftsmen, and technicians have been building the most reliable and technically advanced Fluoroscopy imaging systems for Interventional Cardiology, IR, and Interventional Endoscopy and now Artificial Intelligence Fluoroscopy (AIF) Systems for Interventional procedures. Omega is the only manufacturer in the world that specializes in systems designed from the ground up for special therapeutic procedures. Our list of growing references includes prestigious physicians, healthcare systems, and providers around the world.