Chief: Mario Traina, MD

The ISMETT Digestive Endoscopy Service is a center of excellence and advanced research for early diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and tumors, of the pancreas, and biliary ducts. Its facilities are equipped with the latest technology and highly-qualified medical and nursing staff. The team is composed of 5 doctors and 8 nurses. The Digestive Endoscopy Service performs highly-specialized diagnostic and interventional endoscopy procedures. All the staff involved undergoes continuing education and research of new technologies, and training periods at UPMC in Pittsburgh.

The Digestive Endoscopy Service supports all clinical and surgical departments of ISMETT with which it interacts through multidisciplinary meetings. After the test is performed the images can be viewed on line on all workstations at ISMETT or sent to UPMC. All endoscopists are involved in research and in the training of new specialists. ISMETT is center of reference in Southern Italy in the field of diagnostic and therapeutic echoendoscopy, for educational purposes through advanced training offered to Italian and foreign doctors, and for research aimed at studying the different clinical echoendoscopy applications.

The main areas of research include local-regional therapies for the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (radiofrequency, fiducial marker placement for radiotherapy, etc.), and non-surgical anastomosis treatments (biliary and gallbladder drainage, EUS-guided gastroenterostomy)

Main diagnostic and therapeutic methodologies 

• High resolution diagnostic and operational digestive endoscopy
• Diagnostic and operational biliopancreatic endoscopy ERCP
• Pediatric endoscopy and pediatric ERCP
• Video capsule endoscopy
• Video capsule colonoscopy
• Endoluminal transoral surgery (mucosectomy, polypectomy, submucosa dissections, etc.)
• Diagnostic and operational digestive echoendoscopy
• Diagnostic and operational biliopancreatic echoendoscopy
• Echoendoscopy of the mediastinum
• Bronchial echoendoscopy
• Celiac plexus alcoholization for treatment of pancreatic pain
• Echoendoscopy-guided endoluminal transoral surgery (pancreatic pseudocysts drainage, pancreatic necrosectomy, radiofrequency, fiducial marker placement for radiotherapy in locally advanced tumors, etc.).

At ISMETT, the wellbeing and psychology of patients during their invasive procedures are at the center of everything we do. All tests are performed in deep sedation with the assistance of a highly specialized anesthesia team. Each patient has a dedicated recovery area where he/she prepares for the endoscopy test and excellent comfort for the disposal of sedation after the test, with constant monitoring of vital signs, and nursing care.

At ISMETT the Endoscopy Service performs about 4,500 procedures a year for adult and pediatric inpatients and outpatients.