Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
We provide a first-class endoscopic ultrasound service to accurately diagnose conditions affecting the oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, gall bladder and duodenum.
EUS is a minimally invasive procedure used to assess, diagnose and sometimes treat diseases of the digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach and duodenum) as well as nearby organs (pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver).
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What is it for?
To diagnose diseases of the digestive tract and nearby organs
Treatment overview
EUS stands for endoscopic ultrasound. This is an endoscopy using a standard camera which is combined with an internal ultrasound scan. The camera is passed through the mouth and down into the stomach. This allows excellent visualisation of both the upper GI tract and importantly the organs that are situated next to the GI tract, including the pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder and parts of the liver. EUS allows investigation and minimally invasive treatment of several internal diseases.
At The London Clinic, we offer our endoscopic ultrasound service in our calm and comfortable Endoscopy Unit. Our patients have given the unit a satisfaction rating of over 98%.
Our world-leading gastroenterologists and expert nursing team will oversee your procedure and provide you with exceptional personalised care throughout your time with us.
Contact us today to find out more about our endoscopic ultrasound service and start your five-star experience with The London Clinic.
Why might I need an endoscopic ultrasound?
Your consultant may recommend an endoscopic ultrasound to:
- Investigate the cause of your upper GI symptoms
- Drain cysts, pseudocysts or fluid collections in your digestive system
- Target medicine directly into one of your organs
- Assess abnormal findings from imaging tests such as CT or MRI scans
- Assess how big and how deep a cancer is in the upper gastrointestinal system, i.e to stage the cancer
- Investigate medical symptoms related to the upper and lower digestive tract
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
We operate as teams of experts with world-class resources dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of medical care. You are surrounded by the latest treatments and advice with everything you need to get back to your best health.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our nurses, clinicians and support teams are dedicated to the care of a very small number of patients, so have more time for you. They’ll be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care around you and giving the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through each step of your experience, with complexities unravelled and answers readily to hand. Your personal treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have finance options available with Chrysalis
FAQs
Your endoscopic ultrasound will begin with your consultant giving you medication through a needle or tube inserted into a vein.
This medication reduces discomfort and should make you feel less anxious. You should feel relaxed but be awake during your procedure.
Your consultant may also spray local anaesthetic in the back of your mouth to numb your throat.
They’ll then insert a long, thin, flexible tube (endoscope) into your mouth. They may ask you to swallow to help the endoscope pass down your throat. You shouldn’t feel any pain at this point.
The tube is passed down your throat, through your stomach and into the first part of your small intestine (duodenum).
Attached to the end of the tube is a light, camera and ultrasound.
The ultrasound uses sound waves to create high-quality images of lymph nodes, organs and other structures in your upper digestive system.
These include the pancreas, gallbladder, liver and bile ducts.
Your consultant will view images sent by the ultrasound and camera on computer screens next to where you are.
This allows them to pick up on anything that doesn’t look normal and diagnose certain conditions.
During your endoscopic ultrasound scan, your consultant may also use a range of surgical instruments to:
- Take a sample of body tissue (guided biopsy)
- Drain cysts, pseudocysts or other fluid collections
- Target medicine directly into an organ
An endoscopic ultrasound usually lasts between 20 to 45 minutes, but this will depend on the complexity of the procedure which varies between individual patients.
EUS must be performed with an empty stomach. This is to reduce the risk of vomiting and to make sure your consultant has clear views of your upper digestive system.
This means you’ll not be able to eat for four to six hours before your procedure.
If you normally take medication or supplements, your care team will also discuss with you if you need to stop taking these and the best times to do so.
After your endoscopic ultrasound, you’ll recover in our calming and comfortable Endoscopy Unit until your medication has worn off and you feel ready to go home.
However, you’ll need someone to travel with you, and we recommend someone stays overnight with you as well.
We also advise that you don’t drink alcohol, drive, work or operate machinery for 24 hours, as you won’t be as mentally alert as usual.
EUS is not painful. You may have some minor discomfort afterwards due to the air that is pumped into the stomach during the procedure, but this should soon pass. Some patients also have a mild sore throat for a few days after the procedure.
It is important that you are comfortable with your decision to undertake this treatment. If you are concerned, please discuss this with your consultant at any time.
EUS is safe and well tolerated under sedation.
Your expert multidisciplinary team will work closely together to reduce any risk during an endoscopic ultrasound, and support your safe recovery after.
Rarely, complications do occur. These may include:
- The sedative can affect your breathing, making it slow and shallow
- Bleeding can rarely occur as part of a biopsy
- Infection may occur after cyst sampling. Antibiotics may be given to reduce this risk
- Pancreatitis may occur if a pancreatic biopsy is obtained
- Tearing (perforation) of the intestinal wall or throat
Your consultant will discuss these with you in more detail.
Scans such as CT or MRI scans can be performed instead of EUS, however the images are not as clear. EUS gives much clearer details of organs that may be affected by disease.
EUS also allows internal biopsies to be taken, where as this is not possible with scans alone.
Your consultant will be able to discuss the findings on the day as soon as you have recovered from the sedative.
They may also arrange an appointment to discuss the results of tests carried out on any biopsies obtained during the procedure.
These biopsy results are usually available in three to four working days.
At this appointment, your consultant will also explain your diagnosis, discuss your treatment options and chat through any worries you may have.