The full scope of care
In St. Joseph’s Gastroenterology Program, donor gifts help to fund much-needed equipment so the team can support every patient.
Colonoscopies aren’t exactly pleasant, but they can be vital for someone’s future. They’re a common occurrence in St. Joseph’s Endoscopy Clinic and play a key role in diagnosing, treating and preventing many diseases. With the support of donors, the care team now has additional equipment on hand to perform these crucial procedures.
As the population in London continues to grow, the demand for colonoscopies is on the rise. And patients are experiencing more complex conditions than ever before.
A colonoscopy examines the large intestine using a colonoscope that is inserted into the body and sends images back to a screen. It’s fast and minimally invasive.
“We maintain a large fleet of scopes because of the patient volumes that we serve here,” says Dr. Keith McIntosh, gastroenterologist and Director of Endoscopy. “Having a wide range of scopes available to us really helps us
keep up with those volumes.”
The delicate colonoscopes don’t last forever. Last year, The Archangelo Rea Family Foundation generously supported a new specialized colonoscope to round out the equipment collection. This specific model will benefit patients that are often more challenging to perform a colonoscopy on, such as those who’ve had previous surgery or a history of diverticulosis.
From inflammatory bowel disease to colon cancer, many of the techniques the team offers have the dual purpose of being both diagnostic and therapeutic – greatly reducing the strain on patients and saving them from repeat procedures.
The scopes, including the newest donor-funded model, are vital for detecting, identifying, and removing polyps in the colon that could become precursors to colon cancer.
“We can now do a lot of things endoscopically that previously had to be done surgically,” says Dr. McIntosh. “It really has improved patient care. Now we’re able to provide care much less invasively.”
The care team is proud to provide a community of support that helps each patient feel cared for on a personal level. By partnering with St. Joseph’s, donors become part of that community, too.
“It means so much that the community partners with us and believes in what we’re doing here,” says Dr. McIntosh. “This additional support really helps keep our program at the frontlines.”
With the scopes now in place, the next step in strengthening this community of care is upgrading the screens the team relies on. Ultrahigh- definition models will enhance image clarity during procedures.
Your Donation Matters Here
Your gift will help provide leading-edge equipment that can extend, improve and save lives.