1,000 microns.
Before this device is deployed, however, a biopsy is conducted via
upper endoscopy. This pre-exam provides a diagnosis as to where
the tissue falls in terms of risk of progression to esophageal cancer.
The ablation balloon is used for patients who have dysplasia (pre-
cancerous cells) in the setting of Barrett's esophagus. Facilities
without access to this equipment, though, may be more likely to rec-
ommend that patients who test positive for potentially cancerous
cells in their esophagus undergo esophagectomy, a procedure with a
high morbidity and mortality rate. The goal of radiofrequency abla-
tion with or without endoscopic mucosal resection is to treat cases
in a much less invasive manner than surgery. The procedure that
this device provides is less invasive, less traumatic, less costly and
less time-consuming. The entire procedure takes no more than 20
minutes and it saves lives.
N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 7
MAPPING TUMORS
EchoTip Ultra Fiducial Needle Cook Medical
The fiducial needle
turns your endo-
scope into a tracking
device, marking
potentially malig-
nant masses in the
GI tract with fidu-
cials, tiny gold pegs
used to mark poten-
tially cancerous
masses, so that they
can be easily located
