KELOWNA – It’s called an Endoscopic Ultrasound Unit.
It’s Interior Health’s newest piece of equipment and it means gastrointestinal cancer testing is now an non-invasive, outpatient procedure at the Kelowna hospital.
Previously, patients requiring the procedure had to travel to either Vancouver or Calgary.
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“Endoscopic ultrasound is a marriage of conventional endoscopy to ultrasound technology,” says Dr. Carla Nash in a news release. “It allows us to look at the gastrointestinal tract in greater detail because we’re able to put the ultrasound within 2 or 3 centimeters of areas such as the pancreas.”
Nash says that will result in faster, safer and more effective treatment, adding patients can return home the same day.
The equipment purchase was made possible by a $250,000 donation from The Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation.
“It’s really important to have good medical care and have it close at hand. We’re very pleased, our family, to be a part of this great, great hospital.” says Colin Pritchard.
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