November 23, 2015, Morristown, NJ – Morristown Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, today announced it is the first and only hospital in New Jersey to use the probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy while performing endoscopic procedures—such as a colonoscopy or endoscopy. The device, called Cellvizio® and only offered at three hospitals in the state, offers high resolution and magnification of the tissue during these procedures, potentially preventing unnecessary biopsies and decreasing the number or size of biopsies taken.
Once a patient is injected with a dye that allows doctors to see lesions, polyps, or areas of tissue that may be problematic, the microscopic optic fibers at the bottom of the laser device highlight suspicious areas in blue light, indicating the need for closer examination. In patients with severe disease or damage, the device allows doctors to obtain a more precise view of the disease and recommend more tailored treatment.
In the case of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for instance, a gastroenterologist may take ten targeted samples using microscopy, compared to 60 to 80 random biopsies taken during a traditional colonoscopy. This reduces the chance of infection, which is a risk any time there is a cut or incision.
“This is a completely new, novel way to look at suspicious tissues without removing them unnecessarily,” says Razvan Arsenescu, MD, PhD, division chief of the Atlantic Digestive Health Institute at Morristown Medical Center. “It’s like using a black light to read the writing from an invisible ink pen — because the images are so sharp, comparable to what we’d see in an actual biopsy, gastroenterologists with specialized training are able to use it to confirm a diagnosis immediately, versus waiting days for pathology reports.”
This technology was previously available only in Europe and select U.S. medical centers. Arsenescu is part of a team that has been working to bring this technique to the U.S. through the FDA approval process.
In addition to endoscopic procedures, the laser is also used for procedures in urology, gynecology, and pulmonology.
Learn more about digestive health and diseases at Morristown Medical Center >
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System, headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in New Jersey. Atlantic Health System has created a Trusted Network of Caring™. Our promise to our communities is that anyone who enters our system will receive the right care, at the right quality, at the right time, at the right place and at the right cost. Our network includes Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ; Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ; Newton Medical Center in Newton, NJ; Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ; and Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ, as well as Atlantic Rehabilitation, and Atlantic Home Care and Hospice. It also includes its subsidiary, Atlantic Ambulance Corporation. Atlantic Health System comprises 1,599 licensed beds, more than 14,000 employees and more than 4,000 physicians. Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University; a Major Clinical Affiliate of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey; part of Atlantic Accountable Care Organization, one of the largest ACOs in the nation, and is a member of AllSpire Health Partners. Learn more about our Trusted Network of Caring™ at Atlantic Health System >