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UCI's Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center: One Stop for Expert Care

Posted on: Thursday, 9 June 2005, 06:00 CDT

Since its opening two years ago, the H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center (CDDC) at UCI Medical Center in Orange has provided high quality care for patients whose cases other hospitals have deemed too complicated or too difficult to handle.

Among the specialists at UCI's Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center are (left to right) John Lee, M.D.; Phuong Nguyen, M.D.; Kenneth Chang, M.D.; Ninh Nguyen, M.D.; and Misagh Karimi, M.D.

At the CDDC, patients receive expert and compassionate care from an integrated team of more than 18 specialists, including internists, surgeons, gastroenterologists, oncologists, laparoscopists, psychologists, nurses, social workers and case managers. Patients with disorders of the esophagus, stomach, colon, liver and pancreas can see one or more of these specialists for consultation, diagnosis and/or treatment - "one-stop shopping" for those who want to focus on getting well rather than running from one specialist appointment to another.

"We have assembled a team that can diagnose and treat virtually any problem associated with the digestive tract," says CDDC director Dr. Kenneth Chang. "Our cohesive team of specialists can handle everything from the very simple case to the most complex, from routine procedures such as colonoscopies to the intricacies of liver transplantation and surgeries for gastrointestinal cancers."

Endoscopy Suite

Some digestive organs are so deep within the body that standard endoscopy, conventional ultrasound, computerized axial tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may not detect problems or provide sufficient detail for a definitive evaluation.

The CDDC's state-of-the-art, 8,000-square-foot endoscopy suite, however, brings patients the most recent developments in cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Equipped with the latest in video endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, endoscopie ultrasound, specialized endoscopy tor the colon and pancreas, fluoroscopy and laser/photodynamic therapy (PDT), CDDC physicians can make the most accurate diagnosis and most precise surgical decisions possible.

With PDT - one of many noninvasive treatments that are unavailable elsewhere in the region - patients can avoid the whole- body side effects of traditional chemotherapy. PDT uses a laser light to "turn on" a photoactive drug to specifically target and destroy cancer cells while limiting damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Fighting Colorectal Cancer

An estimated one in 20 Americans will develop cancer of the colon or rectum over the course of his or her lifetime. At UCI Medical Center, new treatment approaches are broadening the horizon for colorectal cancer patients.

The first step in treating the disease is to determine if the disease has spread. Called "staging," the process often involves endoscopie ultrasound. During this state-of-the-art examination at the CDDC, doctors guide a miniature ultrasound probe through the patient's gastrointestinal tract. The test reveals considerably more detail than standard pulse-echo imaging done on the surface of the skin. "Endoscopic ultrasound shows how deeply the cancer has penetrated through the bowel wall and adjacent organs - and whether it's entered the lymph nodes," says Dr. Misagh Karimi, a medical oncologist specializing in colorectal cancer.

Once doctors know the full extent of the cancer, a treatment program is customdesigned for each patient," says Dr. Michael Stamos, a UCI Medical Center colorectal surgeon. In certain complex cases, Karimi and Stamos may present their findings to the hospital's tumor board. Composed of nationally recognized cancer specialists, this multidisciplinary group helps design the best course of action for patients.

'Treatment for colorectal cancer has come a long way over the past 10 years," says Stamos. Surgery is still the first line of defense. But today, tumors are often removed using minimally invasive techniques. This approach saves patients from the debilitating effects of large, abdominal incisions.

If the cancer has spread, surgeons representing several different specialties may team up to remove tumors from different sites in the body during the same operation. The approach is unique, sparing patients follow-up surgery and setting UCI Medical Center apart from others. When combined with chemotherapy, this strategy may cure otherwise incurable cancers.

Wide Range of Expertise

The CDDC offers the only comprehensive approach to digestive diseases in Orange County, including the county's only dedicated liver program. The CDDC offers more than 30 areas of expertise, including:

* Pancreas and liver transplantation

* Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) for diagnosis and staging of esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, mediastinal and rectal lesions

* Stents for esophageal, duodenal, biliary and colorectal obstructions

* Biliary stent placement for malignant obstructive jaundice

* Whipple resection

* Sphincter salvage for rectal cancer and ulcerative colitis

* Endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

* Endoscopic treatment for precancerous Barrett's esophagus

* Endoscopic mucosal resection for diagnosis and complete excision of precancerous lesions and early cancer

* Laparoscopic surgery for Crohn's disease and a variety of colon and rectal diseases

* Screening for and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

* Treatment clinics for patients with hepatitis B and hepatitis C

The Human Touch

Without the essential "human touch," all the CDDC's high-tech equipment and procedures would mean very little. Without compassion and individualized attention, the best medical care in the world would fail to work its wonders because healing depends in great part on the bond between patient and physician.

"Besides offering GI services that cannot be found at community hospitals," says Chang, "our integrated approach to compassionate patient care is what makes the CDDC an invaluable resource for Orange County patients and physicians. We are always seeking kinder, gentler approaches to diagnosis and treatment. This is the foundation of our patient care, education and research mission. We are constantly exploring minimally invasive treatments to lessen stress, pain and recovery time for our patients."

The CDDC team is not only highly skilled in its many areas of medical expertise, but many of its members speak more than one language, including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Spanish - a comfort during such stressful times for patients who do not speak fluent English.

The CDDC is located at UCI Medical Center, 101 The City Drive South, in Orange. For more information or to make an appointment, call toll free 1-888-717-GIMD (1-888-717-4463) or visit www.ucihealth.com/cddc.

H.H. CHAO COMPREHENSIVE DIGESTIVE DISEASE CENTER

* Offers the only true comprehensive solution to digestive diseases in Orange County, including GERD and motility disorders.

* Has an expert team of 18 multidisciplinary, fully integrated specialists.

* Has the only dedicated liver program in Orange County.

* Draws upon cutting-edge academic and clinical research to provide breakthrough treatments.

DIGEST DATA

Approximately one in four Americans is affected by some form of digestive disease.

* Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects 7 percent of the population.

* More than 22 million Americans are beset by gallstones.

* Hepatitis A, B and C combined affect up to 6 percent of Americans.

* Nearly 5 million Americans suffer from chronic constipation.

* Peptic ulcer and irritable bowel syndrome each affect 5 million Americans.

* A million new cases of hemorrhoids are diagnosed each year.

* Nearly 105,000 new cases of colon cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year.

* More than 40,000 Americans will be diagnosed with rectal cancer this year.

* The death rate of colorectal cancer is declining, thanks to improved cancer screening and removal of precancerous polyps.

Copyright CBJ, L. P. May 16-May 22, 2005

Source: Orange County Business Journal

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