MMG Physician Receives Certification in Colonoscopies and EGD’s
Dr. Gary Plant of Madras Medical Group (MMG) recently became certified by the National Procedures Institute in esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGD’s) and colonoscopies. Dr. Plant joins Dr. Thomas Scherer of Mountain View Medical & Surgical Associates and Dr. David Evans of Madras Medical Group as providers offering EGD and colonoscopy procedures in Madras.
“The need for EGD and colonoscopy is growing rapidly in our community,” shared Dr. Plant. “I have undergone additional training including twenty-five hours of course work and six months of supervised experience in order to expand the services I can offer to my patients.”
An EGD is a diagnostic endoscopic procedure that visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is considered a minimally invasive procedure since it does not require an incision into one of the major body cavities and does not require any significant recovery after the procedure. Symptoms that may require an EGD consist of upper GI bleeding, heartburn, chronic acid reflux, stomach pain and ulcers.
A colonoscopyis the endoscopic examination of the large colon and the distal part of the small bowel with a CCD camera or a fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. Indicators of a colonoscopy include rectal bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, abdominal pain or an altered bowel habit. Colonoscopy screenings are recommended every ten years beginning for men and women at the age of 50. If your family has a history of colon cancer, it is recommended you receive a screening at age 40 or 10 years prior to the age that the cancer was diagnosed in your family member. If adenomatous polyps are diagnosed, a colonoscopy is recommended every three to five years, depending on their size and number. A hyperplastic polyp is considered a normal variant and only requires a colonoscopy every ten years.
Currently, doctors Plant, Evans and Scherer are participating in the CORI Project (Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative). CORI was developed in 1995 to study the outcomes of endoscopic procedures in “real life” settings. Physicians participating in the CORI consortium produce endoscopy reports using a computerized report generator. Data from the report are sent electronically to a central data repository where they are pooled with data from other consortium participants. All patient and physician identifiers are removed from the data before it is sent to the repository to protect both patient and physician privacy.
The primary goal of CORI is to use the National Endoscopic Database to acquire information that will improve the quality of clinical practice in gastroenterology with the intent to advance the quality of patient care. Research collected from the Madras clinics will be used to determine the quality of colonoscopies in rural hospitals versus larger hospitals compared to current standards.
MMG offers continuing, premier, full-family care for patients of all ages coordinated with an emphasis on superior quality. Other family medicine specialty interests include complete maternity care including C-sections, preventative health for adults and children, care for chronic conditions and diseases, and end of life care. To schedule an appointment, call 541-475-3874.