Welcome Dr. Sue Kornacki to New York Gastroenterology

Dr. Sue Kornacki, who joined NYGA this summer, specializes in Gastrointestinal Pathology and Digestive Disease. She most recently was Director of Gastrointestinal Pathology AmeriPath Northeast. In her new position as Medical Director of the pathology laboratory at NYGA, she will be an integral member of medical staff.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Kornacki

News Articles from New York Gastroenterology Associates

Video Capsule Endoscopy

Video capsule endoscopy is a recently developed technology that we are proud to offer to our patients at NYGA. Video capsule endoscopy allows us view images of the small bowel that otherwise cannot be seen during a conventional upper endoscopy or colonoscopy.

How is the test performed?

The test is performed in our office on an outpatient basis. Patients are asked to take an abbreviated preparation prior to arriving in the office. Upon arrival, patients are fitted with a small recorder belt. Then the video capsule is ingested, just as one would swallow their medication. Once swallowed, the pill passes through the intestines transmitting images to the recorder belt. The recorder belt saves the pictures for the physician to review. The capsule has a battery life of 8 hours and will transmit 50,000 images. The capsule should pass through the intestines and get excreted in the feces. There is no need for the patient to retrieve the capsule.

What are some of the reasons to do the test?

There are multiple reasons why your physician may recommend a video capsule endoscopy. The most common reason to have a video capsule endoscopy is to be evaluated for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding occurs when a patient is found to have decreased hemoglobin without a source identified on colonoscopy or upper endoscopy. Patients may have positive stool test for blood or may have iron deficient on blood tests. A video capsule endoscopy may pinpoint the source of the bleeding and help your physician treat the bleed.

Another common reason for a video capsule endoscopy is suspected Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease that can lead to inflammation anywhere within the gastrointestinal tract. Many patients with Crohn’s disease have inflammation that is limited to the small intestine. There is no single test for diagnosing Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is diagnosed by a constellation of symptoms, findings on blood tests, and findings on imaging tests. When the diagnosis is in question, a capsule endoscopy may be useful to confirm or rule out the diagnosis.

Conclusion

Video capsule endoscopy provides physicians with the ability to view areas of the small bowel which were previously difficult to access. It provides physicians with the ability to more accurately diagnose patients with various conditions of the small intestine. If you have questions, please contact of the physicians at NYGA for more information.

Promoting Gastrointestinal Health

We are happy to announce a new series of articles that focus on improving and maintaining gastrointestinal health. Beginning this month, a new article will be posted each month focusing on a current topic in gastroenterology. These essays will be written by the physicians of New York Gastroenterology Associates. Several topics that are planned for the future include The Role of Diet in Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Recent Advances in the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Harmful Effects of Medication on the Gut, and Gastroesophageal Reflux: Treatment beyond Acid Suppression. We hope that you find these brief articles informative. We also encourage readers to send us your feedback and suggestions for future articles.

Colonoscopy and the Role of Bowel Preparation
Lawrence B Cohen, MD

The success of colonoscopy in the prevention of colon and rectal cancer is highly dependent upon the endoscopist’s ability to visualize and remove all colon polyps within the bowel. The better the bowel cleansing, the better the examination and the more confident your doctor can be that all abnormalities within the colon were detected.

An excellent bowel preparation means that all waste material in the bowel has been evacuated, resulting in a colon with little or no liquid or solid debris. In order to achieve this result, it is important to follow the preparation instructions provided by your doctor. Be sure to consume both doses of purgative even if you think that you are adequately prepared after the first dose of laxative. If you become nauseated when consuming the purgative, stop drinking and wait about 30 minutes or so before resuming the preparation.

Many people question why a second dose of purgative must be taken 6 hours before the examination. This method of preparation, termed a “split-dose bowel preparation”, maximizes the likelihood of an excellent bowel preparation. A split-dose preparation is the most effective method for cleansing the right side of the colon, where polyps are often flat or subtle and easily missed if residual stool or fluid is present. Studies demonstrate that more polyps are found using a split-dose bowel preparation than when other regimens of bowel cleansing are used.

To summarize, remember that the quality of colonoscopy is only as good as the quality of bowel cleansing. Therefore, you should follow your doctor’s instructions for bowel cleansing carefully and completely. Both doses of purgative are needed, even if you think that you are cleansed out from the first dose. When your colon has been thoroughly cleansed, the rectal output should be consistently clear without any solid debris. If you believe that you have not been completely cleaned out in spite of talking both doses of laxative, call your doctor for further instructions. Finally, if you have a history of chronic constipation or an inadequate bowel cleansing during a prior colonoscopy, be sure to notify your physician when scheduling your colonoscopy.

Click here to download Promoting Gastrointestinal Health Article

Is a Colonoscopy More Effective in High-Def?

Lawrence Cohen, associate clinical professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, says switching to high-definition machines recently increased the detection rate of pre- cancerous growths called adenomas in his four-physician New York private practice to 50%, compared with 42% when using a standard-definition machine. Most of the increase involves small growths, or those with a flat shape that are hard to see.
Click here to read the full article in the Wall Street Journal

Dr. Cohen is please to announce that he will now participate in Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield.

HEADLINE: Congratulations, Dr. Cohen, the 2009 patient reviews have been totaled, and Dr. Cohen was selected as a Patient Favorite for the second year in a row!

Patients have selected Dr. Cohen for the Patients' Choice Award for 2009.  More than 800,000 patient reviews and ratings have been gathered, and this top rating has only been awarded to Dr. Cohen and a select few of the nation's most beloved doctors.

Dr. Cohen's patients have taken the time to compliment him in areas such as: bedside manner, the amount of time spent with them, the courtesy of his staff, appropriate follow-up, and their overall opinion of Dr. Cohen as a physician. Quite simply, Dr. Cohen is one of the best!

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Cohen!

 

HEADLINE: NYGA is committed to our patients’ safety and health. Our state of the art facility has achieved the highest standards in quality, safety and compliance and has been awarded AAAHC accreditation. Learn more about our accreditation.

HEADLINE: NYGA publishes results for high detection and low complications.

High Detection: To illustrate our dedication to cancer prevention, we've provided a chart showing our detection rate for precancerous problems as significantly higher than national averages.

The chance of developing colon cancer is directly related to the adenoma detection rate. Because of our high detection rates, you lower your risk of developing colon cancer. Learn more about our high detection rates.

Low Complications: Our complication rates are significantly lower than national averages as is evident by a recent published abstract. This abstract looked at over 15,000 procedures performed by the physicians of NYGA and reported extremely low complication rates. Learn more about our Low Complication rates.

HEADLINE: All of our physicians teach and admit their patients exclusively at the world-renowned Mount Sinai Medical Center. The Mount Sinai Division of Gastroenterology has consistently been rated as one of the top 10 GI divisions in the United States by The U.S. News and World Report.

New York Gastroenterology Associates Launches
Their Re-Designed, Patient-Friendly Website

September 14, 2009 (New York City) – New York Gastroenterology Associates (NYGA), a sub-specialty gastroenterology practice in Manhattan, announces the launch of their redesigned website. The improved website contains interactive areas enabling patients to securely communicate with NYGA via a secure portal.  Another new section, “The NYGA Difference,” highlights the NYGA physicians’ impressive credentials, AAAHC accredited facility and outstanding safety record for colonoscopies and other GI procedures.  NYGA’s redesigned website responds to the changing needs of patients who want to be able to find up to date medical information and communicate with their physicians online.  The new website can be found at www.nyga.md.

“Our goal was to create a website that highlights the high standards we set for quality, safety and patient focused care.  We want to differentiate ourselves from other gastroenterology practices,” said Dr. James Aisenberg, a partner at NYGA. “Not all colonoscopies are the same and patients can see from the information on our site why we are the better, safer choice.”

About New York Gastroenterology Associates
For over 24 years, NYGA has been a leading provider of high quality prevention and treatment for digestive diseases.  Led by Dr. James Aisenberg, Dr. Lawrence Cohen and Dr. Kenneth Miller, NYGA is located on the upper east side of Manhattan and is affiliated with Mount Sinai Medical Center.  All of NYGA’s physicians are board certified in the field of gastroenterology.  Procedures and treatments include colonoscopy, endoscopy and other GI conditions and diseases. For more information, please call (212) 996-6633 or visit NYGA’s website at www.nyga.md.

About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center, located in New York City, consists of The Mount Sinai Hospital, a tertiary care facility known for excellence in patient care and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, a leader in medical research and in the education of tomorrow’s physicians by internationally known faculty. Founded in 1852, The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of the oldest voluntary teaching hospitals in the country and in 1963, the Hospital created Mount Sinai School of Medicine, beginning a close collaboration that has made Mount Sinai one of the leading academic medical center in the country. Today, the patients of Mount Sinai benefit as teams of physicians and scientists work together to rapidly translate laboratory research to new patient treatments. Many of the groundbreaking approaches that result from these collaborations are initially available at only a handful of facilities in the country—some, only at Mount Sinai. These advances make Mount Sinai the first choice for patients with complex medical and surgical needs.