Advanced Endoscopy
Innovative
State-of-the-Art
Revolutionary
St. Joseph’s Health Offers the Most Comprehensive Advanced Endoscopy Center
in the Northern New Jersey Region
Located at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, the Advanced Endoscopy Center integrates therapeutic treatments with minimally invasive surgery to provide the highest quality care for patients with complex digestive diseases. The St. Joseph’s physicians are trained in the most advanced techniques and procedural services available for the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders. The team also conducts collaborative research protocols to further the treatment and knowledge of new therapies in the treatment of digestive diseases.
Our goal is to be a Center of Excellence, providing world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research.
About the Center
Offering Leading-Edge Procedures, Technology and Research
The Advanced Endoscopy Center treats patients from all across the region due to our expertise, innovation, patient focus and strong partnerships. Our state-of-the-art endoscopy suite is equipped with the latest technology and is located at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey.
With nationally and internationally renowned experts in gastroenterology and endoscopy, and the knowledge and expertise that comes from performing thousands of procedures annually, the Advanced Endoscopy Center at St. Joseph’s Health offers the most advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques available today.
The Center focuses on new imaging modalities for the detection of early gastrointestinal disorders; minimally invasive endoscopic resection of superficial gastrointestinal malignancies; and combined endo-surgical minimally invasive interventions.
Endoscopy Procedures
The Most Advanced Diagnostic & Treatment Techniques
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection – this technique gives us the ability to remove the largest polyps with minimal risk of bleeding or perforating the bowel wall.
Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection – allows for the removal of large and completely flat lesions in one intact piece, allowing pathologists to define “clear margins.” This procedure is ideal for resection of early stage cancers throughout the GI tract.
Barrett’s Esophagus Ablation – helps destroy precancerous tissue in the esophagus using radiofrequency, sparing the patient invasive esophageal surgery while minimizing the risk of cancer development.
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) – allows for visualization into the deep layers of the bowel wall. This technique provides visualization and biopsy of the organs that border the GI tract – most importantly the pancreas and liver.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – allows for entrance into the pancreas or bile ducts for removal of stones and treatment of obstructions arising from the pancreas or liver.
Pancreatic Cyst Program – St. Joseph’s is a national leader in the management of pancreatic cysts. These lesions are often benign but can be premalignant. Using techniques such as Endoscopic Ultrasound with cyst fluid aspiration, we can determine which cysts require continued surveillance and which cysts can be ignored. If our endoscopy team determines that cysts require surgical attention, our pancreas surgery team is among the most experienced in the region for surgical management of cystic lesions.
Double Balloon Enteroscopy – Endoscopic access into the deepest parts of the small bowel. This technique is instrumental in non-surgical treatment of bleeding lesions of the small intestine and management of strictures or cancers of the small intestine. St. Joseph’s is the only center in northern NJ to offer this procedure.
Endoscopic Anti-Reflux procedures – St. Joseph’s is among the first hospitals in the nation to offer non-surgical anti-reflux procedures, namely Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF). The TIF procedure creates an anti-reflux “flap” or valve and prevents harmful acid reflux into the esophagus.
Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy - An endoscopic technique that cuts the muscles at the end of the esophagus or stomach to permit passage of food. This innovative technique is ideal for the treatment of swallowing disorders (achalasia) or issues with emptying of the stomach (gastroparesis).
Endoscopic Suturing – This technique allows the endoscopist to close perforations of the bowel wall without emergency surgery. It is used as a method to prevent bleeding after large resections of the bowel wall are performed, such as with EMR and ESD. Additionally, endoscopic suturing has been used to close surgical leaks and fistulas that form from inflammation of the GI tract.
Endoscopic Bariatrics - using endoscopic suturing, the stomach can be reshaped to promote weight loss. These procedures resemble surgical sleeve gastrectomies. Also, revisions of previous surgeries can be performed to help Bariatric patients achieve weight loss goals.
Medical Team
Specialists in the Diagnosis, Treatment & Management of Advanced Gastrointestinal Disorders
Our Advanced Endoscopy team provides patients with safe and effective alternatives to invasive diagnostic testing or surgery. Because our physicians use innovative technologies, they are able to remove early cancers and treat complicated diseases in a minimally invasive fashion.
The Advanced Endoscopy Center is supported by board-certified specialists who offer their expertise and insight to address a wide-range of GI conditions. St. Joseph’s is also a leading academic gastroenterology program for GI Fellowship training. Patients benefit significantly from this teaching environment where best-practices and advanced services drive innovation and access to new treatment options.
Yana Cavanagh, MD, DABOM
Dr. Yana Cavanagh is the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Director of Interventional Endoscopy and Program Director of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program at St. Joseph’s Health. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Hackensack University School of Medicine and an Attending Physician at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. Dr. Yana Cavanagh is double board certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM). Dr. Cavanagh is an Advanced & Therapeutic Endoscopy trained Interventional Gastroenterologist. She has contributed to the groundbreaking advancements of her field with clinical research, including her work on the genomics of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Cavanagh specializes in state-of-the-art minimally invasive endoscopic surgical procedures of the GI tract, including:
- Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR),
- Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) and Submucosal Tunnel Endoscopic Resection (STER) for removal of mucosal and submucosal lesions (ranging from large benign polyps to early cancers)
- “Third Space” endoscopy including esophageal and/or Gastric Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) as well as Zenker’s Diverticulectomy
- Endoscopic Suturing including endoscopic bariatric procedures such as Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) and Transoral Outlet Reduction (TORe)
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in native and surgically altered anatomy including Endoscopic ultrasound Directed transGastric ERCP (EDGE) and Direct Cholangioscopy
- Barrett’s Esophagus ablation and reflux management including Transoral incision less fundoplication (TIF) as well as AntiReflux Mucosal Ablation (ARMA)
Dr. Yana Cavanagh is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University Medical Center Gastroenterology Fellowship as well as Internal Medicine Residency programs. Prior to her medical training, she attended Rutgers University and St. George’s University, where she received her medical degree. Following completion of her Gastroenterology fellowship, she pursued subspecialty training in Advanced and Therapeutic Endoscopy. Dr. Yana Cavanagh is at the academic and clinical forefront of Interventional Gastroenterology and is committed to providing her patients with innovative, minimally invasive endoscopic approaches to their care.