By Henry Beecher, MD

Although colonoscopy exams prevent many colon cancer deaths and are the gold standard, for detecting colorectal cancers, the procedure is not completely effective in preventing all cancer cases. For this reason, Stamford Hospital has invested in an innovative technology that significantly improves the accuracy of colonoscopy exams and can greatly reduce the number of potentially pre-cancerous lesions missed by standard, forward-viewing endoscopes.

The Fuse endoscope system uses three small cameras at the tip of a flexible GI endoscope. Unlike standard, forward-viewing endoscopes that use a single camera, the Fuse system lets doctors see nearly twice as much surface area. The benefit of the scope is the ability to see more of the GI tract. The system allows physicians to see previously unseen views due to difficult anatomy.

Our team is proud to offer the best technology and procedures for detecting colorectal cancers. This is part of an ongoing effort to reduce cancer and provide the highest quality care to our patients. Stamford Hospital is also part of the American Cancer Society’s 80% by 2018 initiative. The goal of the initiative is to have 80% of adults 50 and older being screened regularly for colorectal cancer by 2018.