High-definition television is making its way from the family room to the hospital room, with the introduction of high-definition technology in a new Endoscopy Unit at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. The state-of-the-art unit will provide diagnosis and treatment of upper and lower gastrointestinal tract disease, including colon cancer.

The new Endoscopy Unit is located on the second floor of the Outpatient Pavilion, making it more convenient for patients and their families. The unit is very patient-friendly, allowing family members to accompany the patient to the unit and wait with him or her until the procedure starts, and then return once the procedure is completed.

“The layout of the facility is perfect,” says John Kirby, Chief Operating Officer. “Our goal is to provide the highest quality of medical care in the safest environment, and at the same time, alleviate any fears or stresses a patient may have about a test or procedure.”

The unit serves both inpatients and outpatients with the most technologically advanced equipment available.

The showpiece of the new unit is a new endoscopy system utilizing Olympus High Definition and Narrow Band Imaging™.

Compared to traditional systems, high-definition endoscopy offers sharper images and better contrast, which thus enables doctors a clearer view of lesions in the colon.

“The Olympus system allows our physicians to see a greater level of detail during procedures,” explains PMMC gastroenterologist Michael Pawlowsky, DO, who was trained on the new equipment. “This will enhance patient diagnosis.”

Dr. Pawlowsky encourages local residents to schedule routine colonoscopies to screen for colorectal cancer.