Endoscopic Mucosal Resection in Ocean Springs, MS

Potential complications of endoscopic mucosal resection are:

• Bleeding: This is the most common complication and can often be noticed and remedied during the procedure.
• Narrowing of the esophagus: Extracting certain esophageal lesions can enhance the chance of scarring, which tapers the esophagus. This might lead to difficulty swallowing and require further treatment.
• Puncture (perforation): There is a minor risk of a puncture through the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, conditional on the size and location of the extracted lesion.

Call your Ocean Springs, MS gastroenterologist immediately or get emergency care if you experience any of the following symptoms after you have an endoscopic mucosal resection:

• Throwing up
• Bright red blood in the stool
• Fainting
• Trouble breathing
• Fever
• Black stool
• Chest or abdominal discomfort
• Chills

A follow-up appointment with your Digestive Health Center GI specialist will be scheduled to discuss the results of your endoscopic mucosal resection and any lab tests conducted on tissue samples. Questions to ask your specialist include:

• How will you check my health?
• What were the findings of the lab exams? Do I have cancer?
• If I have cancer, will I require additional treatments?
• Do I need to see a cancer specialist (oncologist)?
• Were you able to withdraw all abnormal tissue?

Typically, you will undergo an additional upper endoscopy or colonoscopy several months following your procedure to ensure the entire lesion is gone. When you have your initial procedure, your provider may stain the section of the eliminated polyp with ink (tattoo) so that the area can be readily checked when you have any future exams. The requirements for extra appointments depend on the outcomes of these results.