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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffGastrointestinal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a procedure to remove cancerous or other abnormal tissues (lesions) from the digestive tract.
Endoscopic mucosal resection is performed with a long, narrow tube equipped with a light, video camera and other instruments. During endoscopic mucosal resection of the upper digestive tract, the tube (endoscope) is passed down your throat to reach an abnormality in your esophagus, stomach or upper part of the small intestine (duodenum).
When endoscopic mucosal resection is used to remove lesions from the colon, the tube is guided up through the anus.
Although endoscopic mucosal resection is primarily a treatment procedure, it's also used to collect tissues for use in diagnosis. If cancer is present, EMR can help determine if the cancer has invaded tissues beneath the digestive tract lining.
- Chandrasekhara V, et al. Endoscopic mucosal resection: Not your father's polypectomy anymore. Gastroenterology. 2011;141:42.
- Kantsevoy SV, et al. Endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 2008;68:11.
- Upper GI endoscopy. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/upperendoscopy/upperendoscopy.pdf. Accessed Aug. 15, 2011.
- Liu JJ, et al. Endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease. American College of Gastroenterology. http://www.acg.gi.org/patients/gihealth/grdtrtmnt.asp. Accessed Aug. 15, 2011.
- Preparing for an upper GI endoscopy. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/procedures/upper-gi-endoscopy. Accessed Aug. 15, 2011.
- Preparing for a colonoscopy. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/procedures/colonoscopy. Accessed Aug. 15, 2011.
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