Here at Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey (GANJ), we don’t like to just think of ourselves as thought leaders: We like to prove it.
Since the inception of our practice in 2008, we’ve always strived to be one step ahead. Our nine founding physicians—many still with us today—set the ground work for a culture that puts the patient first before anything else. As a result, we have grown to more than twice our original number over the last several years. With more physicians on staff, we have been able to better communicate, research and effectively treat gastrointestinal conditions with our ground-breaking procedures, equipment and success rate.
Below are just a few of the reasons we at GANJ stand tall today and tomorrow:
The ORBERA Balloon: Beginning in the early months of 2016, Dr. Grossman began doing a weight-loss procedure simply called the ORBERA, or bariatric balloon procedure. The ORBERA balloon is a durable gastric balloon made out of soft silicone. Over a six- month period where the balloon resides in the stomach, it encourages the body to adapt to healthier portion sizes.
The shape and volume of the balloon will adapt to the specific patient. The standard target range for the ORBERA balloon is three times more weight loss than diet and exercise alone. There are no knives, no cutting and no scars. The gastric balloon is inserted orally through the esophagus and placed directly into the stomach. Time for this procedure rarely exceeds 30 minutes, and the weight-loss journey begins as soon the same day. Recently, Dr. Volfson has joined Dr. Grossman as the second GANJ physician to perform the procedure.
The TIF Procedure: Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) refers to a surgical solution that corrects the root cause of GERD. GERD—or acid reflux disease—is the cause of an anatomic defect of the gastroesophageal valve (GEV).
TIF is a traditional surgical procedure meant to provide a barrier to reflux. It is the same procedure a surgeon could do with a laparoscopy or performing robotic surgery but offers an incisionless technique where the surgeon performs the work on the inside of the body. Done under general anesthesia in a hospital setting, it is performed as a same-day procedure. This is unlike the surgical procedures from the past, which required two to three days of hospital time.
Dr. Shami is currently the first and only physician at GANJ to perform the procedure.
The Fuse Full Spectrum Endoscopy System: During a standard colonoscopy, a long tube with a single camera allows the physician to see 170 degrees around within the intestine. With the Full Spectrum Endoscopy System, there is one camera plus two additional cameras at the side. As a result, the field of vision during the colonoscopy transforms from a 170-degree view to a full 330 degrees. With this expanded view, physicians are able to find many more polyps and, ultimately, bring the colon cancer prevention rate up.
