Florida Hospital Flagler Is The Only Hospital in Florida to Offer Third Eye® Colonoscopy

April 11, 2012 - PRLog -- PALM COAST – Florida Hospital Flagler announced today that it is the only hospital in Florida to currently offer Third Eye® colonoscopy—a technique that has been shown to improve the detection of adenomas (pre-cancerous polyps) by up to 25 percent.1,2  

Used during colonoscopy, the Third Eye Retroscope is a small, innovative imaging device that provides a retrograde, or backwards, view of the colon simultaneously with the forward view of a standard colonoscope. Operating much like a “rearview mirror,” the Third Eye Retroscope helps physicians to visualize adenomas in potential “blind spots,” such as behind the many natural folds and curves within the colon.

“We’ve chosen to incorporate the Third Eye Retroscope device into our colonoscopies because it allows us to see more of the colon,” said Joseph McKinley, MD. “Seeing more means we can potentially find more polyps to remove.”

From a patient’s perspective, the colonoscopy with Third Eye Retroscope is identical to the standard colonoscopy, down to the preparation, procedure, and recovery.

“We reassure our patients that although the bowel prep may not be a great experience, having Third Eye colonoscopies will reward them with much higher confidence in a clean bill of health,” said Dr. McKinley.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in both men and women in the US. According to the American Cancer Society, screening colonoscopies have the potential to prevent approximately 65% of colorectal cancer cases.

Unfortunately, only about half of the U.S. population ages 50 and older has had a recent colonoscopy, despite the evidence supporting its effectiveness. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that if everyone ages 50 and older were screened regularly, 60% of deaths from this cancer could be avoided. This screening test is so important, many insurance companies have reduced or waived co-pays associated with screening colonoscopies.

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Florida Hospital Volusia/Flagler is a nonprofit with a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ. With five hospitals, Florida Hospital is the largest hospital system in Volusia and Flagler counties, caring for nearly 650,000 patients every year.