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Marcia Canto, MD, MHS
Director, Endoscopy
Department of Gastroenterology
Phone: 410-614-5388
Website
William J. Ravich, MD
Clinical Director, Gastroenterology
Phone:410-955-4910
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The American Gastrroenterologic
Association advises that individuals who have had reflux symptoms (usually
heartburn) for several years undergo upper endoscopy to determine if
Barrett's esophagus is present and to assess for premalignant features.
This is accomplished by insertion of a flexible fiberoptic tube (endoscope)
through the mouth into the esophagus. A computerized camera/ visualization
system attached to the endoscope allows the gastroenterologist to determine
if Barrett's esophagus is present and this is confirmed by biopsies.
Biopsies are also examined to detect dysplasia, the precursor to cancer.
In experienced hands, upper endoscopy is a simple, painless, low risk
procedure requiring less than an hour without need for inpatient admission.
If you have reflux symptoms
or know you have Barrett's esophagus or dysplasia in Barrett's esopgahus,
and would like to be evaluated at Johns Hopkins, the appropriate gastroenterologists
are Dr. Marcia Canto and Dr. William Ravich.
Dr. Canto received her medical
degree in 1985 and completed her internship and residency in Internal
Medicine at the State University of New York Health Sciences Center
in Brooklyn, New York. After training as a Gastroenterologist at Johns
Hopkins, she added an advanced endoscopy fellowship at Case Western
Reserve University in Cleveland, where she remained on staff until 1996,
when she joined the full-time faculty at Johns Hopkins. She has subsequently
earned a degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins School
of Hygiene and Public Health. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine
and Gastroenterology.
At Hopkins, she has become a leading national
expert in the evaluation and treatment of Barrett's esophagus and chemoprevention
in Barrett's esophagus and is the endoscopist on clinical trials in
this discipline. She has performed thousands of endoscopic procedures
and is a pioneer in using special dyes to detect abnormal areas in the
esophagus (a technique which is called chromoendoscopy). She is the
author of numerous publications on esophageal diseases and has lectured
nationally and internationally on these topics.
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