Maryland Daily Record Maryland's trusted source for business and legal news
Dr. Paul Thuluvath, right, medical director of The Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy, speaks to the crowd during the unveiling of the hospital’s new Motility and Breath Testing Suite, part of an 8,200-plus square-foot expansion of the hospital’s Endoscopy Center. From left are Fr. Tom Malia, assistant to the president for Mission; Dr. David Maine, president and CEO of Mercy Health Services; and Sister Helen Amos, RSM, executive chair of the Mercy Board of Trustees. (Photo courtesy of Mercy Medical Center)
Mercy Medical Center announced Tuesday the opening of its new motility and breath testing suite, part of an 8,200-plus square-foot expansion of the hospital’s endoscopy center, located on the second floor of Mercy’s Mary Catherine Bunting Center.
The new suite includes 10 GI preparation and recovery rooms, eight breathing testing chairs, testing for upper and lower motility, a biofeedback room, a smart pill room, multiple exam rooms and offices.
Breath tests are done to determine if there are excessive bacteria in the small bowel, to diagnose lactose and fructose intolerance, among other issues. Common problems studied include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic bloating and gas, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea and fecal incontinence.
Motility testing is performed by clinicians to see if a patient’s gastrointestinal tract is contracting and relaxing properly.
The Bunting endoscopy suite has 20 private patient rooms and five procedure rooms and includes the Spyglass and Image Stream imaging technologies and specialized GI procedure staff.
The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease is known for top doctors and renowned GI specialists with world-class expertise, offering patients comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and care in a compassionate setting.
