Skip to content
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Secondary Logo
  • Find Care
  • Explore Services
  • Locations
  • Resources
  • About Us
Menu
  • Find Care
  • Explore Services
  • Locations
  • Resources
  • About Us
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Donate
  • Contact Us

Stay up-to-date on the latest news from Hoag

Secondary Logo

Personal Service Team800-400-4624

Need to ask a question ?Contact Us

Patients & Visitors

  • COVID-19 resources
  • Infection prevention
  • Accepted health insurance
  • Prepare for your visit
  • Clinical trials

Professionals

  • Brokers, agents, & employers
  • Medical professionals
  • Corporate engagement
  • Careers

About Hoag

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Awards & accreditations
  • Hoag Medical Group
  • Community benefit
  • Volunteer with us

Contribute

  • Foundation
  • Events
  • Donate

© 2025 Hoag. All Rights Reserved.Legal

facebook iconinstagram icontwitter iconyoutube iconlinkedin icon
chevron leftDigestive Health Institute

Advanced Endoscopy Program

(949) 764-8379

  • About
  • Procedures & Treatments
  • Meet the Team

Advanced endoscopy at Hoag offers several advantages over traditional endoscopy techniques. These benefits make it a valuable tool in diagnosing and treating various digestive health conditions.

YouTube video

Mind and Body Connection

Enhanced Visualization

Advanced endoscopy equipment features high-definition and 4K imaging technology for superior image quality. This enhanced visualization enables physicians to detect even the smallest lesions or abnormalities, supporting more accurate diagnoses and improved treatment planning. In addition, advanced endoscopy allows physicians to perform therapeutic interventions during the same procedure, reducing the need for multiple visits.
A doctor is checking a patient for abnormalities

Minimally Invasive Benefits

Advanced endoscopy procedures are minimally invasive, which means they require smaller incisions or no incisions at all. This results in reduced post-operative pain, shorter recovery times, and decreased risk of infection compared to open surgical procedures. Many advanced endoscopy procedures can be performed with conscious sedation or local anesthesia, reducing the risks associated with general anesthesia.
A doctor and nurse meet with a patient

Targeted Treatments Customized to Patient Needs

Advanced endoscopy can be customized to meet the specific needs of each patient and allows for precise, targeted treatments. For example, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) enable interventions such as biopsy, stent placement, or tumor ablation. This targeted/individualized approach can lead to better outcomes.
A doctor shows a potential treatment option to a patient

Better Patient Experience/Decreased Pain & Discomfort

The reduced invasiveness, shorter recovery times, and minimal scarring associated with advanced endoscopy can contribute to a better overall patient experience. Patients often experience less pain and discomfort compared to traditional surgical approaches.
A woman with headphones rests on a fence

Procedures & Treatments

Meet Our Advanced Endoscopy Team

Your digestive care starts here

1

Find the right provider

Get care from medical providers that fit your needs in a location near you.

Find a providerchevron right

2

Get in Touch

Didn’t see what you’re looking for? Reach out and we’ll make sure you get what you need.

Contact uschevron right

3

Explore Digestive Health Resources

See all resourceschevron right

Anorectal manometry

Anorectal manometry (AKA anal manometry) is a diagnostic procedure that evaluates the function and strength of the muscles and nerves in the rectum and anus.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Bravo pH Test

Bravo esophageal pH monitoring is a minimally-invasive test used to measure acidity (pH) inside the esophagus, usually over a period of between 48 and 96 hours.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Capsule Study

Small bowel capsule endoscopy (AKA video capsule endoscopy or capsule endoscopy) is a diagnostic imaging test that involves swallowing a tiny, wireless camera about the size of a large vitamin pill. This allows doctors to visualize the full interior of the digestive system, including the small intestine.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is a procedure that allows a health care provider to visually examine the inner lining of the large intestine, including the entire colon and rectum.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a diagnostic procedure that utilizes X-rays and a technique known as upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to diagnose and potentially treat issues associated with the bile ducts.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS), also known as endoscopic ultrasonography, is a diagnostic technique that allows doctors to get a clearer view of issues involving the liver and bile ducts by combining ultrasound with the use of a special device called an endoscope.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Endoscopic Weight Loss

Endoscopic weight loss procedures are a newer type of minimally invasive, non-surgical procedures.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Esophageal Manometry

Esophageal manometry is a diagnostic test that measures muscle contractions in the esophagus, which is the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an endoscopic procedure that utilizes a small, flexible camera called an endoscope that’s passed down the throat, allowing doctors to view the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, which is the initial portion of the small intestine.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing

Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing, commonly referred to as a FEES Study, is a specialized medical procedure that allows doctors to make a direct visual assessment of a patient’s swallowing process.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Gastroduodenal Manometry

Gastroduodenal manometry is a specialized test that measures the muscle contractions and pressure changes that occur in the stomach and upper intestine (AKA the duodenum) as food moves through the GI tract.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

GI Genius

The GI Genius Intelligent Endoscopy Module is a medical device that utilizes artificial intelligence to help physicians detect colorectal polyps during colonoscopy, including those that may be flat and small, making them hard to detect.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Omega Fluoroscopy System

FluoroShield™ is a advanced form of interventional fluoroscopy that utilizes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce and manage the amount of radiation delivered during the procedure.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM

POEM is an endoscopic procedure where a flexible tube with a camera is inserted into the mouth to the esophagus and a small cut is made at the lower end of the esophagus.

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (TIF) / (cTIF)

Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) is a minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure that corrects a weakened esophageal sphincter, which causes chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Learn moreChevron right small icon

Endoscopy Specialists

Kenneth J. Chang, MD

Kenneth J. Chang, MDChevron right small icon

Executive Medical Director, Hoag Digestive Health Institute

Jennifer Phan, MD

Jennifer Phan, MDChevron right small icon

Medical Director, Hoag Irvine Advanced Endoscopy, Director of Bariatric Endoscopy, Gastroenterologist

Phuong T. Nguyen, MD

Phuong T. Nguyen, MDChevron right small icon

Medical Director of Hoag Advanced Endoscopy Center, Gastroenterologist

Paul J. Korc, MD

Paul J. Korc, MDChevron right small icon

Paul J. Korc, M.D. serves as medical director of the Hoag GI Lab and is a board-certified gastroenterologist with fellowship training in advanced endoscopic procedures. After completing his residency and fellowship at USC, he went on to spend a year at Indiana University, one of the nation’s top programs for biliary and pancreatic disorders. There, he received training in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), gaining extensive experience in the management of complex cases. Dr. Korc’s expertise also includes removal of large polyps and early stage cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, using endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). He spent time in Seoul, Korea learning ESD, a cutting-edge technique in which pre-cancerous lesions and superficial cancers are removed en bloc (in one piece), avoiding the need for surgery. Additionally, Dr. Korc performs peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), a specialized procedure that restores the ability to eat and drink for people with achalasia, an esophageal motility disorder. Dr. Korc brings to Hoag his expertise in these procedures, some of which are available at only a handful of medical centers in Southern California. Dr. Korc offers patients compassionate, personalized care along with the very best advances in endoscopic treatment.

Ravi J. Kankotia, MD

Ravi J. Kankotia, MDChevron right small icon

Dr. Kankotia is a board-certified gastroenterologist at the Hoag Digestive Health Institute. His focus is in advanced endoscopic procedures, and his clinical interests include pancreaticobiliary disease, tissue resection, Barrett’s esophagus, and bariatrics. Other services offered include luminal stenting, radiofrequency ablation, endoscopic mucosal resection, esophageal pH monitoring (Bravo), liver biopsy, portal pressure measurement, and endoscopic suturing. He strives to provide his patients and their families with personalized care plans that help each patient reach their health goals. At the Hoag Digestive Health Institute, Dr. Kankotia works with a team of digestive health experts to provide a comprehensive approach to wellness. Dr. Kankotia earned his medical degree at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He completed internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center. He then completed an additional fellowship in advanced endoscopy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he developed expertise in ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), diagnostic and therapeutic EUS (endoscopic ultrasound), and other techniques while garnering experience managing complex cases. Dr. Kankotia is a current member of the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Additionally, he has contributed to several publications on topics such as gastric cancer, biliary disease, pancreatic cysts, and luminal strictures.

Hali Pham, NP-BC

Hali Pham, NP-BCChevron right small icon

Nurse Practitioner