Gastroenterology is an area of medicine that focuses on the health of the digestive system, or the gastrointestinal digestive system. Gastroenterologists can treat everything from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to hepatitis C.
Some possible areas of emphasis are:
• Pancreatic disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease, or chronic inflammation of your digestive tract
• Gastrointestinal cancer
• Hepatology, which focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas
• Endoscopic surveillance
What does Gastroenterologist do ?
Gastroenterologist primarily diagnose and treat digestive system diseases in both men and women. They perform endoscopic procedures, in which they use specialized instruments to view the GI tract and make a diagnosis. These procedures are usually done intravenous sedation in painless and comfortable test.
The GI system includes:
• Digests and moves food
• Absorbs nutrients
• Removes waste from your body
When should you see a Gastroenterologist ?
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Repeated loose motions
• Constipation
• Jaundice
• Bleeding from digestive system
Procedures gastroenterologists perform -
These specialists perform a range of endoscopic procedures. This can include:
• Upper GI endoscopy for acidity and dyspepsia
• Colonoscopies to detect colon cancer or colon polyps
• Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to treat gallstones, tumors, or scar tissue in the bile duct area
• Liver biopsies to assess inflammation and fibrosis of liver
• Capsule endoscopies to examine the small intestine
• Endoscopic ultrasound to examine the pancreas and for stones in the biliary
