Gastroenterology

Gastroenterologists with St. Bernards Healthcare use the latest screenings, treatments and therapies to make sure your digestion works properly. Our team of expert gastroenterologist doctors and specialists diagnose and treat problems related to your digestive system, which begins where food enters your body and ends where it leaves as waste. Along your digestive system, your gastrointestinal (GI) tract absorbs nutrients from food and liquids into your bloodstream and expels waste from your body. Within your GI tract, you have major digestive organs, such as the:

• Esophagus (throat)
• Stomach
• Small Intestine
• Large Intestine (colon, rectum and anus)

You also have accessory digestive organs, which include the:

• Pancreas
• Gallbladder
• Liver

When something goes wrong with digestion, our gastroenterology doctors use their knowledge of how food and liquids move throughout your body, helping them diagnose and treat diseases and disorders affecting your:

Esophagus, such as –

• Esophagitis
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hiatal hernias
• Swallowing difficulties

Liver, such as –

• Cirrhosis
• Fatty liver disease
• Hepatitis

Stomach and intestines, such as –

• Appendicitis
• Celiac disease
• Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) infections
• Colorectal polyps and cancer
• Colitis
• Diverticulitis
• Hemorrhoids
• Food allergies and intolerances
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Stomach ulcers

Pancreas, biliary and gallbladder, such as –

• Cholecystitis
• Gallstones
• Pancreatitis

When to See a Doctor

If you experience or have trouble with any of the following symptoms, you should first request an appointment with your primary care provider, who may refer you to a gastroenterologist. These symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain or cramps
• Blood in stool
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Heartburn and acid reflux
• Hemorrhoids
• Irregular or painful bowel movements

If your symptoms are severe, you should go to the Emergency Department because you may require immediate medical attention.

What Do We Offer

If needed, you may undergo treatment in the GI Lab at St. Bernards Medical Center. Here, our gastroenterology physicians use devices that help them see, biopsy (removal of a sample of your affected area for testing) and treat your GI tract for problems. We even offer the latest imaging techniques, known as fluoroscopy, where our physicians detect digestive disorders related to bile in real-time.

Patients in our GI Lab typically arrive and leave the same day, known as an outpatient procedure. After a procedure, you stay in our recovery area until your nurse determines you are alert enough and physically capable of going home.

Some of the GI exams and procedures we offer include:

• Bravo™ Reflux Testing System Capsule – Uses a capsule to measure pH levels in the esophagus, sending its readings to a receiver worn on your belt or waistband
• Colonoscopy – Exam that looks for changes in the large intestine (colon) or rectum, such as swollen, irritated tissues, polyps or cancer
• EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) – Test that uses an endoscope (long, flexible, lighted tube) to examine your upper GI tract
• Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) – Uses an endoscope (long, flexible, lighted tube) to examine problems in the GI tract and surrounding organs
• ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) – Procedure that combines X-rays and the use of an endoscope (long, flexible, lighted tube) to diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas
• Esophageal Manometry – Uses a thin, pressure-sensitive tube to see if the muscles in your esophagus (throat) are working properly
• Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) – Delivers healthy human donor stool to another person through a colonoscopy, enema, nasogastric (NG) tube or capsule (known as "poop pills"). It may be prescribed for GI infections such as C. diff, that keep recurring despite using antibiotics
• Hemorrhoid Banding (Rubber Band Ligation) – Uses a rubber band placed around swollen, painful hemorrhoids to remove them and help keep them from coming back
• LAMS (Lumen-Apposing Metal Stents) Placement – Uses a lighted stent to help drainage of excess fluid in the pancreas
• M2A™ Capsule Endoscope – Diagnostic tool that helps determine if you have a small intestine disorder, such as IBS, Crohns disease or cancer
• Motility Testing – Determines if you have a motility disorder that prevents food and waste from moving along your GI tract properly
• Paracentesis (abdominal tap) – Procedure using a catheter (thin tube) or needle inserted into your abdominal cavity to drain excess fluid
• PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) Tube Placements – Uses a thin tube called a gastrostomy or feeding tube that allows you to receive nutrition directly through your stomach
• Polypectomy – Procedure that removes polyps (abnormal growth of tissue) within the large intestine (colon)
• Sigmoidoscopy – Diagnostic test to check the sigmoid colon in the lower part of your colon or large intestine