Gastroenterology
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Gastroenterology focuses on the digestive system and the disorders affecting it. This includes areas of the body such as the:
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Large and small intestine
- Pancreas
- Liver
The gastroenterologists in Porter Physician Group treat patients who are experiencing conditions affecting the digestive system. Our gastroenterology specialists have diagnostic tools that help them see inside your body and get to the root of your symptoms. Seeking the medical knowledge of a gastroenterologist can provide proper medical treatment to set you on the path to recovery from or management of digestive system disease.
Some of our gastroenterology services include:
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
Endoscopic ultrasound
Capsule endoscopy
Colonoscopy
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
EGD with capsule placement
Esophageal dilation
Esophageal variceal banding in cirrhosis patients
Push enteroscopy
PEG tube placement
pH monitoring (reflux testing system)
The most commonly diagnosed and treated digestive issues are:
- Acid Reflux - The sphincter muscle at the bottom of the esophagus doesn't close properly, allowing stomach contents to spill back up into the esophagus, causing acid reflux. Symptoms of acid reflux may include persistent sore throat, hoarseness, chronic cough, asthma, chest pain or a feeling of having a lump in the throat. If acid reflux becomes a chronic problem, it can lead to trouble swallowing, esophageal bleeding or ulcers, and an increased risk of developing cancerous cells at the bottom of the esophagus.
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) - A chronic form of acid reflux in which heartburn occurs more than twice a week.
- Heartburn - When everything is functioning as it should, a muscle at the lower end of your esophagus opens when you swallow, allowing food to pass into your stomach. If that muscle is weakened or relaxes at the wrong time, acid from your stomach can come back up into your esophagus causing acid reflux, creating the sensation of heartburn.
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, approximately 25 million adult Americans suffer from heartburn - the most common symptom of acid reflux or GERD - on a daily basis.
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - A cluster of gastro-intestinal (GI) symptoms, including frequent stomach pain and constipation or diarrhea, whose cause cannot be explained.
- Lactose Intolerance - A condition in which the stomach cannot properly absorb or digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and milk products.
- Gallstones - Hard particles that develop in the gallbladder that can block bile ducts, causing sudden, severe pain in the upper right abdomen.
- Peptic Ulcers - An open sore in the lining of the stomach or intestine.
- Diverticulitis - Inflammation or infection of bulging pouches that can form on the inner lining of the intestine.
- Celiac Disease - An autoimmune disorder in which consuming gluten (found in wheat, barley and rye) causes damage in the small intestine.
- Crohn's Disease - A type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic inflammation of the GI tract.