Treatment for GI Disorders and Liver Diseases
About gastroenterology and hepatology
Whether it’s time to see a doctor about your frequent heartburn, or you’ve been diagnosed with a serious condition like Crohn’s disease or pancreatic cancer, GI specialists can help. gastroenterologists diagnose and treat disorders of the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon.
What is the gastrointestinal system?
Our gastrointestinal system consists of several organs that work together to “break down” (digest) food, absorb nutrients and expel waste.
The process of digestion begins in the mouth after we consume food or a beverage, and ends in the anus, where highly specialized muscles help release solid waste. In between are important and complex organs that keep the digestive process moving along: the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, small intestine and the colon and rectum (which together make up the large intestine).
Whether they’re caused by illness, injury or lifestyle, problems within our digestive system can have a profound impact on our health and quality of life. That’s why it’s important to seek care from doctors who specialize in GI disorders (called gastroenterologists) or liver disorders (called physicians).
No GI problem too big, no GI symptom too small
Most of us will experience gastrointestinal discomfort, such as heartburn or constipation, at some point in our lives. We can often anticipate these symptoms and learn to manage them with lifestyle changes or over-the-counter medication.
Unfortunately, some of us develop more complicated GI conditions that require a doctor’s care due to their debilitating symptoms or their risk to our long term health.
Doctors care for a wide range of common and often treatable gastrointestinal and liver-related problems ranging from persistent acid reflux to hemorrhoids, as well as complex and even life-threatening diseases including Barrett’s esophagus, Hepatitis B and C, pancreatitis and colon cancer.
Expert care from top our affiliated doctors
Affiliated Physicians have the training and experience necessary to diagnose, manage or treat even the most complex digestive and liver diseases.
gastroenterologists have completed fellowship training specifically in the treatment of GI disorders and liver disease. GI care, including diagnosing and treating:
- Food intolerance and allergies— Proper diagnosis and nutrition counseling services for people with food intolerance and food allergies including celiac disease, gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, and malnutrition caused by a variety of GI disorders. Learn more about Lee Health expertise related to food intolerance and allergies.
- Pancreatic disease— Advanced diagnosis and treatment options for pancreatic disease, including pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
- Stomach disease— Comprehensive care for people with stomach disease, including gastritis and stomach cancer.
- Barrett’s esophagus— Cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation therapies for Barrett’s esophagus.
- Motility disorders— Expert care for esophageal motility disorders including achalasia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- GERD— Minimally-invasive surgery, including transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF), to correct chronic GERD.
- Liver disease— Treatment of patients with a variety of liver diseases, including Hepatitis B and C, liver cancer, liver failure and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- Gallbladder disease— Diagnostic and treatment options for gallbladder disease, including hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan and biliary bypass surgery.
- Colorectal conditions— Treatments for colorectal conditions, ranging from endoscopic mucosal resection for colon cancer to fecal transplant for C. difficile infection.
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)— Treatment and management options for inflammatory bowel disease.
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)— Diagnosis and treatment, including nutrition counseling services, for people with SIBO.