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 and other symptoms of gallbladder problems
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.

Know Your Risk Factors: Colon Cancer

Risk Factors:

Family or personal history of colorectal cancer or polyps
Personal history of abdominal or pelvic radiation
Personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (like ulcerative colitis or Crohn's)
Lifestyle factors, like obesity, inactivity, poor diet, smoking and alcohol
Certain less common inherited conditions, such as Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, cystic fibrosis, or others

If You’re Eligible, Get Screened.

Our society likes to say that 50 is the new 40, but that’s not true for colorectal cancer screenings. For years, the recommended screening age started at 50 for individuals with an average risk of disease. It’s now changed to 45, and it may be even lower if you have risk factors like a family or personal history of cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s). Make sure to have open, honest conversations with your primary care doctor about these risk factors. You’ll even find that screening options have expanded and improved beyond your grandparents’ colonoscopies. Remember, when it comes to colorectal cancer, 45 is the new 50.

Don’t Ignore Warning Signs

It’s easy to write off common conditions like chronic belly pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue or blood in the stool. In many cases, we can attribute their causes to something much less serious than colorectal cancer. Still, it’s often a slow-growing disease. The presence of any symptom that aligns with cancer warrants a discussion with your doctor.

Consider Lifestyle Changes

We can’t control genetics or family history, but we can control other risk factors that lead to colorectal cancer. Excess body weight, sedentary lifestyles, smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol can all increase our risk. Do your best to exercise regularly with an appropriate intensity while maintaining a diet that builds muscle but keeps off body fat. Finally, if you smoke, seek out a cessation plan, and if you drink alcohol, limit your consumption.

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