Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology deals with disorders of the digestive tract — the esophagus, stomach, small intestines, colon, and pancreas as well as disorders of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts.

Endoscopy

Endoscopy refers to a broad category of procedures in which different flexible fiber optic tubes of varying lengths with a light at the end (called endoscopes) are used to visualize the lining of the digestive tract. When passed in through the mouth, it is used to evaluate the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (esophagogastroduodenoscopy or EGD); a catheter can then be inserted under x-ray guidance to visualize the bile duct or pancreas (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography or ERCP). When the endoscope is passed in through the rectum, it is used to visualize the left colon (flexible sigmoidoscopy) or the entire colon (colonoscopy). The endoscope permits a variety of therapeutic procedures to be performed, such as removal of polyps or removal of stones from the bile ducts.