Gastroenterologist
The Gastroenterologist is a physician with dedicated training and unique experience in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (oesophagus, stomach and intestines) and hepatobiliary system (liver, gall bladder , biliary tree and pancreas ).
Gastroenterologists treat conditions such as:
- gastrointestinal bleeding
- gastrointestinal cancer
- anaemia
- inflammatory bowel disease, eg Crohn’s disease (inflammation of the lining of the digestive system), ulcerative colitis (inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the rectum and colon)
- short bowel syndrome
- jaundice
- management of alcoholic, viral hepatitis and autoimmune liver disorders (
- diverticulitis - inflammation of the diverticula in the intestine
- gastroenteritis
- hepatitis
Common procedures/interventions performed by the gastroenterologist include:
- diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal lendocsopy
- small bowel endoscopy
- endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)– an endoscopic technique mainly used to diagnose and treat bile duct and pancreatic duct conditions
- endoscopic ultrsound (EUS)
- intestinal and liver biopsy
- paracentesis (puncture of the wall of a cavity using a hollow needle)
- insertion of parenteral nutrition line (intravenous feeding lines)
- planning and aftercare of patients undergoing liver transplant
Sub-specialties
The CCT sub-specialty is hepatology
Many gastroenterologists develop sub-specialty interests such as:
- hepatology
- pancreaticobiliary diseases
- inflammatory bowel disease
- functional bowel disease
- tropical diseases
- gastrointestinal cancer and its prevention
- endoscopic surveillance
- upper GI disease (diseases of the oespahagus and stomach)
- small bowel disease
- pancreatic disease
- transplantation
- medico legal issues in medicine
- clinical pharmacology
- inherited cancer syndromes
- clinical nutrition
Search for gastroenterologist jobs.