Gastroenterology
All content is checked by medical journalists.Gastroenterology is a branch of internal medicine. It deals with functional disorders and diseases of the digestive system. In the narrower sense, this only includes the stomach and intestines, but in the broadest sense also other structures such as the esophagus, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Depending on requirements, gastroenterologists work together with other specialists, for example with colleagues from surgery, oncology or radiology.
Typical gastroenterological treatment fields are:
- Reflux disease
- Stomach ulcer
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Jaundice (e.g. in hepatitis)
- chronic inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease)
- Functional disorders of the digestive tract (such as irritable stomach, irritable bowel)
- Cancers of the digestive tract (such as stomach cancer, colon cancer)
The gastroenterologist uses various examination methods to diagnose such diseases. These include above all the ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity and endoscopic procedures such as gastroscopy, colonoscopy and laparoscopy. If necessary, minor interventions can also be carried out during an endoscopy. The gastroenterologist can, for example, take tissue samples (biopsy), remove intestinal polyps or expand narrowed biliary tracts.
