An Introduction to Gastroenterology

Hello Readers,

Here is a brief look into Gastroenterology.

Gastroenterology is a branch of the medical field focused primarily on the digestive system and its disorders. Physicians practicing in this field of medicine are called gastroenterologists. Gastroenterologists study and treat diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the organs from the mouth to anus: the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine, the pancreas, the liver, the gallbladder, and the colon. There are specialists in this field who decide to specialize even more into the field of the digestive system by becoming, GI radiologists or GI oncologists by choosing to complete an additional two to three year fellowship. Gastroenterology is not the same as gastroenterological surgery or of colon and rectal surgery, both of which are actually specialty branches of general surgery.

                 

Gastroenterologists usually perform two procedures to view the organs of the digestive system: a Colonoscopy and an Upper-GI Endoscopy.

• Colonoscopy: It is a procedure typically performed to examine the large intestine for diseases such as colorectal cancer. To perform this procedure, gastroenterologists use a long thin flexible tube, called a colonscope, which is equipped with a small video camera and light to delve into the rectum and colon. The objective of this being to look for polyps that sometimes plague the rectal wall which are sometimes indicators of cancer. If polyps are discovered, they are often removed during this procedure and sent to a lab to be cultured in order to determine whether or not these polyps are cancerous.
• Endoscopy: An endoscopy is a helpful procedure in the diagnosis or evaluation of various problems that affect the digestive system. They are typically performed when patients complain of difficulty or of painful swallowing, pain in the stomach or in the abdomen region, gastric bleeding, stomach ulcers, tumors in the digestive system, and with problems occurring with the gall bladder or pancreas or bile ducts. An endoscope is used during this procedure, which is a long thin flexible tube equipped with a tiny video camera and light. The gastroenterologist uses the controls on the endoscope to safely guide the instrument inside the lining of the upper digestive system.

With theses procedures they typically diagnose common diseases such as Polyps, Hemrroids, Diverticulosis, and Diverticulitis.

• Polyps are a small abnormal growth, typically benign, with a stalk protruding from a mucous membrane. They can usually be broken down into three classes:
• Hyperplastic polyps, which are usually small, are located in the end-portion of the colon (the rectum and sigmoid colon), and have no potential of becoming malignant. It is not always possible to distinguish a hyperplastic polyp from an adenomatous polyp based upon appearance during colonoscopy, which means that hyperplastic polyps are often removed or biopsied to allow microscopic examination.
• Adenomatous polyps make up Two-thirds of polyps found in the colon.  Most of these polyps do not develop into cancer, although they have the potential to become cancerous. Adenomas are classified by their size, general appearance, and their specific features as seen under the microscope.
• Malignant polyps are Polyps that contain pre-cancerous or cancerous cells. The optimal treatment for malignant polyps depends upon the extent of the cancer (when examined with a microscope) and other individual factors.
• Hemrroids are a swollen group of veins in the region of the anus. This disease is sometimes called Piles.
• Diverticulosis is often found with a test done for other reasons, such as flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or barium enema. Most people with diverticulosis have no symptoms of where the bacteria, diverticula, are present in the intestine without signs of inflammation and will remain symptom free for the rest of their lives.
• Diverticulitis is an inflammation of a diverticulum. It occurs when there is thinning of the diverticular wall. Diverticulitis may be caused by increased pressure within the colon or hardened particles of stool, which can become lodged within the diverticulum. Both of these events probably decrease blood flow to the diverticulum.

Thanks for reading!

References:

1. http://emedicine.medscape.com/gastroenterology
2. http://sandiegogastro.com/patient-education/
3. http://www.gastro.org/patient-center/about-gastroenterology