Driscoll Family Digestive Health Center (2023)

FAQs

What happens when you are referred to a gastroenterologist? ›

At your first appointment, your gastroenterologist will speak with you about your medical history, symptoms, and any recent treatments you've had. Depending on your age, they may recommend certain preventative treatments, such as a colonoscopy, which can help prevent colorectal cancer.

On average, visits with your gastroenterologist cost $381 without health insurance.

If you have unexplained or frequent digestive issues, such as abdominal discomfort or changes to your bowel habits, someone's probably told you to see a gastroenterologist, also sometimes referred to as a GI doctor.

The Driscoll Family Digestive Health Centre is the leading centre for digestive health disorders in Canada. We have clinics located at Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital.

The most common conditions, diseases, and disorders diagnosed and treated by gastroenterologists include: Cancer (Gastrointestinal, Liver, Pancreatic, Colorectal) Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Celiac Disease.

A gastroenterologist may begin by physically examining you. They may feel and listen to your abdominal organs from the outside, or insert a finger into your rectum. They may order follow-up tests, such as blood tests, poop tests or imaging tests like GI X-ray exams that take pictures of your organs from the outside.

Gastroenterology is the study of the normal function and diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, pancreas, gallbladder, bile ducts and liver.

Top ranked

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been recognized as the best gastroenterology and GI surgery hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in every year since, 1990 when the rankings were first established.

What state is best for gastroenterology? ›

Gastrointestinal describes the digestive organs as a full. Whereas gastroenterologist, is that the doctor specializing within the field of gastroenterology. A gastroenterologist has the distinctive qualifications to properly determine problems within the GI tract, and conduct procedures such as a lower GI endoscopy.

An upper gastrointestinal (or GI) endoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to look at the inside of your esophagus, stomach, and the first part of your small intestine, called the duodenum. The esophagus is the tube that carries food to your stomach. The doctor uses a thin, lighted tube that bends.

Some people with chronic stomach discomfort are more sensitive to certain foods like dairy, spicy foods, soda, fried foods or alcohol. These foods can relax the muscle that keeps food from traveling backward, increase stomach acid production or keep the stomach full for too long.

Symptoms include blood on or mixed in with the stool, a change in normal bowel habits, narrowing of the stool, abdominal pain, weight loss, or constant tiredness.

Some common problems include heartburn, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and lactose intolerance. Other digestive diseases include: Gallstones, cholecystitis, and cholangitis. Rectal problems, such as anal fissure, hemorrhoids, proctitis, and rectal prolapse.

IBS is the most common disease diagnosed by gastroenterologists and one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians.

How can I fix my digestive problems naturally? ›

Common digestive disorders include gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance and hiatal hernia. The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, pain, nausea and vomiting.

Some digestive diseases can be life-threatening, especially if left untreated. These include inflammatory bowel disease, cirrhosis, gastrointestinal cancers, hepatitis, blocked flow of blood to the intestines, and perforated intestines or stomach.

Blood tests can show levels of specific substances in the blood. Digestive issues for which blood tests support a diagnosis include Celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), stomach ulcers, stomach cancer and food allergies.

GastroPanel test in screening of the risk conditions for gastric cancer.

There's no test to definitively diagnose IBS . Your health care provider is likely to start with a complete medical history, physical exam and tests to rule out other conditions, such as celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

This is a procedure that helps diagnose and treat problems in the liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, and pancreas. It uses X-rays and a long, flexible, lighted tube (endoscope). The scope is put into your mouth and throat.

Both a hepatologist and a gastroenterologist can help diagnose and treat liver disease. Chronic liver diseases are on the rise, as is liver cancer.

Who is the most famous gastroenterologist? ›

This is a doctor who specializes in problems of the digestive system. Unlike a registered dietician-nutritionist, a gastroenterologist can prescribe drugs. They also can recommend lifestyle changes and offer guidance on how to change your diet.

How much does a Gastroenterologist make? The national average salary for a Gastroenterologist is $1,71,737 in United States. Filter by location to see Gastroenterologist salaries in your area.

The largest, physician-led GI network in the US. GI Alliance is dedicated to exceptional care, positive outcomes, and patient satisfaction. With comprehensive gastrointestinal care, GI Alliance operates its +150 centers in 6 states.

Gastroenterologists must earn a Bachelor of Science degree, followed by a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degree. It takes about eight years to complete undergraduate study and medical school.

A specialist in diseases of the digestive system (gastroenterologist) uses an endoscopy to diagnose and sometimes treat conditions that affect the upper part of the digestive system.

Gastroenterologists can provides non-surgical treatments like hemorrhoid banding as well as procedures such as an endoscopy and interpret the results. If a patient suspects they suffer from hemorrhoids, a gastroenterologist can diagnose them and recommend treatment options based on their severity.

Experiencing abnormal bowel movements, rectal bleeding, frequent heartburn, abdominal pain or bloating, peptic ulcers, jaundice, dysphagia, unexplained weight loss, or reaching the age of 45 are signs you may need to see a gastroenterologist.

What are the benefits of seeing a gastroenterologist? ›

Standard imaging tests for gastric conditions include upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans and X-rays. For an even clearer picture of the gastrointestinal tract, a barium swallow or barium enema may be used in conjunction with an X-ray.

Practically, there is no difference between the two specialists since one (gastrologist) is only a commonly adapted word of a gastroenterologist.

Red flag symptoms include dysphagia, iron deficiency anaemia, other nutritional anaemia, abnormal weight loss, anorexia, early satiety, personal or family history of cancer of the digestive system, and development of peptic ulcer disease in the previous 12 months.

Options range from no anesthesia or sedation at all to general anesthesia, but for upper endoscopies, moderate or deep sedation is most common. The anesthetics that may be used to minimize pain and discomfort and reduce anxiety include propofol, benzodiazepines, and opioids.

During the Endoscopy

At this point, if you are receiving sedation, you will start to be sleepy and will most likely remain asleep throughout the procedure, which generally takes about 10 to 20 minutes.

Common GI exams include: Barium Swallow Test (Esophagram): An examination of the esophagus as it swallows. (Approximate time: one hour.) Upper GI Series: An examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (upper small intestine) as they digest.

Your stomach must be empty. Before the test, you should have nothing to eat or drink after midnight, except a small amount (6 ounces) of clear liquids up to three hours before the test. Consult with your doctor regarding any changes in your medications on the day of the test.