Gastroenterology & Digestive Diseases
Assessment and treatment of digestive complaints — from acidity, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome through to inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers and unexplained weight loss.
Overview
What gastroenterology covers
Gastroenterology deals with the digestive tract — the food pipe (oesophagus), stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), liver, gallbladder and pancreas. Symptoms in this system are extremely common, and most are not dangerous. The difficulty is that many different conditions produce very similar complaints, so the first task of a gastroenterologist is to separate the small number of problems that need urgent attention from the large number that can be managed with medicines, diet and time.
At GastroCare Hospital, a first consultation is built around listening to your history, examining you, and reviewing the reports you already have. Most patients do not need every test — they need the right test, done once.
Investigations used most often
- Blood tests — complete blood count, liver function, kidney function, blood sugar, thyroid, coeliac serology, vitamin B12 and D, iron studies.
- Stool tests — faecal calprotectin (to detect gut inflammation), stool routine and culture, and stool occult blood.
- Breath tests — for H. pylori infection and for lactose or fructose intolerance.
- Upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy — direct examination with biopsy and polyp removal where needed.
- Abdominal ultrasound, CT or MRI, and FibroScan when liver disease is suspected.
Conditions commonly seen here
- GERD and reflux
- Peptic ulcer and H. pylori
- Functional dyspepsia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Chronic constipation
- Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s
- Coeliac disease
- Chronic diarrhoea and malabsorption
- Fatty liver disease
- Viral hepatitis B and C
- Gallstones
- Pancreatitis
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Unexplained weight loss and anaemia
- Abdominal tuberculosis
Symptoms that should bring you in early
Many digestive symptoms can be observed for a short while. Some cannot.
- Vomiting blood or material that looks like coffee grounds.
- Black, tarry stools or fresh blood in the stool.
- Difficulty swallowing or food sticking on the way down.
- Unintentional weight loss or loss of appetite.
- Severe or worsening abdominal pain, especially with fever.
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice).
- Anaemia found on a blood test without an obvious cause.
- A new change in bowel habit after the age of 45, especially with bleeding.
Do not wait for these
If you have vomiting of blood, black stools, or severe abdominal pain with fever, please call the hospital on (phone) or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a website reply.
What happens at your first visit
A first consultation usually takes 20–30 minutes. You will be asked about your symptoms and their timing, your diet, your bowel habit, your medicines, your family history and your previous treatment. Please bring all your reports. At the end of the visit you will be told the working diagnosis, the plan, which tests (if any) are needed, and when to return. Where a test such as endoscopy is advised, the reason for it will be explained before you decide.
Bring, if you have them
Previous prescriptions, discharge summaries, blood reports, ultrasound and CT reports (and films), endoscopy or colonoscopy reports, and biopsy reports. A list of your current medicines, including anything bought without prescription.
Book a gastroenterology consultation
Requests are answered by the hospital team. A request is not a confirmed appointment until we contact you.
Related services & reading
Questions patients ask
Gastroenterology in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Common questions about seeing a gastroenterologist at GastroCare Hospital.
When should I see a gastroenterologist rather than a general physician?
See a general physician first for short-lived, mild symptoms such as a single episode of loose motions or occasional acidity. See a gastroenterologist when symptoms are persistent (more than a few weeks), recurrent, or associated with warning signs such as weight loss, bleeding, difficulty swallowing, anaemia or jaundice — or when you have already been treated and are not improving.
Will I need an endoscopy on the first visit?
Not necessarily. Many patients can be assessed and treated on history, examination and simple blood or stool tests. Endoscopy is advised when the likely diagnosis needs to be confirmed visually, when there are warning features, or when a biopsy is needed. If it is advised, the reason will be explained to you before scheduling.
Do I need to be fasting for the first consultation?
No. Come as you normally would. Fasting is required only for procedures such as upper GI endoscopy, and for a few blood tests where instructed.
Can I eat normally before a colonoscopy?
No — colonoscopy requires a specific low-fibre diet and bowel-cleansing preparation. You will receive written instructions when your appointment is confirmed. See also our colonoscopy preparation guide.
Is it true that most digestive problems are caused by stress?
No. Stress can certainly worsen conditions such as IBS, and psychological factors are genuinely part of some functional gut disorders. But this is different from saying the problem is imaginary. A functional gut disorder is a real diagnosis and is managed with diet, medicines and, where appropriate, gut-directed therapies — not by being told to relax.
Do you see patients from outside Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar?
Yes — a large part of our work is referral care for patients from Jalna, Beed, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani, Latur, Dharashiv and elsewhere in Marathwada. Please mention when you enquire that you are travelling in, so that consultation and any tests can be planned together.
Book a gastroenterology consultation
Bring your previous prescriptions and reports. A clear plan at the first visit usually avoids further unnecessary tests.