Gastroenterology nurses provide care for patients with gastrointestinal diseases of the stomach, esophagus or bowel. Conditions treated may include ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and abdominal injuries.

It involves a detailed understanding of the normal action (physiology) of the gastrointestinal organs, including movements of material through the stomach and intestine (motility), digestion and absorption of nutrients into the body, removal of waste from the system, and liver function as a digestive organ.

We treat a range of conditions including inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, peptic ulcer disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, cancers of the oesophagus, stomach, pancreas and bowel, bile salt malabsorption and Barrett's oesophagus.

Day case treatments, diagnostic tests and drug infusions are also all performed on a regular basis in the unit. Please note the GI Unit is not a visiting ward. Gastroenterology can be divided into five different disciplines: Upper GI, Lower GI, Clinical Nutrition, Hepatology, Pancreaticobiliary.

You should see a gastroenterologist if you have any symptoms of a digestive health disorder or if you need colon cancer screening. Often, seeing a gastroenterologist leads to more accurate detection of polyps and cancer, fewer complications from procedures and less time spent in the hospital.

Your doctor will check your abdomen for signs that may indicate abnormalities, like visible masses or surgical scars with bulges. Auscultation of bowel sounds. The gastroenterologist will listen to each abdominal quadrant for bowel sounds or bruits (vascular sounds linked with turbulent blood flow).

The difference between a gastroenterologist and a gastrointestinal surgeon. Gastroenterologists do not carry out surgical operations. They work with gastrointestinal surgeons, who perform surgical procedures to repair or remove parts of the digestive system.

Your doctor will visually inspect your abdomen and look for things like scars, rashes and swelling. Palpation of your abdominal area. Using their hands, your doctor will systematically press on and feel different parts of your belly to check for areas of tenderness, pain, lumps or other abnormalities.