Integrated Care for Digestive Diseases
Medica’s Gastroenterology & GI Surgery department provides integrated and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment facilities for diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, along with liver, gall bladder and pancreas. Our gut or gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a single tubular structure that includes the organs from mouth to anus, along the alimentary canal, and includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine (colon). Digestive conditions range from simple acidity and indigestion to more complex chronic problems like IBS, Chrohn’s, ulcers and cancer. While most functional gastrointestinal disorders (where the GI tract looks normal but does not function properly) can be treated with medication and lifestyle adjustments, structural disorders (where there is abnormality in the structure of digestive tract) may need surgical intervention. Treatment facilities at Medica include medical, therapeutic and surgical intervention.
Symptoms to look out for
- Heartburn (Ambal) Flatulence (Gas) & Indigestion
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Inability to put on weight in spite of good diet
- Vomiting of blood (haematemesis) or black stool (Malaena)
- Anaemia
- Difficulty in swallowing
- Jaundice (yellow discoloration & yellow urine)
- Bleeding from rectum
- Loose stool & Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Any lump in belly
Conditions treated
- IBS (Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome)
- IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) – Ulcerative Colitis, Chrohn’s
- GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease)
- Peptic Ulcer
- Gastritis
- Gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease
- Haemorhhoids
- Anal Fissures
- Fistulas
- Perianal absesses
- Constipation
- Hernia, Piles
- Gallbladder diseases
- Pancreatitis
- Appendicitis
- Jaundice
- Hepatitis
- Diverticular Disease
- Rectal Prolapse
- Colon Polyps
- Cancer
Endoscopy Services
Endoscopic procedures are performed to diagnose and sometimes treat certain conditions in the stomach and intestines. A scope is inserted through mouth or rectum to enable the doctor to study the inside of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and colon. Small tools are sometimes passed through the endoscope to treat problems in the digestive system like widening a narrow esophagus or clipping a polyp.
Procedures performed at Medica:
- Gastroscopy (upper endoscopy), colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy
- ERCP Extraction of bile duct stones
- Stents for advanced cancers — esophageal, colonic and bile duct
- Endoscopic treatment for bleeding ulcers
- Endoscopic treatment for polyps
- Endoscopic treatment for oesophageal varices
- Polypectomy
- Argon plasma coagulation
- Nutritional access: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)
- Video Capsular Endoscopy (VCE)
Complex surgeries
Medica’s GI surgery programme offers advanced surgical treatment for complex conditions, including Biliary Stricture, Chronic Pancreatitis, GI Bleed, Ulcerative Colitis, High Anal Fistula (Anal plug VAAFT), Stapled surgery for piles. Advanced surgical procedures include:
- Advanced Laparoscopy – Adrenalectomy, Appendectomy, Colon Resection, Splenectomy
- GI Oncosurgery
- Whipple surgery for treatment of tumours and other disorders of pancreas, intestine and bile ducts
- Liver Resection
- Radical Colectomy
- Radical Gastrectomy
- Radical Esophagectomy
Special Clinics
- Indigestion & Heartburn Clinic, Jaundice Clinic, Swallowing Difficulty Clinic
- Hepatitis Clinic
- Colitis & Diarrhoea Clinic
- Nutrition & Dietetics Clinic
- Obesity Clinic
GI Oncology Programme
Medica offers comprehensive medical and surgical treatment for cancers in the GI tract
- Oesophageal Cancer
- Stomach Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Pancreas Cancer
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Colon Cancer
Weight Loss Surgery Programme
(Surgical treatment of obesity)
Obesity is a condition where a person has excess amount of body fat. It is a condition that is not just of cosmetic concern, as obesity can lead to other serious diseases and disorders that can have life-threatening consequences. Obesity is also linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis or chronic liver failure that may require a liver transplant. The cause can be a combination of factors, including inherited disorder, environmental reasons, choice of diet and sedentary lifestyle. Surgical treatment for obesity is usually considered only when lifestyle modifications like dietary changes and exercise fail to work. Who benefits from this type of surgery?
1. Morbidly obese (BMI > 37.5) patients
2. Obese (BMI 27.5-37.5) patients with co-morbidities like:
- Hypertension
- Type II DM
- CAD
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Degenerative joint disease
- GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease)
- Asthma
- Depression
- Urinary stress incontinence
- Steatohepatitis
How does the surgery cure obesity?
The procedure works by decreasing the capacity of stomach and the appetite stimulating hormones. In gastric bypass, time to absorb food from the intestine is decreased by shortening the absorptive limb of intestine
