Gastro Specialist Brisbane
Ubuntu Medical aims to provide a gastro specialist in Brisbane to help you out with your digestive issues and provide you with the best and most appropriate care that will suit your needs.
Do You Need To See a Gastro Specialist?
If you suffer from any of the following gastro issues, it would be a good idea to see your doctor:
- Experiencing pain when you pass a stool
- Mucus and blood mixed with your stool
- Bleeding when you pass a stool
- You’re passing very dark (black) stools
- Constipation, diarrhoea, or any continuous changes in bowel habit
- You’ve started experiencing indigestion in mid life, or later
- Unexpected, unexplained weight loss
- You’re experiencing a loss of appetite
- Difficulty and/or pain in swallowing
- Experiencing regurgitation or heartburn
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Flatulence, bloating or fullness
- Abdominal pain (before or after meals)
Other times you may need to see your GP regarding gastro issues are when you are feeling feverish, lethargic, tired, or generally unwell in relation to any abdominal symptoms.
It’s important that you don’t ignore unexplained weight loss, unexplained changes in bowel habit, and repeated instances of blood in your stool, especially if you are over the age of 50.
What is a Gastro Specialist?
Gastro specialists (Gastroenterologists) diagnose and treat gastrointestinal (GI) issues through the use of endoscopic procedures and highly specialised instruments. They work closely with a GI surgeon on cases that require surgery.
The GI system is primarily responsible for food digestion, absorption of nutrients, and removal of body waste. Any issues on these GI functions can be addressed by the gastroenterologist.
Treatment Provided by Gastro Specialists
GPs that focus on gastro issues specialise in a wide array of conditions concerning the GI system, which includes the following:
- Diagnosis and treatment of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas or hepatology
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract
- Gastrointestinal cancer
- Gastrointestinal Reflux Disease
- Hepatitis C
- Polyps that can be found in the large intestine
- Haemorrhoids
- Bloody stool
- Colon cancer
Procedures Performed by Gastro Specialists Brisbane
Gastro specialists perform non-surgical procedures such as:
- Endoscopic ultrasounds. Examines the GI tract and other internal organs.
- Colonoscopy. Detects presence of colon cancer or colon polyps.
- Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography. Detects gallstones, tumours, or scar tissue in the bile duct.
- Sigmoidoscopy. Evaluates blood loss or degree of pain in the bowel.
- Liver Biopsies. Assesses inflammation of the liver, as well as fibrosis.
- Capsule endoscopies. Examines the small intestine.
- Double Balloon Enteroscopy. Also examines the small intestine.
In cases that there are foreign bodies or masses that would be recommended by the gastro specialist to be removed, a surgeon would be sought and would be a part of a patient’s healthcare team.
When to see a Gastro Specialist?
You should see your general practitioner if you experience:
- Having blood in your stool
- Unexplained difficulty in swallowing
- Abdominal pain
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your GP may refer you to a Gastroenterologist. Individuals over 50 years old are also encouraged to see a gastro specialist for preventive care as they are at higher risk of having colon cancer.
It is also encouraged to undergo tests for the GI system regularly once you reach this age. Having a family history of colon cancer, you may want to ask your doctor about getting GI tests regularly.
At Ubuntu Medical, we also offer Hearing Tests.