If you have problems
related to your stomach, liver or digestive system, and need specialized
consultation to understand and resolve the issue, the Gastroenterology
department of Big Apollo Spectra Hospital is built for that. The gastroenterology
team has specialists who diagnose and treat various conditions that affect your
oesophagus, stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and pancreas.
With an option of diagnostic testing, therapeutic endoscopy and inpatient
treatment, a patient does not need to go to different providers to follow
through with their treatment journey.
Whether you're dealing
with persistent acidity or a liver condition needing ongoing management,
consulting the best gastroenterologist in Patna early can stop a minor
issue from becoming a major one. Big Apollo Spectra pairs specialist expertise
with state-of-the-art infrastructure as a super
speciality hospital in Patna, so diagnosis, treatment and
follow-up happen without unnecessary delays elsewhere.
Book a Gastroenterology Consultation
| 0612-3540100
Getting the right
diagnosis early makes treatment simpler and recovery faster. Here's a closer
look at what falls under a gastroenterologist's care.
A gastroenterology
doctor in Patna takes care of conditions in various areas of the digestive
system, including the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, and also
manages three organs that aid digestion i.e. your liver, gallbladder, and
pancreas. Since these organs collaborate in the digestive process, an issue in
one may very well be reflected in symptoms associated with another.
Gastroenterologists handle two broad
categories of care.
●
The first is common digestive complaints
including acidity, bloating, irregular bowel movements.
●
The second is complex disease
management, covering conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and chronic
liver disease that need long-term oversight.
The symptoms of mild
acidity which normally arises after a heavy meal are very different from the
persistent ones that keep troubling a person. Occasional heartburn is generally
self-limiting, meaning things sort themselves out.
On the other hand, if
you frequently experience symptoms such as heartburn or changes in bowel
movement, this is a message from your body that there's something a stomach
specialist in Patna should look at rather than resorting to using OTC
antacids regularly.
Knowing what a
gastroenterologist covers is one thing; knowing why a particular hospital is
worth choosing is another question entirely.
Not every hospital
offering gastroenterology consultations can also deliver advanced procedures
and surgical backup under the same roof. This is where the difference between a
clinic visit and hospital-based specialist care becomes obvious.
·
Big Apollo Spectra's
gastroenterology team covers GI, hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases
together, rather than as separate problems. That matters because liver,
gallbladder and pancreatic conditions frequently overlap, and a team managing
all three catches connections a single-organ approach might miss.
·
The hospital's endoscopy
capability includes upper GI endoscopy, colonoscopy and ERCP for bile duct and
pancreatic conditions needing more than imaging alone.
·
When a condition needs more than
medication, surgical support is available on-site, so you're not sent elsewhere
mid-treatment.
·
Continuity - consultation through
diagnosis, treatment and follow-up, everything is backed by the hospital's
broader multispecialty infrastructure, including critical care and radiology support.
You stay with one team instead of piecing together care across providers.
That kind of
continuity matters most when you're trying to figure out which specialist
actually fits your condition.
Usually, problems of
the digestive system are not limited to individual organs. It is therefore more
effective to work systematically through different groups rather than making
one long list. This is how our care is structured as we address various GI,
liver, biliary, and pancreatic issues:
The most common
reasons for seeing a stomach doctor in Patna often include heartburn and
abdominal discomfort after meals.
·
Acid reflux or GERD: Achieving a diagnosis of this condition is important if the treatment
is to be appropriate. GERD is a condition caused by the frequent backing up of
stomach acid into the esophagus, resulting in constant heartburn.
·
Gastritis: It is the inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach. This mostly
happens if there are Helicobacter pylori bacteria or as a result of long-term
use of anti-inflammatory medicines.
·
Peptic ulcers: Lining of stomach or upper intestine develops a sore called peptic
ulcer if the tissue is exposed to gastric acids for too long.
·
Stomach ulcers: These usually manifest with burning pains on an empty stomach and are a
particular kind of peptic ulcers.
·
Hiatal hernia: A hiatal hernia, where part of the stomach actually protrudes through
the diaphragm, is often a reason for increased acid reflux, among other
problems.
·
Swallowing disorders: There are a variety of disorders related to swallowing, from mild
discomfort when doing it to severe trouble that would stop you from eating
altogether. This requires urgent evaluation.
Getting relief through
antacid use is a temporary solution that doesn't get your symptoms to actually
go away. That's the time to see a doctor so he or she can do some tests and
determine when acid reflux is serious in your case.
Bowel symptoms get
dismissed as "just digestion, " but if changes persist for a long
time it should be checked by a specialist gastroenterologist. Some of the
complex conditions we treat and manage at Big Apollo Spectra include:
·
IBS:
Abdominal pains with variable bowel frequency, no lesions visible in the
intestines.
·
IBD:
Crohn's disease and colitis, the result of inflamed chronic gut lining.
·
Chronic constipation: Passing stool with difficulty that persists for weeks is known as
chronic constipation.
·
Diarrhoea: Loose stool coming out frequently is termed diarrhoea. It may point
to other complications like infection or malabsorption.
·
Colorectal polyps: A small growth on the inside of the large intestine is called a
colorectal polyp. Many are benign; however, these growths can become cancerous
also.
·
Haemorrhoids/piles: Swollen rectal veins in piles/hemorrhoids can also cause bleeding.
·
Anal fistula (or fistulae): It is an abnormal tunnel near the anus which may require surgery to
treat.
If you experience
symptoms for more than a few days including blood in stool then it's
recommended that you see a specialist.
Conditions of the
liver are often a quiet progression that's why early detection is one of the
primary objectives of our liver specialist in Patna.
·
Fatty liver disease: It is a liver disease where fat builds up in the liver cells, which
may be associated with obesity.
·
Hepatitis B and C: Carriers of hepatitis B and C get liver inflammation that can become
chronic, if not properly treated.
·
Chronic liver disease: Liver damage caused by a chronic condition such as an infection
results in chronic liver disease.
·
Cirrhosis: Symptoms of liver cirrhosis can be very serious as it leads to
scarring of the liver which severely affects its functions.
·
Jaundice: A visible sign of abnormal liver functioning, jaundice, is the
occurrence of elevated bilirubin in the body causing yellow tinge of the skin
and eyes.
Know the first signs
and symptoms and you can gain the advantage of detecting early liver disease
before it advances.
In these cases,
symptoms typically present as pain following consumption of fatty foods. Here
are specific conditions to watch for.
·
Gallstones: Gallbladder issues can be due to gallstones. These hardened
deposits block the bile duct creating extreme pain.
·
Gallbladder disorders: Often due to long-term untreated blockages, gallbladder complications
include inflammation, infection, or gallbladder cancer.
·
Bile duct disorders: Blockages of bile ducts that carry bile from the liver to the small
intestine.
·
Pancreatitis: Acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the
pancreas) can lead to various complications.
·
Pancreatic disorders: General pancreatic dysfunction that can affect production of enzymes
or hormones.
Any of these disorders
left untreated can cause painful inflammation as well as lead to additional complications.
Timely investigations
make the biggest difference in these cancers.
·
GI cancers: cancers that affect your stomach, oesophagus or intestines. These are
often picked up during an endoscopy.
·
Colon cancer: detected early by screening colonoscopy.
·
Liver cancer: almost always occurs on a background of cirrhosis or hepatitis. You
want to recognise the symptoms of liver problems early or ensure you
get periodic testing.
·
Gastric/intestinal tumours: could be benign or malignant growths that require a biopsy to be
sure.
In GI cancers, early
detection via timely evaluation of weight loss, pain or bleeding continues to
be the biggest factor for better prognosis.
If you sometimes have
digestive problems, feel overly bloated after indulging, and experience
occasional mild acidity you might just see your doctor when you get your yearly
checkup. However, if it's consistent, returns frequently or you can't identify
what's causing it then you may want to consult a gastrointestinal specialist
right now. Some signs to take note of include:
·
Persistent abdominal pain,
·
frequent acidity or heartburn,
·
frequent bloating,
·
chronic constipation,
·
frequent diarrhoea or alternating
bowel habits of constipation and diarrhoea
All these warrant a
closer look. Don’t ignore blood in your stools or vomiting blood either. Both
could be signs of GI bleeding that requires investigation
instead of a wait and watch approach.
Some other
emergency signs of gastrointestinal issues also include:
·
Difficulty swallowing,
·
vomiting frequently,
·
weight loss without trying,
·
loss of appetite
These are also
important reasons to see a gastroenterologist.
The evaluation of
yellowing of eyes and skin, common with jaundice, also shouldn’t be postponed
till the date of your annual physical checkup, nor should changes in your bowel
habits that persist for more than two weeks.
None of these symptoms
guarantee something serious. But they're exactly the kind of pattern a
specialist is trained to investigate properly, rather than something to keep
managing on your own with home remedies.
Once you've decided a
consultation makes sense, the next step is understanding how a diagnosis
actually gets made.
Your gastroenterologist
chooses tests based on your symptoms, history and examination, not every
patient needs every test.
A thin camera examines
your oesophagus, stomach and upper intestine, and can also stop bleeding or
remove small growths during the same sitting.
This examines your
entire colon, spotting polyps or inflammation directly, with many polyps
removed on the spot. Most patients worry that colonoscopy is painful! But sedation makes it
far more comfortable than most expect.
This combines
endoscopy with X-ray imaging for selected bile duct and pancreaticobiliary
conditions, often diagnosing and treating gallstones or blockages in one
sitting.
Liquid with contrast
substance followed through on Xray shows movement of food down your oesophagus.
This procedure is usually helpful in assessing swallowing disorders.
This involves sampling
of tissue, usually performed at the time of endoscopy, to make definite
diagnoses of cancer, chronic inflammation. It is used when non-invasive imaging
has been inconclusive.
Blood work and viral
markers can monitor hepatitis, cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases over
time.
Ultrasound, CT scan or
MRI may be employed for further visualisation of the liver, gallbladder and
pancreas.
Once we have a
confirmed diagnosis, we can talk about treatment. And that's not usually a
one-size-fits-all scenario.
Every digestive
ailment doesn't necessarily require a procedure. Treatment is dependent on the
diagnosis, its severity, and your personal health history. Some patients need
medications only while others require more treatment.
For many digestive
complaints, medication is the first line of treatment, often paired with
adjustments to daily habits.
Drugs like antacids,
acid blockers (proton pump inhibitors), antibiotics, and anti-diarrhoeal
medications can help treat many causes of stomach upsets, infection, and
symptoms.
Increasing fibre and
water can help improve symptoms of IBS, constipation, acid reflux. It also
helps to avoid trigger foods that make you more bloated or gassy.
If applicable,
maintaining a healthy weight, decreasing alcohol consumption and trying to
manage stress can help with your recovery. Our gastroenterology offerings
include both routine and complex GI procedures focused on hepatobiliary and
pancreatic conditions that require care beyond medications.
If your condition
hasn't responded to medications treatment or endoscopic management, then surgery
is required.
Surgery isn't usually
the first-line treatment for GI problems, but when it comes to gallbladder
disease/tumours or hepatobiliary disease that's progressed, surgery can be the
most successful treatment we can offer you.
Consultation is
usually the first step of your treatment. This is where your doctor will
discuss your symptoms and medical history. They will perform a clinical
evaluation and may conduct diagnostic testing to confirm their findings. Upon
making a diagnosis, your doctor will design your treatment plan catered to your
diagnosis.
Treatment options may
include medication, dietary/lifestyle modification, endoscopic intervention,
minimally invasive procedures, and surgery (when necessary). Follow up
monitoring will ensure your condition is improving and allow doctors to spot
any recurrence of your condition.
Persistent digestive
issues almost never resolve themselves through home remedies. The quickest way
to know what's really going on is to book a consultation with a
gastroenterologist. We have the experts at Big Apollo Spectra Hospital. Our
gastroenterologists will assess you from basic heartburn/acidity issues to more
complicated liver/pancreas problems. Once they have a determined diagnosis,
treatment will be customized to your condition and symptoms.
The treatment can
range from medication management, diet and lifestyle modifications to
endoscopic and surgical procedures, if needed. You can rest easy knowing that
our facilities and broader infrastructure provide for your needs throughout
your treatment journey. Follow-up monitoring is built into the process from the
start.
Book a Gastroenterology Consultation
at Big Apollo Spectra