Treatments
We offer comprehensive care for most digestive disorders that may include a combination of the following.
Non-Surgical Treatments
- Lifestyle changes—losing weight, limiting alcohol use or avoiding certain foods and beverages that can aggravate symptoms.
- Medicines—acid blockers, steroids, antiviral drugs, immunosuppressants or antibiotics can help improve symptoms or slow disease progression.
- Physical rehabilitation—pelvic floor physical therapy may help treat chronic constipation or fecal incontinence, while swallowing therapy can help people who have trouble swallowing.
Endoscopy
These procedures use endoscopes (thin, hollow tubes) to look inside the body to help doctors diagnose and treat many conditions without surgery. Depending on the part of your body that needs treatment, the endoscope can be passed through your mouth, rectum or through a tiny incision.
Endoscopic treatments available at The Christ Hospital Health Network include:
- Colonoscopy—doctors use this procedure to look for early signs of colon cancer and remove polyps from the colon or rectum.
- Cryoablation (cryotherapy)—liquid nitrogen sprayed through an endoscope freezes and kills pre-cancerous or cancerous cells.
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) —using tiny tools passed through an endoscope, doctors can open blocked or narrowed bile ducts, remove gallstones or tumors, or insert stents (metal or plastic tubes).
- Esophageal balloon dilation—a balloon attached to an endoscope is inflated, stretching an esophagus that has become too narrow.
- Radiofrequency ablation—thermal (heat) energy applied through an endoscope burns and kills pre-cancerous or cancerous cells.
- Stenting—a tiny stent placed in the esophagus or a bile duct keeps that passageway propped open.
Surgery
We offer a full range of general surgery and colon and rectal surgery options for people with gastrointestinal disorders. Our minimally invasive and “open” procedures include:
- Cholecystecomy—surgery to remove the gallbladder.
- Colostomy—an artificial opening on the outside of the body that feces can pass through.
- Fundoplication—repairs the muscle that prevents food and stomach acids from flowing backward from the stomach into the esophagus.
- Heller myotomy—treats tight, stiff muscles that make it hard for food and liquids to pass into the stomach.
- Hemorrhoid surgery—removes hemorrhoids that have not responded to treatments like topical creams or dietary changes.
- J-pouch surgery—an internal pouch that lets people who had their colon or rectum removed continue passing stool normally.
- Resective surgery—removes all or part of an organ, such as the esophagus, colon or liver.
