Gastroenterology Clinical Services

We offer outstanding physicians and state of the art technologies to diagnose and treat conditions involving the pancreatic and biliary ductal systems. Our patients benefit from superb care delivered by an exceptional team of experts.

Types of Diseases Seen

• Acute Pancreatitis
• Chronic pancreatitis
• Complications of pancreatitis
• Pancreatic neoplasms
• CBD stones
• Tumors

Types of Treatments Provided

Comprehensive therapy using medical, surgical, radiological, and endoscopic options. Procedures: Both diagnostic and therapeutic EUS and ERCP.

We offer a variety of molecular imaging technologies to diagnose and monitor the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Types of Diseases Seen

• Esophageal cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Small bowel cancer
• Pancreas/Biliary Tract Cancer
• Colo-rectal cancer

Types of Treatments Provided

• Screening for gastrointestinal cancer
• Staging of gastroinestinal cancer
• Tissue diagnosis of pancreatobilairy cancer
• Stents for obstructed gastrointestinal tract or biliary tree
• Endoscopic treatment of bleeding gastrointestinal cancer
• Celiac plexus neurolysis for pain from pancreatic or other gastrointestinal cancers
• Endoscopic mucosal resection of gastrointestinal neoplasms

Unique or New Things that UTMB Does in this Field

• Endoscopic Ultrasound for Diagnosis and Intervention
• Improved devices for colonoscopy and small bowel endoscopy
• Cryotherapy
• Capsule Endoscopy
• High magnification endoscopy
• Detection of flat colorectal polyps
• Celiac plexus neurolysis
• Staging of lung cancer
• Evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy of unknown origin

Our program evaluates and treats patients with both routine and complex disorders involving problems with muscles and nerves that coordinate the intricate movements of the alimentary tract.

Types of Diseases Seen

• Swallowing disorders, achalasia and other esophageal motor disorders
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastroparesis, intestinal pseudoobstruction, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fecal incontinence and other defecation disorders
• biliary dyskinesia.

Types of Treatments Provided

Assessment of gastrointestinal motility and function (esophageal, antroduodenal, Sphincter of Oddi, and anorectal manometry, wireless and catheter pH monitoring, electrogastrography, hydrogen breath testing, gastrointestinal scintigraphy), various dilation procedures, gastric electrical stimulation, pelvic floor biofeedback, pharmacological options in motility disorders, and adjunctive services such as psychological evaluation and counseling.

Unique or New Things that UTMB Does in this Field

Provision of services to both assess and treat disorders of gastrointestinal motility not generally available in the community (examples above), access to investigational protocols in which research from the laboratory is brought to the clinic, and a team approach to difficult clinical problems involving disordered motility.

Liver disease encompasses numerous disorders which disrupt the normal functions of the liver. Our team specialties range from hepatology, radiology, pathology, genetics, surgery and other areas, all with special training and experience in liver diseases.

Types of Diseases Seen

Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, alcoholic liver disease, Non alcoholic fatty liver disease, Primary biliary cirrhosis, Hemachromatosis, Wilson's disease, drug induced hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, complications of portal hypertension, abnormal liver function tests of unknown etiology.

Types of Treatments Provided

Anti-viral treatment for hepatitis C and B. Management of portal hypertension and complications. Management of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Liver Biopsy for diagnosis and staging of liver disease.

Unique or New Things that UTMB Does in this Field

Studies of new therapies for viral hepatitis, non invasive evaluation of portal hypertension, development of markers for hepatic fibrosis, basic research on hepatic injury and inflammation in hepatitis.

Our goals is to provide outstanding medical care to persons with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, to train gastroenterology and to perform cutting-edge biomedical research to improve our understanding of digestive diseases.

Types of Diseases Seen

• Pancreaticobiliary disorders
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• General nutritional compromise / malnutrition

Types of Treatments Provided

• PEG placement
• Enterala and parenteral nutrition