Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine focused on preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases of the digestive system. This includes disorders of the:
- Appendix
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Intestine
- Gall bladder
- Colon
- Rectum
- Bile ducts
- Pancreas
- Liver
If you are referred to the Gastroenterology team, you may undergo one of two types of procedures. The first type is called a diagnostic endoscopy, which allows your health-care team to see a part of your digestive system which may help them diagnose your condition. Examples of a diagnostic endoscopy procedure are a colonoscopy, gastroscopy and sigmoidoscopy. These procedures can either be done as an inpatient or outpatient.
The second type of procedure is a therapeutic endoscopy. This is a procedure that is carried out so that your health-care team can deliver therapy using an endoscope (device with a light attached). An example of this might be a procedure to remove polyps, insert a stent or remove a foreign body from your digestive tract.
Inpatient care
If you are admitted as an inpatient at our Kingston General Hospital site, you may be given a room on one of the Medicine floors, which include Connell 3, Connell 9, Connell 10, or Kidd 9. If you are looking to locate an patient who has been admitted to the hospital you can read more on our find a patient page.
As an inpatient, you will receive care from a health-care team that is made up of a number of different individuals. Who is on your team depends on the type of care you require. These interprofessional teams will always include doctors and nurses, but other individuals such as patient care assistants, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and dietitians, just to name a few, may also be involved in your care. As a patient in this service you will also likely be seen by a gastroenterologist who is a doctor that specializes in this area of medicine. When you are at the KGH site, you can always count on a range of people to play a key role in your health-care journey. If you would like more information on the types of people you may meet in the Medicine Program, please visit our care team page.
If you would like more information on what to expect if you are admitted as an inpatient at the KGH site, please see our 'while you are here' page.
Outpatient care
As an outpatient, you may be attending a Gastroenterology Clinic located at our Hotel Dieu Hospital site. This clinic receives patients for general gastrointestinal care as well as offers specialized clinics for liver, hepatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, motility and a pediatric gastrointestinal clinic. To be seen in this clinic, you must be referred by your doctor, or another health-care professional.
