The Gastroenterology (GI) Lab at St. Vincent Medical Center provides diagnosis and treatment services for a wide variety of digestive disorders. Experienced physician experts, specially trained nurses and staff, and an extremely low percentage of complications lay a foundation of trust and support for our patients. Our goal is to help every patient lead a healthier and happier life.
Safeguarding Digestive Health
Gastroenterology is the field of medicine dealing with the function and disorders of the digestive system, a series of connected tubes and organs that runs from the mouth to the anus. In general, gastroenterology is divided between the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
The upper GI tract includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach and duodenum (the beginning portion of the small intestine). The lower GI tract is composed of the various elements of the large intestine, including the colon and the rectum.
The GI lab at St. Vincent Medical Center performs a wide range of procedures, the most common of which is colonoscopy.
Physicians and Staff
The physicians who work with St. Vincent’s GI Lab are experts in their field, and all have been part of the hospital’s medical staff for an average of more than 10 years. Assisting them are a team of interventional radiologists, nurses, diagnostic technologists and support staff, all of whom have special training and experience in GI procedures.
Because of the expertise and experience of our physicians and staff, the complication rate of procedures in St. Vincent’s GI Lab is extremely low.
Endoscopy
The vast majority of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract cannot be observed directly without surgery, so gastroenterologists often rely on an endoscope to give them a view of a particular section of the GI tract.
The endoscope is a flexible tube with a light and a video camera on the end. Depending on which section of the GI tract is being examined, the physician inserts the endoscope through the mouth or the anus. For some examinations, the patient is lightly sedated for his or her comfort.
Image signals from the camera travel up a bundle of glass-like fibers and are processed and displayed on a video monitor in the endoscopy room. This allows the physician to have a magnified and remarkably clear view of the GI tract.
A list of some of the diseases treated at the GI Lab at St. Vincent Medical Center is available on this web site.