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Department of gastroenterology

Diagnostics and therapy in the department of gastroenterology are mainly concerned with the following:

The newly equipped endoscopy department is of great importance for diagnostics and therapy of the aforementioned diseases. All diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of the upper (oesophagus, stomach and duodenum) and lower digestive system (colon, rectum), the bile ducts, the pancreas and the liver are performed here. By combined probing and x-ray techniques, also the bile ducts and the pancreas can be made visible (ERCP). In the field of therapy, e.g. haemostasia, polypectomy, removal of gallstones and foreign bodies, bougienage of constrictions of the gastrointestinal tract and the installation of percutaneous feeding tubes with patients who are unable to swallow are made possible by endoscopic procedures.

Ultrasonography, a way of viewing tissue using ultra-high-speed sound waves, is an excellent non-invasive tool for investigating suspicious areas in the abdominal cavity, and, being not dangerous at all, can thus be seen as an extension of the physical examination. Furthermore, this procedure allows the well directed puncture of organs (liver, thyroid gland), caverns filled with liquids (pectoral cavity, abdominal cavity, cysts), augmented lymph nodes and processes which are suspicious of tumour activity. In combination with endoscopy, ultrasonography and punctures can also be performed when using the oesophagus or the stomach as a starting point (endosonography).

Mini-laparoscopy (i.e. the endoscopy of the abdominal cavity after entry through the abdominal wall) and a series of function tests (H2-breath-test, 24-hour pH-metry, manometry etc.) round off the diagnostic spectrum of the department of gastroenterology.

The clinical centre offers all possible cancer check-ups as well as all the relevant laboratory tests. In the outpatient clinic for liver diseases we treat patients with acute and chronic liver diseases (hepatitis B and C, autoimmune hepatitis, PBC, PSC, M. Wilson haemochromatosis) according to the latest criteria. We give advice as to specific questions, such as vaccination, danger of infection and pregnancy. In addition, preparative examinations including liver function tests as well as liver punctures before treatment or a possible transplantation are organised and performed.

A further focus of the department is the multi-disciplinary diabetology. All types of diabetes (e.g. type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as pregnant diabetics) are treated. All kinds of therapies (pills, conventional and intensified therapy with all sorts of insulin, insulin pump therapy) are offered and tailored to the needs of the individual patient. The treatment of consecutive diseases of diabetes is another main focus of the centre. Patients with a diabetic foot syndrome are treated on a multi-disciplinary ward by both surgeons and diabetologists.

The nutrition team takes care of patients with particular problems, such as dietotherapy in case of stoma installation, nutritional disorders because of old age, nutrition after surgical operations on the pancreas, malnutrition and food allergies. Monitoring and instruction as to enteral and parenteral nutrition are a main part of the nutrition team's work.