Dr Persson is a gastroenterologist and endoscopist who has been consulting in the private sector for over 10 years.
For gastroenterology referrals please contact Dr Persson at Eastcare Specialist Centre or Pukekohe Family Health Centre (see details on right).
For endoscopy referrals, procedures are performed at:
- Ormiston Hospital - 125 Ormiston Rd, Flat Bush, Manukau City. Ph (09) 250 1157
- Endoscopy Auckland - 148 Gillies Ave, Epsom, Auckland. Ph (09) 623 2020
- Franklin Hospital - 12 Glasgow Rd, Pukekohe, Pukekohe Hill. (09) 220 4800
Dr Stephen Persson is a Southern Cross Affiliated Provider under the Gastroenterology (Digestive system) service area.
Dr Persson's areas of specialisation include:
- Therapeutic/interventional endoscopy – gastroscopy, duodenoscopy, colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, enteroscopy, ERCP
- Stent insertions to any site in gastrointestinal tract
- Argon plasma coagulation to palliate GI malignancies & treat a range of intestinal vascular anomalies, & radiation injury
- Mucosectomy to resect large polyps & early stage GI tumours
- Endoscopic haemostasis for bleeding GI lesions & ulcers
- Removal of foreign bodies
- Endoscopic dilatation of strictures
- Botox injection for motility disorders
- Single balloon enteroscopy
- ERCP
- Pancreatic & biliary endotherapy
- All areas of gastroenterology and hepatology
- gastrointestinal malignancies (colon cancer etc)
- inflammatory bowel disease (IBD / IBS)
- coeliac disease
- motility disorders
- reflux disease
- functional bowel disorders
- hepatobiliary and pancreatic disorders.
What is Gastroenterology?
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine that looks at diseases of the oesophagus (gullet), stomach, small and large intestines (bowel), liver, gallbladder and pancreas.
The oesophagus is the tube that joins your mouth with your stomach. It is a muscular tube that contracts to push the food through when you swallow.
The stomach is where food is broken down by acid and emptied into your intestines. The stomach has special cells lining its wall to protect it from these acids.
The intestines consist of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum – different sections of small intestine) and the large intestine (colon). As food passes through the small intestine, nutrients are broken down and absorbed. When it passes into the colon, water is absorbed. The waste that is left is passed as faeces (poo).
The liver is roughly the size of a football and is on your right side just under your ribs. It stores vitamins, sugar and iron which are used by cells in the body for energy.It also clears the body of waste products and drugs, produces substances that are used to help blood clot and aid the immune system, and produces bile which aids in digestion.
What is Endoscopy?
Endoscopy is the process of looking inside body cavities, using a very tiny camera attached to the end of a long, flexible tube (endoscope). Images from the camera are sent to a television monitor so that the doctor can direct the movement of the endoscope. It is also possible to pass different instruments through the endoscope to allow small samples or growths to be removed.
Endoscopy allows a doctor to make a diagnosis either by seeing directly what is causing the problem or by taking a small tissue sample for examination under a microscope (biopsy).
Endoscopy can also be used as a treatment e.g. for removal of swallowed objects in the oesophagus (food pipe), healing of lesions etc.
