Waitematā Gastroenterology
We are a group of gastroenterologists working together in both public and private practice to offer a complete service for gastrointestinal and liver problems.
We have all had overseas advanced training, primarily in the UK, and are experienced in a full range of procedures and conditions including: gastroscopy, colonoscopy, pill camera endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, pH monitoring, liver diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, Hydrogen Breath testing, GI motility problems, nutritional disease and HALO therapy for Barrett’s oesophagus.
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.
The pancreas is an elongated organ that lies in the back of the mid-abdomen. It is responsible for producing digestive juices and certain hormones, including insulin, the main hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar.
A gastroenterologist is a doctor specialising in the field of medicine which involves these closely related organs.
