Gastroenterology
Gastroenterologists are doctors who investigate, diagnose, treat and prevent all gastrointestinal (stomach and intestines) and hepatological (liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas) diseases.
This page provides useful information on the nature of the work, the common procedures/interventions, sub-specialties and other roles that may interest you.
Nature of the work
Trained gastroenterologists develop and run endoscopy services for diagnostic, therapeutic and screening endoscopy.
All specialists are competent at upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. Most will be trained in lower GI endoscopy (flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy). Some will have had additional training in hepatobiliary endoscopy (ERCP) or small bowel endoscopy (wireless capsule endoscopy or enteroscopy). Most will participate in acute gastroenterology admissions and manage a broad range of gastrointestinal disease, either in outpatients or following admission.
Gastroenterologists treat conditions such as:
- gastrointestinal bleeding
- gastrointestinal cancer
- anaemia – a condition where the haemoglobin the blood (a pigment that carries oxygen) is below normal levels
- inflammatory bowel disease, eg Crohn’s disease (inflammation of the lining of the digestive system), ulcerative colitis (inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the rectum and colon)
- short bowel syndrome
- jaundice – a condition where the skin yellows due to an accumulation of bilirubin the blood and tissues
- management of alcoholic, viral hepatitis (Inflammation of the liver caused by a virus) and autoimmune liver disorders (where the body attacks its own cells)
- diverticulitis - inflammation of the diverticula (small pouches) in the intestine
- gastroenteritis
- hepatitis
Common procedures/interventions
These include:
- diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy
- small bowel endoscopy
- endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) – an endoscopic technique mainly used to diagnose and treat bile duct and pancreatic duct conditions
- endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
- intestinal and liver biopsy
- paracentesis (puncture of the wall of a cavity using a hollow needle)
- insertion of parenteral nutrition line (intravenous feeding lines)
- planning and aftercare of patients undergoing liver transplant
Sub-specialties
The CCT sub-specialty is:
- hepatology
Many gastroenterologists develop sub-specialty interests such as:
- hepatology (diseases of the liver)
- pancreaticobiliary diseases of the pancreas and biliary system),
- inflammatory bowel disease
- functional bowel disease
- tropical diseases
- gastrointestinal cancer and its prevention
- endoscopic surveillance
- upper GI disease (diseases of the oespahagus and stomach)
- small bowel disease
- pancreatic disease
- transplantation
- medico legal issues in medicine
- clinical pharmacology
- inherited cancer syndromes
- clinical nutrition
Want to learn more?
Find out more about:
- the working life of someone in gastroenterology
- the entry requirements and training and development