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Gastroenterology

St. Clair Hospital offers comprehensive, high-quality care in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the entire gastrointestinal system.

The St. Clair team includes 15 specially trained physicians and surgeons in the Hospital’s state-of-the-art gastroenterology laboratory. These experienced experts use the most advanced techniques to perform more than 9,000 gastroscopy and colonoscopy procedures a year. Gastroscopy involves passing a gastroscope, a lighted flexible tubular instrument, through the mouth for examining the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, the first portion of the small intestine. A colonoscopy involves using a similar instrument to see inside the colon.

They also perform derivatives of those two procedures, allowing for more in-depth examinations of the esophagus, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas and intestines.

Other procedures include feeding tube insertions, cauterization to stop internal bleeding, colon decompression, polyp and gall stone removal, stent placement and more.

All screenings, diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures are available to patients on an inpatient and outpatient basis.Some common ailments diagnosed and treated in the lab include gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, peptic ulcer disease, esophageal disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, such as colitis and Crohn’s, nutrition-related disease, and biliary and pancreatic diseases.

Hours and Scheduling

The gastroenterology lab’s outpatient services are available Mondays through Fridays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Hospital’s Third Floor. Scheduling is done by the patient’s gastroenterology physician who will provide the patient with an order to take to the lab.

Because patients are given mild sedation prior to any procedures, they must be accompanied by a designated driver. Patients who elect to use the Hospital’s Courtesy Vans are asked to also bring a companion to assist post-procedure.