Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, which include the organs from the mouth into anus, along the alimentary canal, are the focus of this speciality

HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: Dr. Amoako Duah

HEAD NURSE: Mr. Joel Kpodo

OVERVIEW OF THE DEPARTMENT: Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders.

Physicians practising in this field are called gastroenterologists. They have usually completed about eight years of pre-medical and medical education, a year-long internship (if this is not a part of the residency), three years of an internal medicine residency, and three years in the gastroenterology fellowship. Gastroenterologists perform a number of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and liver biopsy. Some gastroenterology trainees will complete a "fourth-year" (although this is often their seventh year of graduate medical education) in transplant hepatology, advanced interventional endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease, motility, or other topics.

Advanced endoscopy, sometimes called interventional or surgical endoscopy, is a sub-speciality of gastroenterology that focuses on advanced endoscopic techniques for the treatment of pancreatic, hepatobiliary, and gastrointestinal diseases. Interventional gastroenterologists typically undergo an additional year of rigorous training in advanced endoscopic techniques including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic ultrasound-guided diagnostic and interventional procedures, and advanced resection techniques including endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection. Additionally, the performance of endoscopic bariatric procedures is also performed by some advanced endoscopists.

Haematology, or hepatobiliary medicine, encompasses the study of the liver, pancreas, and biliary tree, and is traditionally considered a sub-speciality of gastroenterology, while proctology encompasses disorders of the anus, rectum, and colon and is considered a sub-speciality of general surgery.

LIST OF SERVICES AVAILABLE AT THE DEPARTMENT: 
Endoscopic Ultrasound

APPOINTMENT PROCEDURE: Appointments should be booked online at ugmedicalcentre.org or by calling 0302550843-5