Department of Adult and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology - Memorial Bahcelievler Hospital Istanbul

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology at Memorial Bahcelievler Hospital Istanbul

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology at the Memorial Bahсelievler Hospital Istanbul offers the full range of high-precision diagnostics and effective treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. The department's specialists admit patients of all age groups, including children. Endoscopic procedures are widely used in clinical practice for detection of the slightest pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as for their treatment. An individual therapy regimen is developed for each patient, taking into account all specificities of the disease and state of health, as well as age. The tremendous experience of the department's doctors allows them to successfully cure even the most complex and rare gastroenterological pathologies. The department's medical services meet the highest standards of modern medicine. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Erdem Akbal.

The doctors of the medical facility are convinced that the accurate diagnostics is the key to successful treatment. After the clinical examination and study of the medical history, the patient undergoes the necessary instrumental and laboratory tests. The department's diagnostic options include gastroscopy to assess the condition of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, colonoscopy and rectosigmoidoscopy to assess the condition of the colon, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography to examine the biliary tract and pancreas. In addition, the department performs percutaneous liver biopsy.

One of the key activities of the department is the diagnostics and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease – chronic recurrent disease characterized by regular reflux of stomach and duodenal contents into the esophagus. In the absence of timely treatment, the pathology can cause serious complications, such as esophageal stricture, haemorrhage and precancerous conditions (Barrett's esophagus). Thus, the aim of treatment is not only to relieve symptoms and eliminate inflammatory processes in the esophagus, but also to prevent life-threatening complications. To confirm the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease, the department's specialists carry out radiography of the esophagus and duodenum with barium sulfate solution, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, esophageal manometry and daily esophageal pH-metry. For patients with mild pathology, it is enough to modify their lifestyle (cessation of smoking, carbonated and acidic beverages, as well as exclusion from the diet of foods that increase acidity – alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, coffee, tea, fatty and spicy products, etc.), as well as drug therapy, the scheme of which is adapted to the clinical case of each patient.

In addition, the department's gastroenterologists are especially focused on the treatment of benign and malignant gastrointestinal neoplasms (in cooperation with general surgeons and other specialized doctors), gastritis, gastric ulcers, stomach and bowel polyps, esophageal strictures, gastrointestinal bleeding, removal of foreign bodies from the esophagus, stomach and rectum, treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, etc.

Digestive diseases in children are diagnosed and treated by specially trained doctors. When developing a treatment plan, the age of the child and the features of the growing organism are necessarily taken into account. The focus is on conservative therapy and lifestyle modification. A competent combination of innovative medicines allows the department's doctors to achieve excellent therapeutic results.

The focus of hepatology specialists is on the treatment of hepatitis, including viral hepatitis A, B, D, E, cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, etc. The doctors use effective state-of-the-art drugs to treat hepatological diseases. If surgical intervention is necessary, the doctors from the Department of General Surgery are involved in the therapeutic process.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Diagnostic procedures
  • Gastroscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Rectosigmoidoscopy
  • Esophagogastroduodenoscopy
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
  • Percutaneous liver biopsy
  • Ultrasound examinations
  • Laboratory tests
• Therapeutic procedures
  • Esophageal variceal ligation
  • Endoscopic foreign body removal
  • Arrest of gastrointestinal haemorrhages using special clips, drug injections, thermal and laser coagulation
  • Endoscopic removal of gastrointestinal neoplasms
  • Endoscopic dilatation of atresias and stenoses
  • Endoscopic polypectomy
  • Feeding tube placement
• Other diagnostic and therapeutic options