Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology - Memorial Sisli Hospital Istanbul

About the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Memorial Sisli Hospital Istanbul

The Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Memorial Sisli Hospital Istanbul offers the full range of highly accurate diagnostics and effective treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, including diseases of the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract. The clinical practice involves the use of state-of-the-art endoscopic equipment for colonoscopy, gastroscopy, rectosigmoidoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and other diagnostic examinations. The exceptional professionalism of the department's doctors allows them to successfully deal with both simple digestive diseases and especially complex gastroenterological pathologies, including cancer. Each patient receives an individual approach, as well as an optimal treatment regimen with due consideration of his specific needs and wishes. The Chief Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Yılmaz Cakaloglu.

The department's doctors devote enough time to counseling patients. During the initial consultation, the attending physician attentively listens to the patient's complaints, studies his medical history and carries out a clinical examination. Then the patient is individually prescribed diagnostic examinations, including laboratory tests and instrumental diagnostic methods. With the available results of diagnostic tests, the doctor can comprehensively assess the state of one or another organ and, accordingly, make an accurate clinical diagnosis.

In many cases, the department's medical team is limited to drug therapy using modern highly effective drugs. For example, in the case of stomach ulcers, gastritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, pancreatitis and hepatitis, it is enough to select the optimal set of drugs, which will help eliminate symptoms and stop the pathological process. However, the patients with bowel polyps, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, esophageal stricture and esophageal varices require interventional endoscopic treatment.

One of the department's key focuses is the diagnostics and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. The most common are stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, bowel cancer and gallbladder cancer. To successfully treat cancer, an interdisciplinary approach is required. Therefore, oncologists, chemotherapists, radiation therapists, radiologists, surgeons and other specialists are involved in the therapeutic process. The treatment regimen for gastrointestinal cancers is developed with the participation of all of the above mentioned doctors, at the tumor boards. As a rule, cancer patients require a surgical resection of the tumor, which is performed by specialists in the field of general surgery. The operation is complemented by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. The department's doctors can remove small tumors during endoscopic procedures.

In addition, the department is distinguished by special competence in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease – chronic recurrent disease characterized by the regular reflux of stomach and duodenal contents into the esophagus. If untreated, the pathology can cause serious complications, such as esophageal stricture, hemorrhage and precancerous conditions (Barrett's esophagus). In this regard, when developing a course of treatment for the patient, the doctors aim not only to eliminate symptoms and stop the inflammatory process in the esophagus, but also to prevent the development of life-threatening complications. To confirm the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease, the department's specialists perform X-ray of the esophagus and duodenum with barium sulfate solution, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, esophageal manometry and 24-hour esophageal pH test. For patients with a mild form of pathology, it is enough to modify their lifestyle (quitting bad habits and certain products), as well as to have drug treatment, the regimen of which is adapted to the clinical case of each patient.

The department's hepatologists specialize in the treatment of hepatitis, including viral hepatitis types A, B, D, E, cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, etc. Liver diseases are treated with the very latest drugs. Should a surgical intervention be required, the doctors from the Department of General Surgery will be involved in the therapeutic process.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Gastroenterology
  • Diagnostics and treatment of gastritis
  • Diagnostics and treatment of peptic ulcers
  • Diagnostics and treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding
  • Diagnostics and treatment of bowel polyps
  • Diagnostics and treatment of Barrett's esophagus
  • Diagnostics and treatment of esophageal stricture
  • Diagnostics and treatment of pancreatitis
  • Diagnostics and treatment of gallstone disease
  • Diagnostics and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease
    • Crohn's disease
    • Ulcerative colitis
  • Diagnostics and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers
    • Stomach cancer
    • Esophageal cancer
    • Rectal cancer
    • Bowel cancer
• Hepatology
  • Diagnostics and treatment of liver cancer
  • Diagnostics and treatment of viral hepatitis types A, B, D, E
  • Diagnostics and treatment of cirrhosis
  • Diagnostics and treatment of liver cysts
• Other medical services