Gastroenterology

Our Department of Gastroenterological and Hepatological Medicine looks after patients aged 0-19 referred from all around the UK and internationally. We treat a wide range of problems from gastroesophageal reflux through to inflammatory bowel disease.

Conditions

• Allergic gut disorders
• Anal fissures
• Bacterial overgrowth in the gut
• Coeliac disease
• Constipation
• Crohn’s disease
• Eosinophilic oesophagitis
• Faltering growth
• Feeding disorders
• Fructose intolerance
• Gastritis
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Giardia
• Gut blood loss and anaemia
• Gut infections
• Helicobacter pylori
• Hirschsprung’s disease
• Infant colic
• Lactose intolerance
• Liver disease
• Nutritional problems
• Pancreatitis
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Recurrent abdominal pain
• Sucrose intolerance
• Toddler’s diarrhoea
• Ulcerative colitis

Investigations

The gut investigations we do include, but are not limited, to the following:

• Abdominal MRI scans
• Barium x-rays
• Common gut-related blood tests
• Examination of the drainage tract from the liver and the pancreas called ERCP and radiology called MRCP
• pH studies
• pH impedance studies
• Faecal analyses
• Enteroscopy involving the small bowel
• Histopathology of biopsies with multi-disciplinary team meetings
• Hydrogen breath tests
• Ileocolonoscopy
• Investigations for occult GI bleeding sources
• Liver biopsy
• Oesophageal pressure studies, manometry and motility
• Pancreatic function studies
• Radiological investigations such as abdominal ultrasound and abdominal x-ray
• Upper GI endoscopy
• Wireless capsule endoscopy
• Wireless Bravo pH studies

Nutrition

We work closely with our Dietetics colleagues and provide a one-stop shop for paediatric nutrition including gastrostomy insertion, feeding aversion studies such as video fluoroscopy. We often do procedures combined with our Respiratory and ENT colleagues such as bronchoscopy and laryngoscopy at the same time as upper GI endoscopy and reflux studies.

Many different types of milks are provided by a dedicated milk kitchen in the hospital.