Gastrointestinal surgeon consultation

A gastrointestinal surgeon helps diagnose and treat problems related to the abdominal cavity and the digestive system.

When should you see a gastrointestinal surgeon?

You should book a consultation with a gastrointestinal surgeon if you experience:

• persistent or recurrent abdominal pain, especially if it is severe, sudden, or lasts for more than a few days;
• a feeling that food is getting stuck in the esophagus (difficulty swallowing);
• persistent heartburn or acid reflux that does not improve with standard treatments;
• frequent nausea, bloating, or vomiting that affects daily life;
• changes in bowel habits, such as long-term constipation, diarrhea, or alternating between both;
• blood in the stool or rectal bleeding;
• unexplained weight loss over a short period;
• long-term fatigue;
• the need to clarify previous test results.

What is important to know about the digestive system?

The digestive system:

• is responsible for breaking down food;
• absorbs nutrients and eliminates waste products of metabolism;
• has a significant impact on overall well-being.

What happens during digestion?

Digestion is a complex, multi-stage process that occurs as food and liquids move through the gastrointestinal tract.

1.   Digestion begins even before the first bite. When you see or smell food, your salivary glands become active, producing saliva that moistens food and starts the breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth.

2.   Chewed food then moves from the mouth into the esophagus, which uses muscle contractions to transport it to the stomach.

3.   The stomach secretes acid and other substances that help break down food.

4.   The small intestine converts the partially digested food into a liquid form to absorb nutrients.

5.   The pancreas and liver support digestion by releasing digestive juices into the small intestine. The gallbladder supplies bile.

6.   Finally, food residue reaches the large intestine, where it is formed into stool and excreted through the rectum and anus.

In some cases, investigations may show no visible abnormalities in the digestive tract, even though symptoms are present. These are called functional gastrointestinal disorders.

In other conditions, both symptoms and visible structural changes are present in the digestive tract. These are structural diseases, such as tumors, ulcers, or inflammation.

Without diagnostic tests, it is not possible to distinguish between these two types of conditions.

It is important to understand that functional disorders can only be diagnosed after more serious structural diseases have been excluded. At the same time, symptoms typical of functional disorders may also occur in serious organic diseases.

What is important to know about gastrointestinal diseases?

Gastrointestinal diseases are much easier to treat when detected early.

During diagnostic procedures such as colonoscopy or gastroscopy, it is often possible to both establish a diagnosis and start treatment immediately. If necessary, a tissue sample (biopsy) is taken during the procedure to clarify the diagnosis. This is a quick and painless procedure that does not require separate preparation.