Our Approach to Digestive Health Care
You don’t get to plan when unpleasant symptoms, such as bloating, constipation, diarrhea,
heart burn, nausea or stomach aches will strike. And not only are these and the many
other symptoms of digestive disorders inconvenient, but they’re also painful and troubling.
As the region’s only academic digestive health center, we lead the way in delivering
life-changing gastrointestinal disease treatment and testing options. We take on the
cases that other gastroenterologists and gastrointestinal surgeons consider too challenging
to treat so you can feel your best.
Why Choose Us
If you’re dealing with the symptoms of a digestive disorder, you deserve an expert
team you can trust to provide answers and relief. We offer:
- Expertise: We have earned national recognition in treating motility and neurogastroenterology
conditions. Also, individuals across Augusta’s River Region and beyond trust us to
successfully remove challenging polyps and manage complicated acid reflux.
- Innovation: Our doctors have played a key role in developing treatments for constipation and diarrhea,
including anal rectal manometry with biofeedback. They’ve also contributed to developing
multiple breath tests for food intolerances.
- Leading motility care: Our center offers the largest motility clinic in the United States. It is one of only
10 in the nation designated as a Center of Excellence by the American Neurogastroenterology
and Motility Society, the highest level of recognition for motility care.
- Advanced diagnostic testing: We offer motility and neurogastroenterology testing. These tests look for problems
with the muscles and nerves that break down and move food through your digestive tract.
- Latest technology: We use the Halo System, radiofrequency ablation technology, to treat Barrett’s esophagus
by delicately removing precancerous cells in the esophagus. We also use Stretta therapy
to treat acid reflux in individuals who aren’t good candidates for surgery.
- Teamwork: Our doctors team up to treat digestive disorders through biweekly conferences with
pathology and monthly conferences with surgeons. Our gastroenterologists work closely
with our gastrointestinal surgeons, often making it possible for them to see you together
at one visit for your convenience.
- Collaboration: Our experts work with other Augusta University Health specialists across multiple
fields of medicine, such as oncologists, pathologists and radiologists. We work hand-in-hand
with our institution’s very own Georgia Cancer Center and will ensure you get the
care you need when you need it.
- Clinical trials: We are working to identify new ways to treat and diagnose digestive disorders. We
are exploring the possibility of using already-approved drugs in new ways to improve
digestive health. We are also constantly working to expand our noninvasive testing
options to make diagnosis easier on you.
Digestive health experts trained to care for your specific problem
Our team includes board-certified, fellowship-trained specialists from all fields
of gastroenterology. Fellowship training allows doctors to deepen their knowledge
in a subspecialty within their field and earn the highest level of medical training
available. Our team of doctors includes:
- Gastroenterologists, including therapeutic endoscopy, irritable bowel disease and motility specialists,
doctors who diagnose and treat a full range of routine digestive disorders
- Hepatologists, specialists who diagnose and treat conditions of the biliary, gallbladder, liver
and pancreas
- Bariatric surgeons, specialists who perform weight-loss surgeries to change how your digestive system
works to help you lose weight after diet and exercise haven’t worked
- Minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgeons, specialists who operate using small incisions and special equipment to treat a wide
range of digestive disorders
- Advanced practice providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who’ve earned master’s degrees
in clinical care and manage your care under the supervision of our doctors
Digestive Disorders We Treat
We treat the full spectrum of digestive disorders, from routine to complex — such
as acid reflux, liver disease, colon polyps, rectal bleeding and inflammatory bowel
disease, including Crohn’s disease and colitis. And when it comes to those that are
complex, we have a whole team of subspecialists who are equipped to help you navigate
all conditions and levels of severity.
We offer routine and advanced treatments for:
- Biliary/pancreatic conditions affecting the bile duct, gallbladder and pancreas, such as gallstones stuck in the
bile duct, bile duct narrowing or cancer, as well as pancreatitis and masses in the
pancreas
- Colon and rectal conditions, such as polyps and cancer
- Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- Liver disease, including cancer, hepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Motility and neurogastroenterology conditions affecting the muscles and nerves that control digestion, including dysphagia, gastroparesis,
irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, constipation and fecal incontinence
Gastrointestinal Services
We offer a full range of diagnostic tests and gastrointestinal disease treatments,
including minimally invasive procedures. We also use the latest technology available
for performing colonoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic
ultrasound, endoscopy, fluoroscopy and motility testing.
Whether you come to our center with a diagnosis or not, we begin by performing the
necessary diagnostic tests so we can provide effective solutions. While we perform
a diagnostic procedure, we are often able to perform the necessary treatment.
Learn more about the gastrointestinal disease treatment and tests we offer within
each organ disease-specific area or center:
Support services
If you’re managing a digestive disorder and its symptoms, we’ll provide you with the
resources you need to feel your best, both inside and out. We offer:
- Nutrition counseling through our certified dietitians to complement your doctor’s care plan and help you
manage symptoms
- Psychiatry before and during all stages of treatment at the Center for Obesity and Metabolism
to give you the tools you need to reach and maintain your weight loss goals
