31 Old Broad Street

Gastroenterology London

Gastroenterology / Endoscopy

Our specialist gastroenterology service treats disorders of the digestive system. Through the use of endoscopy and colonoscopy techniques, we are able to offer patients a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. An endoscopy requires only mild sedation while a small, flexible video camera is passed through the mouth and into either the stomach or intestine to allow the physician to identify problems in the gastrointestinal tract and, in some circumstances, remove abnormal growths. A colonoscopy involves inserting a long flexible tube about the thickness of a finger, into the rectum and gradually advancing it through the colon, allowing the physician to examine the lining of the rectum, diagnose colon and rectal problems, perform biopsies and remove polyps.

Services available from the Gastroenterology Unit include:

Gastroscopy (Endoscopy) at London

This procedure allows a surgeon to carry out a visual inspection of the interior of the stomach without making an incision. Requiring only mild sedation, an endoscope (a small, highly flexible tube with a minute video camera at the end) is passed through the mouth and into the stomach.

Colonoscopy at 31 Old Broad Street's Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic London

An endoscopic (see above) examination of the large intestine (colon) to enable a visual inspection of the entire bowel and the removal or sampling of any abnormalities found.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy at 31 Old Broad Street's Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic London

A procedure in which an endoscope (see above) is used to inspect the sigmoid colon (the lower part of the colon that empties into the rectum).

Capsule enteroscopy at 31 Old Broad Street's London Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic

A pill-sized video capsule is swallowed, which slowly travels through your bowels before being naturally excreted several hours later. The capsule has its own built-in light and camera to take pictures of the walls of the bowel and detect abnormal lesions such as ulcers, tumours or abnormal vascular masses.

Oesophageal pH and manometry at 31 Old Broad Street's London Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic

Used to evaluate dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing), a thin tube with pressure sensors along its wall is positioned in the oesophagus to measure the pressure as the oesophagus contracts.

ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatogram) at 31 Old Broad Street's London Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic

This procedure combines an endoscopy (see above) with X-ray pictures to examine obstructions in the main bile duct.

Bowel Cancer Screening at 31 Old Broad Street's Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic in London

Screening for bowel cancer involves looking for the presence of blood in the stool (faeces). Another form of bowel cancer screening that may be used if appropriate, is by colonoscopy. This allows direct visualisation of the entire bowel and the removal or sampling of any abnormalities found. Most polyps found during the colonoscopy can be removed at the same time, without the need for an operation and before they turn into cancers.

Neurogastroenterology at 31 Old Broad Street's Gastroscopy & Endoscopy Clinic

Neurogastroenterology is a research area in the field of Gastroenterology which regards interactions of the central nervous system (brain) and the gut - the so-called brain-gut axis. Important research focuses upon upward (sensory) and downward (motor and regulatory) neural connections and upon endocrine influences on gut function. Another area is the enteric nervous system in itself. Clinical research deals mainly with motility disorders and functional bowel disorders (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia).