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Our role Gastroenterology is the medico-technical discipline concerned with digestive pathologies, that is, pathologies of the digestive tract - from the mouth to the anus – and the organs and glands situated in the abdomen: liver, pancreas and gall bladder.  Image Although we are separate entities, in practice we form together with digestive surgery and digestive oncology a large medico-surgical department that treats digestive pathologies. Within which our patients often follow integrated care pathways. Our specialities The Erasmus Hospital's Medical Gastroenterology Department spans 7 clinics that correspond to recognised fields of expertise:The Intestinal Diseases Clinic (examples: Crohn's disease,  cœliac disease, ulcerative colitis, auto-immune diseases)  The Digestive Endoscopy Clinic The Liver Disease Clinic that is a reference centre, especially for advanced liver diseasesThe Liver Transplant Clinic that carries out liver transplants The Functional Digestive Pathologies Clinic – pathologies that are the number one reason for consultations in gastroenterology – that proposes, in particular, a digestive comfort consultation for irritable intestine syndrome and gastro-oesophageal reflux, for example   The Pancreatic Diseases and Nutritional Support Clinic that treats non-cancerous pancreatic diseases (e.g. pancreatitis), problems of (mal)nutrition and parenteral feeding, at hospital or at home     The Integrated Obesity Centre. Our team Image Our specialist doctors Focus The Erasmus Hospital Medical Gastroenterology Department is a reference centre – and reputed training centre – for endoscopy, for purposes of diagnosis and treatment.  New procedures at the leading edge of technology are studied here.  Cooperation with the ULB's Polytechnic Faculty has even permitted the development of an endoscope able to carry out partial gastric sleeve surgery. This procedure has shown its effectiveness in weight loss among obesity patients.   Research Thanks to its large "biobank", the Medical Gastroenterology Department works with the ULB's Experimental Gastroenterology Laboratory in pursuing 3 main lines of translational research:  liver diseases and cancerschronic inflammatory bowel diseasespancreatic cancers.A clinical research unit permits access to innovative treatments, notably in oncology, hepatology and inflammatory bowel diseases.   Publications Common genetic variation in alcohol-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a case-control genome-wide association study Authors: Eric Trépo, PhD *, Stefano Caruso, PhD *, Jie Yang, PhD *, Sandrine Imbeaud, PhD, Gabrielle Couchy, PhD, Quentin Bayard, PhDJournal : The Lancet Oncology, Volume 23, Issue 1, January 2022 Endoscopic sutured gastroplasty in addition to lifestyle modification: short-term efficacy in a controlled randomised trial Authors: Vincent Huberty, Ivo Boskoski, Vincenzo Bove, Pauline Van Ouytsel, Guido Costamagna, Marc A Barthet, Jacques DevièreJournal : Gut-Bmj Journal, published October 28, 2020 Collecting New Peak and Intermediate Infliximab Levels to Predict Remission in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Authors: Claire Liefferinckx, Jérémie Bottieau, Jean-François Toubeau, Debby Thomas, Jean-François Rahier, Edouard Louis, Filip Baert, Pieter Dewin, Lieven Pouillon, Guy Lambrecht, François Vallée, Severine Vermeire, Peter Bossuyt, Denis FranchimontJournal : Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Volume 28, Issue 2, February 2022, Pages 208–217 Long-term outcomes in patients with decompensated alcohol-related liver disease, steatohepatitis and Maddrey's discriminant function Authors: Delphine Degré, Rudolf E. Stauber, Gaël Englebert, Francesca Sarocchi, Laurine Verset, Florian Rainer, Walter Spindelboeck, Hassane Njimi, Eric Trépo, Thierry Gustot, Carolin Lackner, Pierre Deltenre, Christophe Moreno Journal : Journal of Hepatology, 2020, vol. 72

To ensure you are fully informed about the procedure, we invite you to read this information carefully. Your doctor is available to provide any additional details you may wish to know. What is a gastroscopy? A gastroscopy is a visual examination of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. It allows your doctor to detect abnormalities and determine the cause of your symptoms. Why undergo a gastroscopy? Your doctor has recommended this procedure because of symptoms suggesting a problem in the upper digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, duodenum). A gastroscopy is performed using an endoscope (a flexible tube with a camera and light at its tip) to detect internal lesions and, if necessary, take tissue samples (biopsies). This examination helps diagnose various problems such as difficulty or pain swallowing, abdominal pain, heartburn, investigation of anemia, diarrhea, weight loss, gastrointestinal bleeding, detection of tumors, etc.In some cases, dyes may be applied, or image-processing techniques (NBI) or zoom may be used to better detect early tumor lesions. How to prepare for a gastroscopy? Before the procedure:Inform your doctor about your medical history and the medications you regularly take. Mention any known allergies.If you have diabetes, your doctor will advise you not to take rapid-acting insulin and/or oral antidiabetics before the procedure.For a diagnostic procedure, if you take blood-thinning medications:Ticlid® or Plavix®: do not stopLow-molecular-weight heparin (Fraxiparine®, Clexane®, Innohep®, Fraxodi®): do not stopSintrom®: check INR a week before; if stable, do not stopEliquis®, Xarelto®, Pradaxa®: do not take the morning dose on the day of the endoscopyFor a therapeutic gastroscopy, discuss with your doctor whether and how to interrupt medication.You must fast (no food, drink, or smoking) for at least 6 hours before the gastroscopy to avoid impairing visibility or increasing risk during the procedure. Remove dentures and glasses if applicable. How a gastroscopy is performed? A local anesthetic spray is applied to the throat. You lie on your left side. A plastic mouthpiece is placed between your teeth. The doctor inserts the endoscope through your mouth into the digestive tract. The procedure is not painful and does not affect breathing, as the endoscope does not enter the lungs. Focus on regular breathing to prevent nausea. Allow saliva to flow during the procedure and do not try to swallow it. Air is introduced into the stomach, which may cause small burps or a feeling of bloating. Biopsies may be taken, which may feel like a pinching sensation. The procedure usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.Sedation or anesthesia can be administered to make the procedure more comfortable. If so, you will be monitored for at least an hour afterward, should not make important decisions, and should not drive for 24 hours. It is recommended to have someone accompany you.After the procedure, your doctor will advise when you can eat and drink again, explain the results, and may suggest a treatment plan. Possible complications of gastroscopy Any medical procedure, even when performed safely and competently, carries a risk of complications.Complications from gastroscopy are very rare (perforation, bleeding, cardiovascular or respiratory problems, infections). Hospitalization may sometimes be required. Risks may be higher due to your medical history or medications. Complications can occur on the day of the procedure or in the following days.If you experience abnormal symptoms (abdominal or chest pain, vomiting blood (red or black), cough, fever, chills), contact the treating physician during office hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00–16:30:Endoscopy Clinic, Erasme General Hospital: +32 (0)2 555.32.92Erasme Day Hospital: +32 (0)2 555.37.77Bordet Institute: +32 (0)2 541.37.20If you cannot reach them, contact your primary doctor, an on-call doctor, or the emergency department.Between each patient, the endoscope is disinfected, and used accessories are sterilized or disposed of (single-use materials).Therapeutic gastroscopySeveral upper digestive tract conditions can be treated with gastroscopy, usually under sedation or anesthesia. Common procedures include:Dilation of esophageal, gastric, or duodenal stricturesPlacement of stents for leaks or narrowingRemoval of superficial tumorsCoagulation of vascular lesionsStopping bleeding (hemostasis)Ligating esophageal varicesPlacement of an intragastric balloon for weight lossIn therapeutic gastroscopy, the risk of complications may be higher depending on the condition being treated and usually requires hospital monitoring.

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