Gastroenterology and Hepatology

The Gastroenterology and Hepatology service at SKH specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, pancreas and biliary system.

Our service comprises a dedicated and experienced team of specialists equipped with a state-of-the-art endoscopic centre and gastrointestinal function unit to provide comprehensive and coordinated inpatient and ambulatory care to patients with a wide array of digestive, liver and pancreatobiliary conditions.

You may be advised by your doctor to visit a Gastroenterology and Hepatology specialist if you experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, frequent heartburn, indigestion, bloating, trouble swallowing, recurrent vomiting, abnormal/change in bowel habit, rectal bleeding (blood in your stool), unexplained weight loss or anaemia (a low haemoglobin level), or if are of an age that requires regular screening for cancer e.g. colorectal cancer. You may also be referred for management of fatty liver, viral hepatitis, abnormal liver blood tests, raised blood cancer markers, or disorders of the pancreas and biliary system (e.g. gallstones and pancreas cysts)

Our Clinical Specialities

General Gastroenterology
Advanced Endoscopy
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Motility and Functional Disorders
Hepatology (Liver Diseases)
Pancreatobiliary Diseases
Clinical Nutrition

Our Clinical Facilities

Specialist Outpatient Clinics
Endoscopy Centre (Diagnostic and Therapeutic Endoscopy)
Gastrointestinal Function Unit (e.g. Fibroscan, Capsule Endoscopy, Ano-rectal Manometry, pH Monitoring and Manometry)
Inpatient Services

Conditions We Treat

Our specialists in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at SKH are experienced in diagnosing and treating a wide range of disorders of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, pancreas and biliary system. Conditions that are treated by our specialists include, but are not limited to the following:

Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis Bile Duct Stones Bile Duct Strictures Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus Gastrointestinal Bleeding Gastrointestinal Bleeding Gastrointestinal Cancers Gastrointestinal Cancers Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders (e.g. Achalasia) Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders (e.g. Achalasia) Haemochromatosis Haemochromatosis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Liver Cancer Liver Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension Liver Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension Pancreatic Cancer Polyps of the Stomach, Colon and Small Intestine Polyps of the Stomach, Colon and Small Intestine Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Short Bowel Syndrome Short Bowel Syndrome Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Vascular Liver Diseases (e.g. Budd-Chiari Syndrome) Vascular Liver Diseases (e.g. Budd-Chiari Syndrome) Wilson's Disease Wilson's Disease

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Treatments we offered

Colonoscopy BRavo Capsule Reflux Testing Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Fibroscan Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Gastrointestinal Transit Studies High-Resolution Manometry Insertion of Naso-Jejunal tube Insertion of Naso-Jejunal tube Intestinal Ultrasonography for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) Polypectomy Therapeutic Endoscopy Total Parenteral Nutrition

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FAQs

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These are common digestive symptoms which can have a wide variety of causes, ranging from food intolerance, stress and hormonal change to functional digestive disorders and other more serious conditions. A majority of people who experience intermittent bloating and flatulence improve with treatment and dietary discretion. However, if your symptoms are prolonged and do not respond to treatment, or when serious symptoms occur (e.g. weight loss, inability to finish usual portions of food, frequent vomiting), your Gastroenterologist may recommend that you undergo further evaluation for medical conditions like impaired gastrointestinal motility or cancer.

Difficulty swallowing can have various possible causes, ranging from esophageal disorders to diseases of the brain and neuromuscular system. Your Gastroenterologist will take a detailed history and perform a physical examination to better understand your condition so that appropriate investigations and treatment can be arranged.

Changes in bowel habits can occur depending on various factors e.g. diet, water consumption and medications. This change may be transient and self-limiting. However, prolonged changes in bowel habits, especially when accompanied by other worrisome symptoms (e.g. blood in stool, unintentional weight loss and abdominal pain) will warrant further investigation for more serious conditions such as cancer and inflammation of the intestines.

Fatty liver is a common finding and represents accumulation of fat in the liver. People who are overweight, have metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol), or who drink heavily are at risk of fatty liver disease. Fatty liver disease can lead to liver inflammation (steatohepatitis), which causes progressive liver damage and may result eventually in hardening of the liver (cirrhosis) and liver cancer.

As fatty liver often has no symptoms, it may only be detected if you have high liver enzyme levels on a blood test (which indicates liver inflammation) or if seen on an abdominal scan. If you are being evaluated for fatty liver disease, your Gastroenterologist will investigate for other possible causes of liver inflammation, stratify your risk for progressive liver disease based on tests quantifying the damage to the liver, and advise you on how best to manage your fatty liver.

Our Care Team

Your inpatient and outpatient care for digestive and liver diseases is in good hands with the SKH Gastroenterology and Hepatology team. Equipped with a state-of-the-art endoscopy centre and access to contemporaneous drug therapy, our experienced Gastroenterologists are committed to providing quality and holistic care to patients with digestive and liver conditions. If you or your loved ones need a diagnosis, treatment or a second opinion, please make an appointment with us here.

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