Services

A wide range of procedural services and expert knowledge.

The specialist services provided by Norwood Gastroenterology aim to diagnose, manage or treat a wide variety of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. With every patient we ensure a high standard of care, placing emphasis on confidentiality, patient safety and meeting every individual’s needs.

To help appreciate the services provided, please read our overview of the gastrointestinal system.
General Gastroenterology
Our role is to help diagnose and manage medical conditions of the gastrointestinal system relating to the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel and colon as well as important organs like the liver and pancreas. Such conditions would include reflux disease , irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and stomach ulcers.
General Hepatology
Hepatology is the term used for the subspecialty related to the liver. The liver is an essential organ within the human body with multiple purposes like metabolism, making proteins and to aid in digestion. Disorders relating to the liver such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, and other liver diseases need to have specialist attention for ongoing acute and chronic management.
Colonoscopy
A colonoscopy is a procedure using a long, thin, flexible tube with a camera at the tip which is inserted via the rectum to look at the internal structure of the large bowel and tail end of the small bowel (ileum) . Small tissue samples from the bowel, called biopsies, can be taken to aid in diagnosis of various conditions. Abnormal growths called polyps may also be removed .
Endoscopy
An endoscopy is a procedure which uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera at the tip – called an endoscope – which allows the gastroenterologist to visualise the upper gastrointestinal tract from the oesophagus, down to the stomach and then to the first part of the small bowel. An endoscope and endoscopy is an aid in diagnosis but is also used in other advanced procedures such as an ERCP , balloon assisted enteroscopy or Endoscopic Ultrasound as mentioned below.
ERCP
ERCP (or Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatogram) is an advanced endoscopic procedure which is used to assess problems in the biliary system. This consists of the bile and pancreatic ducts attaching the pancreas, gallbladder and liver to the digestive system. The procedure involves an endoscope passed down from the mouth, to the oesophagus and through the stomach to the small bowel where it is used to visualise the opening (the ampulla) of these important ducts into the small bowel. The second part of the procedure involves injecting a dye through the endoscope up the ducts which can then be seen on a series of X-rays. ERCP is a diagnostic and therapeutic test, highly specialised and specific for disorders relating to the biliary system. It can be used in the treatment of stones in ducts and re-establishing flow within these ducts through placement of tubes called stents.
Endoscopic Ultrasound
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is an advanced endoscopic procedure which combines endoscopy with ultrasound to obtain images of the gastrointestinal tract. Using an endoscope fitted with a miniature ultrasound probe it allows assessment of lumps and lesions which were detected at a prior endoscopy or seen on computed tomography (CT). EUS provides a detailed assessment of lesions in the chest, liver, pancreas and gallbladder. It also enables samples of tissue or fluid to be taken through a needle when needed. It can also assist in the drainage of fluid filled collections called cysts.
Endoscopic Resection of Gastrointestinal Luminal Tumours
This advanced endoscopic procedure involves using an endoscope as mentioned above, to remove (resect) tumours arising from the internal surface of the gastrointestinal tract.
Palliative Endoluminal Stenting
This procedure, although not curative, is minimally invasive and used to help alleviate the symptoms and pressure caused by an obstructing tumour within the GI system. A self-expanding metallic stent is placed within the lumen, which is the inner surface of the anatomical tube, helping to support and expand the walls and relieve obstruction.
Balloon Assisted Enteroscopy
This advanced procedure uses the small flexible tube, called an endoscope, mentioned above but with the addition of a small balloon that can be inflated and deflated as necessary to help the gastroenterologist visualise areas of the gut that can’t be visualised by endoscopy alone. With Balloon-Assisted Enteroscopy , therapeutic procedures and tissue sampling can be performed.
Capsule Endoscopy
This procedure uses a small wireless capsule to explore the whole of the small bowel. It travels along the gastrointestinal tract using the patient’s own gut motility and sends images to a data recorder worn by the patient. These images can then be reviewed by the doctor at a later date. It assists in the detection of small bowel abnormalities when a standard colonoscopy and endoscopy is unable to reach deeper regions of the small bowel.

An overview of the gastrointestinal system

The gastrointestinal system involves the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel, large bowel (colon), pancreas and liver. In short the system are the tubes connecting the mouth to the anus, essential for digestion, with important organs such as the liver and pancreas connected by a further network of tubes (or ducts).

From head down , food goes down the oesophagus, also known as the gullet, down to the stomach. The stomach in turn starts the digestion of food and from there the food travels through the three areas of the small bowel where nutrients are absorbed: the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum – in that order. The ileum (the final part of the small bowel) is connected to the colon which is also divided into the ascending, transverse, descending, sigmoid parts , before the final stop for undigested food the rectum and anus.

The liver, gallbladder and pancreas are connected to the small bowel through a series of ducts and hence are also part of the gastrointestinal system. The liver is an essential organ which metabolises, synthesise proteins and aids in digestion. The gallbladder acts as a storage organ for bile produced by the liver. The pancreas is also essential not only in digestion by producing enzymes but also as an endocrine organ, which helps regulate sugar levels in the body. These three organs are attached to the small intestine via the cystic, bile and pancreatic ducts.

We operate all over the Adelaide metro area.