Topics

Symptoms, Conditions & Procedures

At GastroGroup & Endocenter, we offer patients around the Louisiana area customized treatments for gastrointestinal problems. Whether we're addressing GI symptoms like bloating, indigestion, or yellowing of the skin and eyes, or GI conditions like celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or peptic ulcers, we approach each need with compassion and experience. Additionally, we can perform GI procedures like esophageal dilations, hemorrhoid banding, capsule endoscopies, and more. Browse our services below to learn about all the ways we can assist you with your digestive health.

GI Symptoms

Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain occurs when discomfort arises in any area between the pelvis and chest. It should be addressed when the pain is persistent.

Anal/Rectal Bleeding

Anal bleeding is when blood is discharged from your anus. It commonly stems from blood present in your lower bowel or rectum and can range in color.

Blood in the Stool

Blood in the stool reveals that bleeding is present within your GI system. It can be noticed on toilet paper, in the toilet bowl, or in the stool.

Bloating

Bloating is a GI symptom causing swelling in the stomach. This happens due to the accumulation of gas in the GI tract, or fluid retention.

Bowel Incontinence

Bowel incontinence occurs when you’re unable to control bowel movements. It can range from total loss of control to irregular leaks when passing gas.

Constipation

Constipation happens when stool that's too dry and hard passes too slowly through the digestive tract, causing less than three bowel movements a week.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea develops when you experience watery, loose bowel movements. If you have it at least three times a day or more, it is considered diarrhea.

Difficulty Swallowing

Difficulty swallowing happens you have trouble moving liquids and foods through the mouth, throat, and esophagus before it reaches the stomach.

Heartburn

Heartburn manifests as a burning sensation in your chest as a result of stomach acid moving back up into the esophagus. It can get worse after a meal.

Indigestion

Indigestion (also called an upset stomach) happens when you have discomfort in your upper abdomen followed by feelings of fullness soon after you eat.

Nausea

Nausea is an uncomfortable, uneasy sensation in the stomach. It often causes you to feel like you might, or you have to, vomit.

Unexplained Weight Gain/Loss

Unexplained weight gain, or loss, is a considerable drop or increase in weight that happens when an individual isn’t expecting to do so.

Vomiting

Vomiting is the result of the stomach contents involuntarily emptying through the mouth in a forceful, expulsive manner due to illness or a GI issue.

Yellowing of the Skin/Eyes

Yellowing of the skin and eyes is when the skin and whites of the eyes turn a yellow hue. An elevated amount of bilirubin in the blood is the cause.

GI Conditions

Acid Reflux

Acid reflux happens when stomach acid or bile irritates the esophageal lining. It creates a burning pain in the chest that worsens after eating.

Anal Fissure

An anal fissure is the presence of a tear in the skin tissue that lines the anus. They usually happen as a result of passing hard or large stool.

Anemia/Iron Deficiency

Anemia (iron deficiency) is a condition where patients don't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body's tissues.

Barrett's Esophagus

Barrett’s esophagus happens when the esophageal lining thickens and resembles intestinal tissue. The damage is a result of persistent acid reflux.

Biliary Obstruction

Biliary obstruction is when a blockage is present within the tubes that transport bile from the liver to the gallbladder, and small intestine.

C. Difficile Colitis

C. difficile colitis is bacteria that develops in the colon. It causes a large intestine infection along with stomach pain, fever, and diarrhea.

Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an immune disorder causing damage to the small intestines. It’s triggered when eating foods with gluten, like bread and grains.

Colitis

Colitis is a type of inflammatory reaction within the colon causing abdominal pain. It is often a result of an autoimmune condition or an infection.

Colon Cancer

Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) is a disease where abnormal cells grow within the colon or rectum. The cell growth causes cancer to form.

Colorectal Polyps

A colon polyp is a small clump of cells that exist on the lining of the colon or rectum that can be harmless, or cancerous.

Crohn's Disease

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease causing swelling in your GI tract. It results in stomach pain, severe diarrhea, and weight loss.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS)

Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a disorder that occurs when you have sudden and repeated cycles of severe nausea and vomiting that lasts hours or days.

Diverticulitis

Diverticulitis is a GI condition where tiny sacs (diverticula) protrude beyond the outer lining of the intestine, and they can get infected and swell.

Diverticulosis

Diverticulosis develops when the small bulging pouches, called diverticula, develop in the digestive tract and become inflamed or infected.

Dysphagia

Dysphagia is described as difficulty swallowing. This happens when you take more time to move food or liquid from the mouth into the stomach.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic immune system condition where white blood cells build up in the esophagus, causing damage and inflammation.

Esophageal Motility Disorder

Esophageal motility disorder is when muscles in the esophagus fail to contract, hindering the proper transport of food and liquids to your stomach.

Esophagitis

Esophagitis is inflammation that can damage the tissues of the esophagus. It is a painful condition that causes difficulty swallowing and chest pain.

Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease is when fat forms in the liver cells, creating liver inflammation that can turn into scarring and irreversible damage.

Fistula

Fistulas are abnormal tunnels connecting two organs or vessels that don’t usually connect. They can develop between the intestine or around the anus.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance is described as difficulty in digesting certain foods. This can happen gradually if you eat too much or a particular food too often.

Gallbladder Disease

Gallbladder disease describes a variety of conditions that negatively impact the gallbladder. It can range from gallstones to sclerosing cholangitis.

Gallstones

Gallstones are hardened deposits of bile (digestive fluid) that form in the gallbladder. The stones range in size and cause intense stomach pain.

Gastritis

Gastritis refers to inflammation in the lining of the stomach. This condition can elevate the odds of stomach bleeding, ulcers, or stomach cancer.

Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis slows or stops the muscles from pushing food through the stomach. This interrupts digestion and increases the risk of malnutrition.

GERD

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) happens when stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the esophagus, causing irritation of the esophagus lining.

Helicobacter Pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterial infection that is present in your stomach causing aches, bloody stools, loss of appetite, and more.

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids (piles) are the presence of swollen veins in your anus or lower rectum. Symptoms include irritation, itching, swelling, and bleeding.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a virus causing inflammation of the liver. The virus is split into three different types A, B, and C and range in severity.

Hiatal Hernia

Hiatal hernias occur when the upper part of the stomach bulges through the large muscle that separates your abdomen and chest.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease describes disorders like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis that cause inflammation of the tissues in the GI tract.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic disorder affecting the large intestine that causes cramping, stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

Ileitis

Ileitis describes the inflammation of the ileum (a portion of the small intestine). It causes cramps in the abdomen, fistulas, diarrhea, and more.

Impacted Bowel

An impacted bowel is an intestinal obstruction happening when a hard mass of stool develops. This blocks stool from passing through the intestines.

Jaundice

Jaundice causes a yellowish hue to develop in the whites of the eyes and skin. It is the result of a buildup of bilirubin in the blood.

Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance happens when individuals are unable to fully digest the lactose (sugar) in milk, causing stomach bloating, diarrhea, and gas.

Liver Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis happens when the liver is inflamed and scarred because of issues like liver disease, or as a result of chronic alcohol abuse.

Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) consists of two types of liver disease involving excess fat buildup in your liver, in addition to inflammation.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis describes inflammation of the pancreas. It can be caused by infection, cancer, autoimmune diseases, gallstones, and more.

Peptic Ulcers

Peptic ulcers are open sores that cause stomach pain. They develop on the inside lining of the stomach and the upper portion of your small intestine.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis is a chronic autoimmune condition where the liver bile ducts are slowly destroyed because of inflammation and scar tissue.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a disease affecting the bile ducts. It can make the bile ducts irritated, scarred, damaged, and constricted.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease impacting the inner lining of your colon and rectum, causing ulcers and inflammation.

GI Procedures

Abnormal Liver Function Study

Abnormal liver function studies are blood tests that check the health of the liver to determine if the liver is strained, inflamed, or diseased.

Anorectal Manometry

Anorectal manometry is an exam that measures the reflexes and strength of the muscles that are needed for a typical bowel movement.

Argon Laser Therapy

Argon laser therapy uses a laser device with argon gas to emit light and target specific areas to assist with troubling GI issues.

Capsule Endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy allows photos of the intestines and small bowel to be captured via a small capsule that’s swallowed. It helps to pinpoint GI issues.

Chronic Care Management

Chronic care management helps patients with chronic conditions establish ongoing relationships with medical teams, create treatment plans, and more.

Colon Cancer Screening

Colon cancer screenings check for and remove any non-cancerous polyps or cancerous growths on the colon inner wall when no other GI issues exist.

Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is an exam that's done to evaluate the entire colon. It looks for any irritation, swelling, polyps, or cancer so it can be removed.

EGD

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy is a procedure where a scope is used to address issues in the upper GI tract (the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine).

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection

Endoscopic mucosal resection is an outpatient procedure where doctors extract tumors below the intestinal wall using an endoscope (flexible scope).

Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)

An endoscopic ultrasound uses a scope to look inside the intestines for abnormalities. The tool is often used to stage cancer.

Enteroscopy

Enteroscopy is a procedure utilizing a scope that’s inserted into the jejunum (second portion of the small intestine) to address GI issues.

ERCP

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography addresses issues with pancreatic and biliary structures using a scope to examine the small intestines.

Esophageal Dilation

Esophageal dilation is necessary to dilate or stretch out a narrowed or obstructed area of the esophagus to help you eat and drink as normal.

Esophageal Manometry

Esophageal manometry analyzes the esophagus' contractile and relaxation ability. It’s used to identify irritations or to prep for surgery.

Feeding Tube Insertion (PEG)

Feeding tube insertion is placing a tube in the stomach wall to help patients get nutrition, fluids, and medication quickly when they're unable to.

FibroScan®

Fibroscan is an ultrasound technology utilized to evaluate the liver. It can measure the state of fibrosis or steatosis in the liver.

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy

A flexible sigmoidoscopy exam assesses the colon lining for GI issues. It’s completed via a scope that’s inserted into the rectum and large intestine.

Hemorrhoid Banding

Hemorrhoid banding is a technique that places a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid to cut off blood supply and cause it to drop off.

Infusion Therapy (IV Infusion)

Infusion therapy enables medications to be directly administered to the bloodstream through an IV. It allows controlled dosing and faster absorption.

Sphincterotomy

Sphincterotomy is a surgical procedure that makes an incision in the anal sphincter to decrease pressure. This allows the anal fissure to heal.