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Digestive Health

Advanced treatment & compassionate care. Our team is dedicated to addressing your digestive health issues and providing you with the most effective and latest treatments for digestive diseases and conditions.

group of surgeons performing a surgery in full PPE

The HSHS St. John’s Hospital gastroenterology department has state-of-the-art equipment and our doctors and nurses are trained on the latest procedures and techniques. 

Gastroenterology (GI) focuses on conditions and diseases of the digestive system. This includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), and rectum. Hepatology services focus on the liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and liver ducts. Long flexible endoscopes allow physicians to look for stones in the bile ducts and pancreas and give them the ability to stop GI tract and obscure bleeding.

American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy logoThe GI unit has been recognized by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy as a GI Center of Excellence which highlights high-quality endoscopy teams across the United States. The ASGE Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program honors endoscopy units that have demonstrated a commitment to patient safety and quality in endoscopy as evidenced by meeting the program’s rigorous criteria, which includes following the ASGE guidelines on privileging, quality assurance, endoscope reprocessing, CDC infection control guidelines and ensuring endoscopy staff competency.

Coloscopies saves lives

Schedule some screen time. Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in men and women. St. John's has the state-of-the-art technology and clinical expertise to perform a colonoscopy - a safe and pain-free procedure to help prevent colon cancer.

Schedule your screening

Talk to your doctor about scheduling your colonoscopy at St. John's. 

Our board-certified gastrointestinal specialists and highly-experienced nurses will consistently pursue the absolute best care for every patient. Our advanced procedures and technologies allow us to provide a level of care that goes above and beyond.

Upper Endoscopy Services

For an upper endoscopy, the camera tube is gently inserted into the patient's esophagus to look at their stomach and upper gastrointestinal tract. The doctor will gently pass the tube through the patient's mouth and through the esophagus and stomach, taking photos, retrieving samples, or cutting away abnormal growths. Mild sedatives are used for the patient's comfort. Recovery can be done at home after a short time in our fully equipped recovery room.

This procedure uses a flexible tube with a camera at the end in order to provide a clear look at your lower gastrointestinal tract. The doctor will gently pass the tube through the patient's rectum and throughout the colon, taking photos, retrieving samples, or cutting away abnormal growths. The patient will receive a mild sedative prior to the procedure to ensure that you are comfortable throughout the process.