Facilities
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of GI tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine as well as the accessory organs of digestion which include the pancreas, gallbladder, and liver.
Speciality Clinics
Pancreas Clinic
The pancreas Clinics has been set up to provide specialized care to patients with pancreatic disorders, in addition to performing responsible research with clinical and social benefits.
Our future objectives in the area of pancreatic research are:
- To find markers for the early detection of the disease
- To define the aetiology (causation) of the disease in India
- To understand carcinogenesis in chronic pancreatitis
- Public health initiatives : Screening program to detect early pancreatic cancer in high risk groups.
- Explore personalized medicine in the treatment of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer
The Liver clinic
The liver clinics serves as a nodal point for integration of multidisciplinary specialists and provide holistic care to patients.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) clinic:
At Ramaiah, we have started in IBD registry to compile and record the features of all IBD patients and have initiated research studies on IBD including community outreach and screening programs, multigene mutation analysis, immunologic studies, etc.
Motility Laboratory
Department of Gastroenterology at Ramaiah is one of the few centres in South India to have a fully equipped motility lab replete with High resolution manometry for oesophagus, antroduodenal motility, biofeedback techniques, pH metry and Anorectal manometry. With a constantly changing definition for motility disorders of the GI tract, our motility lab has maintained global standards and kept up with recent updates to allow uniformity in disease interpretation and management. Experienced motility experts are in charge of the lab along with able GI technicians who are adept at performing the procedure with great ease. The staff extremely well trained and experienced in not just performing the procedure but also troubleshooting and interpretation of the data.
Paediatric Gastroenterology
There are only a few centres in India that offer services in paediatric gastroenterology. The GI department has a fully equipped division dealing with paediatric GI diseases and paediatric endoscopes and accessories.
Research & Publications
In keeping with the university mission statement, the GI department has been successful in creating a fertile ground for cultivating young minds attuned to research and providing them with instruction into basics of research methodology and biostatistics. A staggering 300+ publications have been churned out in the last decade with the number exponentially increasing annually. This is in part due to the available infrastructure that allows a foray into experimental therapeutics, but also, a keen interest and sustained motivation of the faculty to inspire in the students, an innate need for higher understanding of the subject and an active encouragement of scientific enquiry.
Numerous publications have come out of the department as testament to our commitment to developing research in the field of Gastroenterology. In addition, our professors have also contributed textbook chapters that are being used of budding gastroenterologists across the country.
It is important to accept that medical research is a tedious, time-consuming process that conspicuously lacks material gains. The instruction of this subject therefore, requires a superlative effort to provide the researcher with adequate equipment and means to achieve the end so as to not breed frustration and eventual drop-outs. AIMS, Kochi have supported the GI department in every way possible which has enabled the department to dream of goals in excess of their past achievements necessitating extra-mural funds and resources. Optimization of in-house resources can only gain a quarter; however, by bolstering the ranks with extramural support, it can catapult the aspirations and goals to match, if not surpass global standards.
OPD Service
The department has a fully functional OPD area with patient consultation rooms keeping in mind patient comfort, privacy and aesthetic sense. Specialised doctors are always present in the OPD during working hours ably assisted by trained staff at the reception counter and the nursing counter. Patient posted for procedures are received by trained nurse who will counsel the patient regarding pre-procedure preparation and answer any queries related to the procedure. Specific attention has been paid to patient care pathways within the OPD to conform to best practices and international guidelines. The services have been streamlined specifically to avoid unnecessary patient delays and enable smooth functioning of the OPD giving due importance to individual resources and patient convenience; while maintaining excellence in patient care.
Endoscopy Service
The endoscopy suite is a state of the art facility with four procedure rooms and a spacious recovery room. Patient flow has been designed specifically to allow for minimum time to be spent in patient transfers and strict attention to infection control practices that are in line with global standards. Patient safety is a priority with specialized endoscopy technicians, nurses and doctors posted to endoscop 24/7. The department is equipped to provide the entire range of GI interventions (Endoscopic and non-endoscopic).
Endoscopic and non-endoscopic services:
- Upper and lower endoscopy services - Diagnostic and therapeutic
- Endoscopic Ultra Sound(EUS - Diagnostic and therapeutic)
- Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR)
- Post Liver Transplant Biliary stricture management
- Endoscopic brachytherapy
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography - Adult & Paediatric
- Luminal Dilatations (Bougie & CRE)
- Esophageal stent placements (benign & malignant)
- Capsule endoscopy
- Anorectal & Esophageal Manometry
- Biofeedback
- Hydrogen breath test
- Adult & Pediatric PEG placement
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