Digestive Health
Digestive issues?
Millions of Americans have digestive disorders. The gastroenterologists at Aurora BayCare can help limit your symptoms and prevent long-term health complications.
Our board-certified gastroenterologists offer the widest array of GI and liver services available in Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin. We work in an unmatched state-of-the-art facility, providing care from the common to the complex.
GI doctors work as part of multidisciplinary care teams, collaborating with our partners in primary care, surgery, oncology, and radiology. We also partner with colleagues in Milwaukee to offer liver transplants.
About Gastroenterology
Gastroenterology is a medical specialty involving the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of digestive system disorders. Your digestive system, or gastrointestinal tract, includes your esophagus, stomach, and small and large intestine. Your liver, bile ducts, gallbladder and pancreas are also part of your digestive system, supplying or storing materials involved in the digestive process. This system is responsible for breaking down the food you eat to supply nutrients and energy to your body.
Gastroenterologists are doctors trained in both internal medicine and the sub-specialty of gastroenterology. Gastroenterologists are also referred to as GIs.
An Ounce of Prevention
We focus not only on diagnosis and treatment, but on preventive care as well, including screening for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, yet it is 90% treatable if caught early.
Symptoms of Digestive Problems
In addition to preventive screening, you might turn to a gastroenterologist if you experience the following symptoms:
- Abdominal pain and/or bloating
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Cramps
- Heartburn
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rectal bleeding or blood in stool
- Swallowing difficulty
- Weight gain or loss
Foregut Surgery
The foregut, or the upper GI tract, includes the esophagus, stomach, or upper small intestines. Aurora BayCare GI surgeons offer foregut surgery to treat conditions such as GERD, hiatal hernias, ulcers, stomach tumors and various other GI conditions.
If surgery is recommended, we try to use a minimally invasive approach whenever possible. The vast majority of our procedures are performed by laparoscopy. This generally results in shorter hospital stays, reduced pain, and faster recovery.
Our surgeons are leaders in the use of the daVinci robot for complex foregut surgeries. Fully-articulating robotic arms and high-dimension cameras enhance surgical precision. Many procedures, which were once available only as an open surgery, can now be completed robotically. Some procedures may be available as a scarless single-site robotic surgery.
We specialize in minimally invasive laparoscopic and robotic foregut surgery and often receive referrals to treat complicated cases.
Digestive Tract Disorders We Treat
These are just some of the conditions an Aurora BayCare gastroenterology specialist can treat:
- Acid reflux
- Anemia
- Barrett’s esophagus
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease (gluten intolerance)
- Chronic liver diseases
- Cirrhosis
- Colitis
- Colorectal cancer
- Diverticulosis / diverticulitis
- Gallstones
- GERD
- Gluten intolerance
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis C
- Jaundice
- Lactose intolerance
- Pancreatitis
- Ulcers
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures
Using state-of-the-art minimally invasive technology, Aurora BayCare gastroenterologists are able to examine your entire digestive tract for diagnostic and treatment purposes.
We provide a full spectrum of general endoscopy and advanced endoscopy services. We offer both diagnostic endoscopy procedures such as:
- Colonoscopy
- Upper endoscopy (EGD)
- Capsule endoscopy
- Therapeutic endoscopy, including endoscopic ultrasound and ERCP
- Esophageal function testing
- Ambulatory pH monitoring for acid reflux disease