Upper GI / Biliary

Upper GI / Biliary

Upper GI/biliary treatments include the oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Conditions affecting this area can cause uncomfortable symptoms and weight loss.

At One Health, our experts dedicate themselves to your care, from finding the correct diagnosis to deciding the course of treatment for your condition. This page explains more about our upper GI/biliary system treatments so you’ll understand what to expect.

Common conditions

Upper gastrointestinal problems affect the stomach, oesophagus and surrounding organs, often causing pain, discomfort and difficulty with eating or drinking. Common conditions include:

• Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) causes stomach acid to flow back into the food pipe, leading to heartburn, chest pain and difficulty swallowing
• Hiatus hernia occurs when part of the stomach pushes up into the chest cavity through the diaphragm, often causing reflux symptoms and chest discomfort
• Gallstones can develop in the gallbladder, causing severe abdominal pain, bloating and digestion problems
• Achalasia affects the muscles of the oesophagus, making them unable to relax properly and causing difficulty swallowing food and drinks
• Barrett's oesophagus involves changes to the cells lining the lower food pipe, requiring monitoring and sometimes treatment to prevent complications
• Chronic gastritis and bile reflux can cause persistent stomach pain, indigestion and discomfort, often needing long-term management

Popular treatments

From surgical treatment to high-tech diagnostics, our experts know how to diagnose and treat upper GI/Biliary conditions.

• Laparoscopic Anti-reflux
• Gastroscopy
• Gallbladder Removal

Preparation

Your consultant will advise you on preparing for your treatments or procedures. If you have a diagnostic test, such as a gastroscopy, you will be asked not to eat for six hours before the test.

If your procedure involves sedation or anaesthetic, you will need to arrange for someone to drop you off and pick you up from the appointment. If you have a general anaesthetic, you need someone to be with you for 24 hours after the procedure.

Risks and complications

Serious complications from procedures like gastroscopy are rare. However, it’s important to be aware of them. You can discuss specific risks for your treatment with your consultant.

The tube used in the test could damage the lining of the food pipe, stomach, or intestine. This can cause bleeding, infection, or a tear in the food pipe, stomach, or intestine, resulting in a blood transfusion or surgery

Damage to the teeth if you bite hard on the mouthpiece

Recovering from Upper GI/Biliary treatments

You can go home after a gastroscopy. If you had sedation for the procedure, you will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for the night. Try to rest and recover for 24 hours.

You shouldn’t eat or drink anything until you can swallow properly. This is usually 45 minutes after the procedure. Your healthcare team will advise you if you should avoid food and drink for longer.