The Gastroenterology Centre at VPS Lakeshore is one of the most comprehensive GI Centre’s in the country with associated Hepatology, GI Surgery and GI Radiology departments offering the very latest diagnosis and therapy of Luminal gastroenterology, Hepatology and Pancreatobiliary diseases with advanced facilities in GI Pathology, GI Oncology, Oesophageal Motility and Molecular Biology.
Our Endoscopy unit has been accredited by the Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in India (SGEI) as an Advanced Endoscopy Centre. Our centre offers the most advanced methods for the diagnosis and treatment for all Gastro Intestinal diseases. The centre runs Special Clinics for Liver and Pancreatic Diseases and has done pioneering work in Therapeutic GI Endoscopy, Pancreatic Diseases and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. The centre also imparts Advanced Endoscopic Training for Specialist Gastroenterologists from various parts of India and abroad including GI fellows from USA.
Advanced Endoscopic Centre
· Accredited by the SGEI ( Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy In India)
· Spyglass DS Cholangiopancreatoscopy - The 1st centre in Kerala offering this procedure where we visualize the bile duct and pancreatic duct and perform interventions including laser lithotripsy for Bile duct and pancreatic stones and Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) for cholangiocarcinoma
· Third Space Endoscopy procedures such as Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy [POEM] for Achalasia cardia – performed for the 1st time in Kerala with excellent results with the largest experience in Kerala
· Submucosal Tunneling endoscopic resection (STER), where submucosal lesions like GIST (Gastrointestinal stromal tumours) are removed endoscopically avoiding major surgery
· Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) and Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) as treatment of Early cancers and superficial tumours of the GI Tract especially oesophagus, stomach, re**um and colon
· Diagnostic & Therapeutic Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of esophagus, stomach, small bowel and colon including routine procedures such as Oesophago Gastro duodenoscopy (OGD), Colonoscopy including routine interventional procedures like Endoscopic Band ligation, Sclerotherapy, Polypectomy and G I Bleeding interventions.
· Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy – Where we place a feeding tube using assistance of Endoscope on the abdominal wall of the patient as a means to feed patients having difficulty in oral intake of food
· Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography (ERCP) for biliary and pancreatic disease (avoids major operations by endoscopic methods) including Biliary and pancreatic stent placement and Self Expanding Metal Stent (SEMS) placement for Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma
· ERCP and Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) for Cholangiocarcinoma
· Management of Bile duct stones and stricture
· Endoscopic Gall bladder drainage for Acute Cholecystitis in inoperable cases or as a bridge to surgery
· ESWL for shattering pancreatic and bile duct stones.
· Argon Plasma Coagulator to control all bleeding lesions and to treat early cancers.
· Gold Probe (heater Probe) for bleeding lesions.
· Endoscopic Palliation for Gastro-Intestinal Cancer including Oesophageal, Duodenal and colonic Self Expanding Metal Stent (SEMS) placements.
· Interventional G I Radiology including Trans Jugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunting (TIPS), Inferior Vena Cava Stenting, Angiographic Embolisation of liver cancer(TACE), Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA) for Liver Cancer and all Angiographic Interventions in difficult gastrointestinal bleeds.
Bariatric Therapies for Obesity
· Endoscopic Bariatric Therapy(EBT) for treatment of Morbid obesity using Intragastric Balloon placement as part of a Multi-disciplinary approach to weight loss and obesity management
· We also offer Left Gastric Artery Embolisation as a Therapeutic option for weight management
· Counseling and dietician advice also would be available as a routine practice
· If patients fail to obtain adequate weight loss, Sleeve Gastrectomy, the current standard for Bariatric Surgery Therapy is also offered by our GI Surgery Team
· We also offer Total Body Composition Analysis using the latest DEXA Scan. It uses a very low levels of x-ray consisting of two different beams, One is a higher energy beam, while the other is a lower intensity. The lower intensity beam is only absorbed by soft tissue (muscle and fat), whereas the higher intensity beam gets absorbed both by bones and by soft tissue. These differences in absorption are used to determine bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition values.
Endosonography
· Endosonography for Diagnostic and Therapeutic indications of Pancreas and Bile duct including Celiac plexus block and transoesophagel mediastinal interventions.
· EUS guided Biliary Drainage
· EUS Guided Pseudocyst Drainage
· EUS Guided Pancreatic Tumour Treatment
· EUS Guided RFA for Pancreatic neuroendoccrine tumours such as Insulinoma
· EUS (Endoscopic Ultrasound) guided coiling for Gastric Variceal Bleed for Portal Hypertension
Gastrointestinal Motility Lab
· We have the latest High resolution Oesoghageal Manometry for measuring pressures inside the oesophagus and diagnosing various motility disorders of the oesophagus such as Achalasia Cardia
· 24 Hour pH Monitoring is available to diagnose acid reflux disease and diagnose Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease
Division of Hepatology & Molecular Biology Services
· Our Liver Clinic handles patients with Chronic Liver disease such as cirrhosis of liver and Hepatitis including Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
· Multiple clinical trials (free treatment) are currently in progress for Hepatitis C Management
· Molecular Biology lab where Whole Exome Sequencing analysis and PCR for HBV DNA and HCV RNA Quantitative studies are done
· Management of Portal Hypertension and Variceal Bleeding
· Management of Fatty Liver and Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
· Management of Drug Induced Liver Injury
· Management of Acute Liver Failure and Hepatic Encephalopathy
· Identifying and short listing of patients for liver transplantation.
· Post-transplant management
Small Bowel Evaluation
· The first centre doing small bowel evaluation using Double Balloon Enteroscopy in South India, with extensive experience of over 1000 cases
· Double Balloon Enteroscopy (DBE) assisted Biliary access and stenting in post operative altered Anatomy
· Capsule Endoscopy- for noninvasive evaluation of small bowel with a small “pill” which contains a camera and which records thousands of images as the pill goes down the intestine, analyzed by the computer and our doctors for small bowel diseases.
Academic
· 3 year DNB Training program in Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Surgery (post-doctoral) with thesis submission accredited by the National Board of Education, New Delhi
· Endoscopy Technician training program (2years).
· Wednesday Gastroenterology round table discussion with G I Surgery , Radiology and Pathology departments
· Routine Clinical Presentations and seminars every week with Journal clubs and discussions on difficult cases.
