Gastroenterology is the study of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the body. A gastroenterologist diagnoses and treats diseases of the digestive organs, including the stomach, esophagus, intestines, pancreas, liver and gallbladder. This specialist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer in the GI tract, and jaundice. A gastroenterologist also performs complex diagnostic procedures, including the use of endoscopes to see and treat internal organs.
Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are Ostomy Care, heartburn, Abdominal Pain, acid reflux, Ulcer, Hiatal Hernia, colon cancer, Polyps, Diarrhea, Ulcerative Colitis, Bowel Diseases, Crohn's Disease, cystic fibrosis, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Rectal Bleeding, Digestive Disorders, Hepatitis, Appendicitis, and Diverticulitis.
Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including abdominal surgery, GERD Services, Appendectomy, Cholecystectomy, laparoscopy, Liver Transplantation, and Cholecystography.
To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including endoscopy, Colonoscopy, Barium Enema, Liver Biopsy, Sigmoidoscopy, Abdominal Ultrasound, Gallbladder Scan, Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), Barium Swallow, Anoscopy, Abdominal Angiogram, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography, Proctoscopy, Upper Gastrointestinal Series, Liver Scan, Abdominal X-rays, Pancreas Scan, and Radiographic X-Ray.
Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 13,402 practicing gastroenterologists. Broken out by state, gastroenterology doctor density in Alabama is 179, in Alaska is 10, in Arizona is 258, in Arkansas is 78, in California is 1,521, in Colorado is 203, in Connecticut is 275, in Delaware is 40, in District of Columbia is 107, in Florida is 1,001, in Georgia is 354, in Hawaii is 53, in Idaho is 41, in Illinois is 580, in Indiana is 231, in Iowa is 96, in Kansas is 84, in Kentucky is 150, in Louisiana is 173, in Maine is 42, in Maryland is 362, in Massachusetts is 513, in Michigan is 379, in Minnesota is 263, in Mississippi is 101, in Missouri is 285, in Montana is 30, in Nebraska is 57, in Nevada is 75, in New Hampshire is 71, in New Jersey is 606, in New Mexico is 62, in New York is 1,416, in North Carolina is 416, in North Dakota is 23, in Ohio is 491, in Oklahoma is 112, in Oregon is 150, in Pennsylvania is 743, in Rhode Island is 73, in South Carolina is 168, in South Dakota is 24, in Tennessee is 285, in Texas is 878, in Utah is 82, in Vermont is 22, in Virginia is 357, in Washington is 298, in West Virginia is 57, in Wisconsin is 231, and in Wyoming is 13.
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