OKAYAMA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Message from the Director of the Department

Scope of Target Diseases

• Upper gastrointestinal tract: pharyngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, malignant lymphomas of the gastrointestinal tract, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, esophageal varices, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, esophageal dysmotility, esophageal achalasia, functional gastrointestinal disorder, eosinophilic esophagitis, infectious esophagitis, gastrointestinal submucosal tumors, etc.
• Lower gastrointestinal tract: colonic polyps, colorectal cancer, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, intestinal Behcet’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, appendicitis, appendiceal tumor, intestinal obstruction, etc.
• Small intestine: small intestinal cancer, small intestinal bleeding, protein-losing enteropathy, nonspecific intestinal ulcers, etc.
• Liver: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, fulminant hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinomas, autoimmune hepatitis, drug-induced liver injury, primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, etc.
• Bile duct/pancreas: bile duct cancer, gallbladder cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, cholelithiasis, cholangitis, pancreaticobiliary maljunction, pancreatic cancer, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas, autoimmune pancreatitis, tumors of the duodenal papilla, etc.
   

Features and Description of Medical Care

The Department of Gastroenterology specializes in diseases of the digestive tract, liver, pancreas, and biliary tract. It also contributes to the Division of Endoscopy, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center, and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Center. We provide high-quality endoscopic diagnosis and treatment for lesions in the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, and colon. We were the first in the Chugoku-Shikoku region to introduce POEM (Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy) for achalasia and have treated over 200 cases. For IBD such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, we offer specialized treatments tailored to the patient's condition and lifestyle. For fatty liver disease, we conduct lifestyle intervention clinical trials, and for liver cancer, we provide the latest treatments, including radiofrequency ablation, hepatic arterial infusion therapy, and molecular targeted therapy. For pancreatic and biliary tract cancers, we perform endoscopic drainage and chemotherapy, as well as cancer genome medicine. In terms of research, we are working on establishing minimally invasive treatments (ethanol injection and radiofrequency ablation) for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

　　
 

Staff