Lanka Hospitals opens advanced ‘one-stop’ Gastroenterology (GE) Centre

Lanka Hospitals, Sri Lanka’s internationally accredited multispecialty tertiary care hospital announces the commissioning of a state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment centre for gastro-intestinal (GI) disorders with the most advanced technology in the private sector.

The GE Centre is a fully-fledged unit where Gastro Intestinal disorders can be diagnosed and treated with state- of-the-art equipment under the care of highly specialised medical professionals. This unique One-stop Centre where patients could directly walk-in, is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka.

“Gastroenterology is the medical specialty devoted to study, diagnose and treat disorders of the digestive system. These disorders may affect the esophagus (swallowing tube), stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. This One-stop Centre provides total care for any disease/ condition of the digestive system including diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and guidance”, says Dr. Devika Kasthuriarachchi - Head of the GE Centre.

The ultimate aim of the GE centre is to be on par with International Healthcare Standards and to ensure the provision of swift, efficient and cost-effective treatment under one roof for patients suffering from conditions such as abdominal discomfort, heart-burn, altered bowel habits or any other GI related ailment.

The Lanka Hospitals GE Centre also holds the exclusivity in providing Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) Endo Bronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) and PH Manometry studies using world class equipment, on par with hospitals in the developed world.

EUS combines endoscopy and ultrasound in order to obtain images and information about the digestive tract and the surrounding tissue and organs. Scoping is a procedure of inserting a long flexible tube via the mouth (Endoscopy) or the rectum (Colonoscopy) to visualize the digestive tract, while ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the organs and structures around the GI tract.

“Traditional ultrasound transmits sound waves to the organ(s) and back with a transducer placed externally on the skin over the organ. In EUS, a comparatively small ultrasound transducer which is installed on the tip of the Scope, and by inserting the Scope into the upper or lower digestive tract, one can obtain high quality ultrasound images of the organs such as lymph nodes and blood vessels”, says Dr. Deepthi De Silva Karunatilleke, Head of Surgical Care.