Gastroenterologists in Manchester, New Hampshire

Our compassionate specialists are dedicated to improving your gastrointestinal (GI) health.

The gastroenterology team at Catholic Medical Center offers you the latest care and treatment options for a wide range of digestive conditions and disorders, including conditions of the esophagus, stomach and small intestine.

Conditions we treat

Our board-certified specialists will create a personalized plan to help you manage many different conditions, including:

  • Barrett’s esophagus
  • Celiac disease
  • Disorders of the pancreas
  • Diverticulitis
  • Esophageal and swallowing disorders
  • Gastrointestinal cancers
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Inflammatory conditions (microscopic colitis, etc.)
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Swallowing disorders

Advanced gastroenterology care and services

The gastrointestinal tract is the body’s plumbing system. It allows people to eat food, digest and absorb energy from the food and expel waste. In humans, it is made up of the mouth, esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine. The large intestine also includes the appendix. The pancreas and spleen are also considered part of the GI system.

If you are having gastrointestinal problems, you might be experiencing the following symptoms:

  • Blood in your stools
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Severe cramping and indigestion
  • Vomiting

Our gastrointestinal services include:

  • Capsule endoscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
  • H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) breath test
  • Manometry
  • pH monitoring test
  • Radiofrequency ablation treatment for Barrett’s esophagus
  • Small bowel endoscopy
  • Upper endoscopy

Care for esophageal disorders

Your esophagus is the tube running from your mouth to your stomach. Food, liquid and saliva travel down this tube and are met at the bottom by a circular muscle called a sphincter. If you are having issues with your esophagus, you may have pain or difficulty swallowing.

Your gastroenterologist can examine your esophagus to determine if you have something wrong with its function. There are a number of conditions that could be the cause of your symptoms including:

  • Esophageal motility disorders
  • Barrett’s Esophagus
  • Bile reflux
  • Eosinophilic esophagitis
  • Esophageal spasms
  • Esophageal varices

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) care

GERD is a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid or, occasionally, bile flows back (refluxes) into your food pipe (esophagus). The backwash of acid irritates the lining of your esophagus and causes GERD signs and symptoms. In some cases, GERD is caused by a hiatal hernia.

Signs and symptoms of GERD include acid reflux and heartburn.

In many cases, GERD can be relieved through diet and lifestyle changes. Chocolate, fried or fatty foods, coffee and alcoholic beverages can cause or worsen GERD symptoms, as can cigarette smoking. Even with lifestyle adjustments, some individuals may still require medication or surgery to find relief. When lifestyle and dietary changes are unsuccessful, a more detailed diagnostic evaluation must be performed. If left untreated, GERD can lead to serious complications, including cancer of the esophagus.

Tests to identify GI issues

Your gastroenterologist may perform tests to determine what part of your gastrointestinal system is malfunctioning. These may include various types of imaging including endoscopy, colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or biopsies. They may perform abdominal X-rays for issues of the lower GI tract. In some cases, your GI problem may be treated with medication or it may require surgery to return you to full functioning. We will diagnose and treat you with the care you deserve.

Diagnostic tests we offer include:

  • Bronchoscopy — A bronchoscopy allows a physician to look into your trachea and lungs to identify, evaluate and diagnose various respiratory conditions and diseases.
  • Colonoscopy — A colonoscopy detects growths, called polyps, in the large intestine. Polyps can sometimes lead to cancer and can easily and painlessly be removed during this procedure. If you are 45 years old or older, you should have a regular colorectal screening. This should be done earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer. If detected early, colon cancer is one of the few cancers that doctors can prevent.
  • Endoscopy services — You have access to inpatient and outpatient endoscopy services, including diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that treat a variety of conditions associated with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as the respiratory system.
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) — This allows a physician to look into your biliary and pancreatic ducts and to remove stones or insert stents to remove any obstruction.
  • Esophageal 24-hour pH study — Examines what happens in your lower esophagus when you feel the symptoms of heartburn or GERD.
  • Esophageal manometry motility study — Measures the strength and coordination of the muscular esophageal activity, as well as the band of muscles at the bottom of your esophagus. This test is performed to evaluate how food moves through your esophagus into your stomach.
  • Gastroscopy — This procedure examines the esophagus and stomach to detect ulcers, redness or irritation of the tissue. If you have persistent symptoms of heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), this procedure detects its severity and changes in the lining of the esophagus, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus.
  • Radiofrequency ablation — This state-of-the-art procedure removes the abnormal cells in the lining of your esophagus if you are diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus.

Colonoscopies

If you are 45 or older, it’s recommended that you undergo a colorectal cancer screening. The risk is high — 1 in 24 people will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetime. But colonoscopies are one of the most effective cancer screenings and can catch the disease in its earliest stages. Most insurances, including Medicaid, cover them.

Colonoscopy FAQs

What should I do before a colonoscopy?

We will give you instructions about what to do before a colonoscopy, including what foods you can and cannot eat and if you need to stop taking any of your usual medicines beforehand. Make sure to read the instructions as soon as you get them. You might have to stop some medicines up to a week before the test.

Your colon needs to be cleaned out before a colonoscopy. We will give you a special drink that causes watery diarrhea. It is important to drink all of it to make sure your colon is clean, so we can see the inside lining of your colon. A clean colon also makes the test easier to do and more comfortable. Let us know if you have trouble getting ready for your colonoscopy.

What happens during a colonoscopy?

We will give you medicine to make you feel relaxed. Then, they will put a thin tube with a camera and light on the end into your anus and up into your rectum and colon. We will look at the inside lining of the whole colon.

During the procedure, we might do a test called a biopsy, where a small piece of tissue is taken from the colon to be examined under a microscope to see if it has cancer. We may also remove growths we can see in your colon. You will not feel it if either of these things is done.

What happens after a colonoscopy?

Your doctor will give you instructions about what to do after a colonoscopy. Most people can eat as usual. But most doctors recommend that people do not drive or go to work for the rest of the day. Your doctor will tell you when to start taking any medicines you had to stop before the test.

When should I call my nurse or doctor?

Call your doctor or nurse immediately if you have any of the following problems after your colonoscopy:

  • Belly pain that is much worse than gas pain or cramps
  • A bloated and hard belly
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • A lot of bleeding from your anus

Endoscopy FAQs

What should I do before an endoscopy?

We will give you instructions about what to do before an endoscopy, including when to stop eating or drinking or when to stop taking any of your usual medicines. Make sure to read the instructions as soon as you get them. You might have to stop some medicines up to a week before the test. Let us know if you have trouble getting ready for your upper endoscopy.

What happens during an endoscopy?

You will have an intravenous (IV) line put in your arm or hand through which you will be given medicines to make you feel relaxed. We might give you a mouth spray or gargle to numb your mouth. You will also get a plastic mouthguard to protect your teeth.

Then, we will place a thin tube with a camera and light on the end into your mouth and down into your esophagus, stomach and duodenum. We will look for irritation, bleeding, ulcers or growths.

Will other tests occur?

During an endoscopy, we may also:

  • Do a biopsy on a small piece of tissue from the lining of your digestive tract by removing it and looking at it under a microscope. You will not feel this happening.
  • Treat problems they can see, such as stopping bleeding or removing a growth. We can also widen any narrow areas of the esophagus. Narrow areas of the esophagus can cause trouble swallowing.

What happens after an upper endoscopy?

After an upper endoscopy, we will watch you for one to two hours until the medicines wear off. It is usually recommended that you should not drive or go to work right after an upper endoscopy. Most people can drive and go back to work the next day.

What are the side effects of an upper endoscopy?

The most common side effect is feeling bloated. Some people have nausea because of the medicines used before the procedure. If this happens to you, your doctor can give you medicine to make the nausea better. Most people can eat as usual after the procedure.

Other side effects are not as common, but can occur. These can include:

  • Food from the stomach getting into the lungs
  • Bleeding, for example, after a growth is removed
  • Getting a tear in the digestive tract lining
  • Having redness or swelling of the skin around the IV

When should I call my doctor or nurse?

Call your doctor or nurse immediately if you have any of the following problems after your upper endoscopy:

  • Belly pain that is much worse than gas pain or cramps
  • A bloated and hard belly
  • Vomiting
  • Fever
  • Trouble swallowing or severe throat pain
  • Black bowel movements
  • A “crunching” feeling under the skin in the neck

To learn more about our gastroenterology services, call us at (603) 665-2470.