Established in July 2000, the Department of Hepatogastroenterology comprises of a distinctive collaborative organization with faculty representing gastroenterologists, hepatologists, hepatobilliary and GI surgeons with adult and pediatric focus, all working under one umbrella.
The department is committed to providing exemplary patient care and education in an atmosphere of compassion while preserving the dignity and rights of the patients and their families.
In tandem with ancillary support services, the department provides comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities which include state of the art endoscopy unit and operation theater facilities along with round-the-clock cover from radiology, laboratory and pharmacy services. It also has to its credit the first ever successful liver transplant performed in the country. Till date, it has performed forty six liver transplants, initially with assistance from surgeons working in various well known institutes abroad, and currently by indigenous liver transplant surgeons.
Housed in the Dewan Farooq Medical Complex of SIUT, the department of hepatogastroenterology is a 40 bedded facility, including twenty eight in the ward, ten in high dependency unit and two for patients who need isolation. More than 6,000 patients are admitted on annual basis. The department of hepatopancreatobilary surgery department also shares the ward.
The GI clinic runs every Monday and Saturday and functions as a filter/follow-up clinic where new patients undergo initial evaluation and patients already under treatment come for regular follow-up. When indicated, patients are directed to attend other specialty clinics of the department, booked for endoscopic or surgical procedures or are admitted. Approximately 600 – 700 patients visit the GI OPD every week and more than 30,000 patients are seen on annual basis in this clinic.
A section of the clinic is dedicated for evaluation of pediatric patients which constitutes a significant proportion and represents a diverse spectrum of hepatobiliary and GI diseases. Last year more than 4500 pediatric patients were seen in this clinic.
Besides, a special clinic designed for follow up of patients who have undergone liver transplantation either within SIUT or outside is conducted once a week. Clinical evaluation, relevant laboratory tests and radiological investigations are regularly performed for this patient population which helps to bridge the gap created by the absence of the primary surgeon who performed the liver transplant surgery.
Furthermore, another facility called the Clinical and Research Center (CRC), has been organized by the GI unit, which runs three days a week and provides treatment for viral hepatitis to end stage renal disease patients before being referred for kidney transplantation. This clinic also offers vaccination against hepatitis B which is administered to the dialysis dependent patients as well as those referred from OPD.
A gastroenterology clinic is also conducted in Kathore, a rural area outside Karachi, where free consultation is offered for GI related problems apart from vaccination against hepatitis B.
The Hepatogastroenterology unit is also dedicated for various difficult and complex endoscopic procedures. Approximately 5500 endoscopies are performed each year including 3200 upper GI endoscopies, 1200 lower GI endoscopies, 750 endoscopic retrogradecholangiopancreatographies (ERCP), 300 endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and 50 high resolution esophageal manometry (HREM). The diagnostic as well as therapeutic procedures are performed for both admitted patients and those referred from OPD. Advanced GI procedures including per-oral cholangioscopy (spyglass), nasobiliary drain placement for lithotripsy of large biliary stones, high resolution esophageal manometry, push enteroscopy and video capsule endoscopy are also available in this department.