Depratment of Gastroenterology

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

Department of Gastroenterology treats patients with all diseases of the digestive system, diagnoses and conservatively treats oncological diseases of the digestive system. All modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of gastroenterological diseases are applied in the department, transplantology is being developed. Gastroenterologists working at the department have successfully integrated into the community of specialists in their speciality in the European Union. Examination and treatment of Lithuanian patients in the department does not differ from the standards adopted in university hospitals in Western countries. In addition to conventional diagnostic and treatment methods new methods have been introduced and successfully applied in the department (determination of H.pylori resistance to antibiotics; microbiota transplantation; enteroclysis; defecography; colonic transit examination; treatment of oesophageal achalasia with endoscopic injections of botulism toxin; digestive tract (oesophagus, duodenum, colon) endoscopic stenting; endoscopic gastrostomy, etc.). In recent years, invasive hepatology has been developed in particular: The Kaunas Clinics is the only hospital in the Baltic States to apply invasive radiology procedures – transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunting (insertion of an artificial blood vessel into the liver), successfully performed transjugular (via neck blood vessels) liver biopsies, measurement of portal vein pressure, therapeutic MARS (artificial liver) procedures, immunopheresis (in severe forms of ulcerative colitis) procedures. In 2006, The Kaunas Clinics has implemented a new method of examining the small intestines – capsule endoscopy.

The Department of Gastroenterology  consists of 2 units – the Gastroenterology Unit , which includes 3 sectors (Hepatology, General Gastroenterology, Pancreas-intestinal Diseases sectors) and the Endoscopy Unit, which includes the Endoscopic Gastroenterology sector.

CENTRE FOR RARE DIGESTIVE AND LIVER DISEASES

The Centre for Rare Digestive System and Liver Diseases was established in 2013. The centre was established with already formed flows of patients suffering from rare diseases of the digestive system and liver, experienced staff, diagnostic and treatment options, multidisciplinary patient care, teaching and research experience, and contacts with international colleagues engaged in similar activities. The Centre for Rare Digestive System and Liver Diseases closely cooperates with the Digestive System Research Institute of LSMU. Assistance is provided to patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome, Wilson’s disease, genetic hemochromatosis, idiopathic achalasia, congenital intestinal telangiectasia, collagenous, lymphocytic, microscopic colitis, etc. Genetic studies of hereditary metabolic liver diseases are underway.