Gastroenterological surgery, gastrointestinal diseases, abdominal and intestinal conditions

Gastroenterology

At Tays, we examine and treat patients with symptoms or diseases related to abdominal organs. These include, for example, severe or prolonged symptoms or diseases in the abdomen, oesophagus, bowel, liver, pancreas and abdominal walls.

The most common reasons for referring a patient to Tays include prolonged or unclear abdominal pain, reflux, constipation, prolonged diarrhoea, bloody stool, bloody vomit, jaundice and weight loss.

Typical abdominal organ diseases or conditions requiring treatment at Tays include the following:

• gastroenterological, pancreatic, liver, gall bladder and adrenal gland tumours
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Chronic and acute liver and pancreatic diseases
• Benign diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts
• Patients requiring advanced procedures in the area of the anus
• Weight loss surgeries, i.e. bariatric surgery
• Diseases of the abdominal area requiring emergency treatment, such as acute infections and gastrointestinal bleeding
• Emergency surgeries and other emergency procedures on the abdominal area

Tests and treatment at Tays

In abdominal organ diseases, endoscopies are a relevant part of examining and treating patients. These include, for example, endoscopy of the stomach, i.e. gastroscopy, and endoscopy of the colon, i.e. colonoscopy. In capsule endoscopy, it is possible to examine the whole gastrointestinal tract by using a camera placed inside a capsule that the patient swallows. In addition, we perform small bowel endoscopies and bile and pancreatic duct endoscopies, as well as related procedures.

Diagnostic endoscopies can be performed in basic health care and Tays Sastamala and Tays Valkeakoski hospitals. Advanced endoscopies and endoscopies requiring procedures are performed at Tays Central Hospital, as well as bile and pancreatic duct scans and endoscopies, i.e. ERCP studies.

In the examination and diagnosis of tumour diseases, imaging studies are essential, such as CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasound scans and endoscopic ultrasounds. Biopsies are often taken with ultrasound guidance.

The treatment of tumours and cancers is planned and conducted in collaboration with cancer treatment and imaging experts.

The majority of patients are treated at the outpatient clinic. Ward patients arrive at the ward either due to emergency needs or as part of planned treatment for follow-up care after surgery. Liver failure, severe liver infection and inflammatory bowel diseases are treated in the ward when necessary.

Tays Central Hospital provides

• Situations requiring emergency treatment
• Advanced surgeries or patients requiring advanced follow-up care
• Pancreatic, liver and colon cancer
• Diagnostics of benign pancreatic changes
• Moderate and severe inflammatory bowel diseases
• Liver failure or acute hepatitis
• Acute pancreatic inflammation
• The observation of liver transplant patients is done in collaboration with the liver transplant unit of HUS, Helsinki University Hospital
• coeliac disease that is unresponsive to treatment or has complications

Tays Sastamala and Tays Hatanpää hospitals perform

Tays specialists hold outpatient clinic and perform endoscopies and procedures also in Tays Hatanpää and Tays Valkeakoski hospitals:

• Gall bladder surgeries
• Reflux surgeries
• Hernia surgeries
• Small bowel surgeries
• Day Surgery procedures
• Mild or calm inflammatory bowel diseases and liver diseases

Special expertise at Tays

At Tays, gastroenterology and gastric surgery physicians operate in a joint unit, making close collaboration possible both in patient treatment and research.

We have combined clinical interprofessional expertise and scientific research especially in the following fields: pancreatic and liver diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases and coeliac disease.

Persons in charge

Head of Department, Chief Physician of the Gastroenterology Unit Johanna Laukkarinen
Deputy Head of Department, Deputy Chief Physician Urpo Kinnunen