Fibroids are abnormal growths that develop in or on a woman's uterus. Sometimes these tumors become quite large and cause severe abdominal pain and heavy periods. In other cases, they cause no signs or symptoms at all. The growths are typically benign, or noncancerous. The cause of fibroids is unknown.

Gastroenterology: The medical specialty devoted to the study, diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the digestive system. These disorders may affect the esophagus (swallowing tube), stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.

A FibroScan is a test that measures the amount of fibrosis (thickening or scarring of tissues) in your liver.It can be used alone or with other tests (such as biopsy, blood tests,ultrasounds) to see how much scarring there is on your liver. What is Liver FibroScan? Liver fibrosis occurs when the healthy tissue of your liver becomes scarred and therefore cannot work as well. Fibrosis is the first stage of liver scarring. Later, if more of the liver becomes scarred, it’s known as liver cirrhosis. What are the stages of Liver Fibrosis? There are several different scales of liver fibrosis staging, where a doctor determines the degree of liver damage. Since staging can be subjective, each scale has its own limitations. One doctor may think a liver is slightly more scarred than another. However, doctors will usually assign a stage to liver fibrosis because it helps the patient and other doctors understand the degree to which a person’s liver is affected. One of the more popular scoring systems is the METAVIR scoring system. This system assigns a score for “activity” or the prediction of how fibrosis is progressing, and for the fibrosis level itself. Doctors can usually assign this score only after taking a biopsy or tissue sample of a piece of the liver. The activity grades range from A0 to A3: A0: no activity A1: mild activity A2: moderate activity A3: severe activity The fibrosis stages range from F0 to F4 as per liver fibrosis scan testing: F0: no fibrosis F1: portal fibrosis without septa F2: portal fibrosis with few septa F3: numerous septa without cirrhosis F4: cirrhosis What are the symptoms of Liver Fibrosis? Doctors don’t often diagnose liver fibrosis in its mild to moderate stages. This is because liver fibrosis doesn’t usually cause symptoms until more of the liver is damaged. When a person does progress in their liver disease, they may experience symptoms that include: appetite loss difficulty thinking clearly fluid buildup in the legs or stomach jaundice (where the skin and eyes appear yellow) nausea unexplained weight loss weakness

Minimally Invasive GI Surgical Procedures Minimally invasive surgery, or laparoscopic surgery, allows surgeons to operate with smaller incisions. Some even operate with the help of tiny video cameras during surgery. With minimally invasive surgery, patients will have less pain, less blood loss and smaller scars after surgery. It also helps to lower the risk of infection. Patients often feel better quicker and can leave the hospital sooner. Although there are many benefits, it is not an option for all patients. Listed below are some types of laparoscopic procedures that are done to treat GI conditions Appendectomy - This procedure removes an infected appendix (the small finger-like pouch at the end of the large intestine). Bariatric Surgery - This procedure makes the stomach smaller, which helps with weight loss. Cholecystectomy - This procedure treats gallstones by removing the gallbladder. It has few risks to it and recovery time is usually short. Colon and Rectal Surgery - This type of surgery treats conditions of the large intestine (including the colon, rectum and anus). Foregut Surgery - This is often used to treat conditions of the upper GI tract. It can involve the esophagus (the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach), stomach or the upper portion of the small intestines. Hiatal Hernia Repair - This treatment can fix hiatal hernias and paraesophageal hernias. A hiatal hernia is an opening in the diaphragm (the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen) that might cause the stomach or other abdominal organs to shift up into the chest. It can cause heartburn, chest or abdominal discomfort, discomfort with eating or shortness of breath. Nephrectomy - This procedure can be used to remove a diseased or cancerous kidney. Pancreatic Surgery - Depending on the circumstances, this procedure can sometimes be used in treating different pancreatic conditions. Splenectomy - This type of procedure involves removing the spleen.