Gastrointestinal specialists on the Las Vegas Strip

At Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, our Digestive Health Institute encompasses community and academic research-focused physicians to provide high-quality healthcare to our patients.

The Institute provides a multi-center approach, covering the entire digestive process. Our team of physicians has years of specialized training and the clinical experience to treat the most complex gastrointestinal disease cases.

For questions about our digestive health services, or to speak to the digestive health coordinator, call (702) 961-9327.

With an all-encompassing approach to digestive health services, our gastrointestinal specialists offer comprehensive care through a variety of options. Additional patient care is supplemented with support groups, dietary and pre-admission education, as well as community lectures covering all digestive surgical procedures.

Comprehensive diagnostic services

The Digestive Health Institute includes a comprehensive diagnostic center to offer patients one location for their care. Treatment plans and assessments are provided so our team can provide the most advanced treatment plan for each patient.

Gastrointestinal conditions we treat

Our patient-centered care for gastrointestinal diseases and conditions allows us to quickly assess and treat a variety of disorders, including:

Colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer, also known as bowel, colon or rectal cancer, is the third most common cancer in the U.S. and the second-highest cause of cancer-related deaths. Traditionally detected via the presence of polyps or growths on the inner linings of the colon or rectum, surgical treatment is the primary course of action for eliminating colon cancer.

Surgery will seek to remove polyps and any adjacent lymph nodes to avoid potential spreading. Any cancer treatments will be accomplished cooperatively with Sunrise Hospital's department of oncology services.

Liver, pancreas and bile duct conditions

Sunrise Hospital treats a number of conditions affecting the liver and pancreas, as well as the bile ducts, thin tubes transporting digestive fluid, called bile, from the liver and gallbladder and into the small intestine for food digestion.

These conditions include the following, among others:

  • Cirrhosis — An inflammatory process resulting in liver failure. This typically will culminate with scar tissue formation and occurs following long-term damage to cells in the liver.
  • Pancreatitis — Inflammation of the pancreas, typically resulting in middle-left upper abdominal pain.
  • Gallstone/gallbladder disease — Crystallization of bile within the gallbladder or bile ducts, which turns into stones blocking the transportation of bile. Cholecystitis is the most common problem resulting from gallbladder stones.

Inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease is a broad term describing chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, a group of organs including the mouth, throat, stomach, small and large intestines, rectum and anus.

There are two primary types of inflammatory bowel disease: ulcerative colitis, the formation of ulcers along the lining of the large intestine and rectum, and Crohn's disease, an inflammation of the lining of the large intestine and small intestine. Regular symptoms of both types of inflammatory bowel disease include abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea and rectal bleeding.

Fecal incontinence

Fecal incontinence, also known as bowel incontinence, describes an inability to control bowel movements, causing rectal leakage. Leakage could arise from passing gas or from a total loss of bowel control. Common causes include muscle/nerve damage, constipation and diarrhea.

Complex hernias

Hernias are balloon-esque sacs that form when the internal layers of the abdominal wall—skin, muscles and fat—weaken, then tear, causing a loop of abdominal tissue to flow into the sac. They are estimated to affect 5 percent of the population and can be extremely painful. Hernias become complex following repeated surgical attempts to seal the abdominal wall tear.

GERD treatment

GERD — gastroesophageal reflux disease—is a digestive disorder impacting the muscle between the esophagus and stomach. Consisting of chronic acid reflux, GERD is most commonly treated with medication designed to suppress acid production in the stomach.

However, medication does not address GERD's root causes, and more than 40 percent of patients still experience symptoms.

At Sunrise, we specialize in innovative techniques to combat GERD. Our surgeons can perform a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery to stop acid reflux, using a flexible band of magnets enclosed in titanium beads and implanting it around the weak esophageal sphincter.

The magnetic attraction between the beads keeps the weak esophageal sphincter closed, and swallowing forces the beads to temporarily separate, allowing food and liquid to pass into the stomach.

This procedure typically takes less than one hour and allows for patients to go home within one day.