Southern Gastroenterology Associates

Mark Kukler, DO
Scott Schorr, MD
Marcelle Owens, MD
Arvind Kulkarni, MD
Tanya Rutledge, MD

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Did You Know?

Wireless capsule endoscopy is a remarkable new technique that can help diagnose problems not detected by conventional studies such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy. During this test, the patient swallows a tiny video capsule, about the size of a large vitamin, that can transmit up to 50,000 color images as it moves through the digestive tract. Ask us about this procedure on your next visit.

Gallstones
The gallbladder is a sac, about the size and shape of a pear, which lies on the undersurface of the liver in the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity. It is connected to the liver and the intestine by a series of small tubes, or ducts. The primary job of the gallbladder is to store bile, which is produced and secreted continuously by the liver, until the bile is needed to aid in digestion. After a meal, the gallbladder contracts and sends the bile into the intestine. When digestion of the meal is over, the gallbladder relaxes and once again begins to store bile.   Bile is a brown liquid which contains bile salts, cholesterol, bilirubin, and lecithin. About three cups are produced by the liver every day. Some substances in bile, including bile salts and lecithin, act like detergents to break up fat so that it can be easily digested. Others, like bilirubin, are waste products. Bilirubin is a dark brown substance which gives a brown color to both bile and to stool.

   Gallstone disease is a common medical problem, affecting 10 to 15 percent of the population of the United States or more than 25 million people.  About one million new cases of gallstone disease are diagnosed every year in this country. Half of these require treatment, with a cost to society of several billion dollars annually. In recent years, important advances have been made in the understanding of gallstone disease and in the development of new treatments.

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Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Cirrhosis of the Liver

Colon Cancer

Constipation

Gallstones

Gas in the Digestive Tract

Heartburn

Hemorrhoids

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Lactose Intolerance

Pancreatitis

Peptic Ulcer Disease