Grundy County Memorial Hospital | Live Well | Winter 2020

Digestive health specialists Srinivas Kalala, MD, and Tracey Elliot, ARNP, see patients in the Specialty Clinic with a focus on preventing, diagnosing and treating disorders of the gastrointestinal tract—which includes the esophagus, stomach, intestines, pancreas and liver. Digestive conditions may be linked to specific foods. In fact, a recent increase in the number of people who have nonal- coholic fatty liver disease can be linked to the standard American diet, including excess processed foods and sugar. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease occurs when fat accumulates in liver cells. It’s the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, and it’s estimated that up to 30% of Americans have it. The occurrence of fatty liver disease is closely tied to the surge in obesity in the U.S. When you gain weight, fat droplets are also deposited into your liver. Just having the fat in your liver doesn’t tend to cause damage, but it can lead to other serious diseases. About 40% of people who are obese have some fat deposited in their liver. About 20% of those will develop non- alcoholic steatohepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver. Among those, 30% can develop cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver and poor liver func- tion that can make a liver transplant necessary. Visiting Specialists Audiology Seema Arab Wilson, AuD Cardiology and Echocardiogram Kalyana Sundaram, MD Kari Haislet, DNP Abbie Schrader, ARNP Dermatology Angela Buttjer, PA-C Ear, Nose & Throat/Skin Cancer David J. Congdon, MD, MPH, FACS Tricia Thompson, ARNP Gastroenterology/Hepatology Srinivas Kalala, MD Tracy Elliott, ARNP General Surgery/Colonoscopy Paul Burgett, MD, FACS Nephrology T. Michel Daoud, MD Vinay K. Kantamneni, MD Oncology Wael Ghalayini, MD Ophthalmology/Cataract Surgery Benjamin Mason, MD Orthopedics Robert B. Bartelt, MD Podiatry Stephen Solomon, DPM Mental Health Counseling Debra Estes, LISW Kelsie Swisher, ARNP GCMH Services Anti-Coagulation Ariel Loring, PharmD GCMH Orthopedics Douglas Cooper, MD Pain Management W. Keith Barnhill, PhD, ARNP, CRNA, DAAPM Sleep Disorders GCMH Sleep Service Wound Healing Mandy Vervaecke, ARNP CALL 319-824-5081 or 888-824-5081 for scheduling information. Tracy Elliott, ARNP Srinivas Kalala, MD, Gastroenterologist Specialty Clinic While several genes have been identified as associated with fatty liver disease and certain medications—such as Tamoxifen, corticosteroids, and Methotrexate—may place people at increased risk for developing it, the primary reason people get nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is being overweight. Weight loss is the main treatment for fatty liver disease. Eating a diet of pri- marily nonprocessed foods and avoiding alcohol is beneficial. Other conditions the digestive health specialists treat include: ● Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) ● Hepatitis ● Stomach ulcers ● Celiac disease ● Diverticulitis ● Cirrhosis ● Nutritional problems ● Inflammatory bowel disease ● Pancreatitis ● Cancer In addition, Dr. Kalala performs procedures such as endoscopy, used to examine the esophagus and stomach, and colonoscopy, which allows the large intestine—the colon—to be ex- amined for signs of cancer and growths (polyps) that can be removed before they become cancerous. Source: American College of Gastroenterology D I G E S T I V E H E A LT H What’s on your plate? 5 Appointments for the Digestive Health Clinic may be made by phoning 319-234-5990 or 877-858-4741 .