Using advanced nanotechnology that give them the scoop from inside the GI tract, doctors at the Allan. H. Owen Endoscopy Suite at the University of Alberta Hospital can locate, diagnose and remove cancerous growths and other unwanted blockages all in one outpatient visit.

They’re also performing noninvasive biopsies for liver disease that are as quick as a security scan at the airport. Endoscopic ultrasounds that dramatically reduce the need for major surgeries. And point of care ultrasounds that detect thickening of the bowel – a key marker for inflammatory bowel disease – so treatment can begin immediately. 

On the research side, researchers continue to study the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi that make up your gut biome, where the cure for conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to obesity to diabetes may be found. As well, researchers and clinicians are working hand-in-hand to develop new life-saving procedures to match their ground-breaking fecal transplants (in pill form) that offer a 95% cure rate for patients battling devastating C. difficile infections.

In short, thanks to our donors, GI patient care is second-to-none in Canada at the University of Alberta Hospital.

Yet the need for ongoing support remains as strong as ever.