CALGARY- Imagine a roaring fire burning in the centre of your chest. That’s what Calgary’s Shane Gowans has been dealing with for the past decade.
“I can’t imagine when I didn’t have heart burn. It’s just a day-to-day thing that I go through,” he says.
Prescription acid reflux medication didn’t do the trick, so he’s now one of the first patients to be treated at the new Calgary gut motility centre.
Get daily National news
The clinic run out of the South Calgary Hospital is devoted to treating problems like gastro-espophagel reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome.
“These disorders can be quite disabling, having a profound impact on quality of life,” says gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Curley. “But because they’re not life threatening often patients are pushed down the waiting lists and often have to wait a very long time to access health care.”
Patients will now have access to four specialists and a team including a psychologist, pharmacist and dietitian.
“Functional disorders and motility disorders are still relatively poorly understood, and there aren’t a lot of treatment options,” Dr. Curley explains. “One of the other interesting things that we’re doing at this centre is looking at new treatment for these disorders.”
The clinic is accessible through a referral from a family doctor.
With files from Heather Yourex
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.