Welcome to the Upper GI Unit at the London Digestive Centre
41 Welbeck Street , London, W1G 8DU
A centre of excellence for stomach and oesophageal conditions
If you are suffering from difficult stomach or oesophageal symptoms, it’s important to address any concerns quickly and get the diagnosis and treatment you need without delay.
Our consultants and multidisciplinary clinicians investigate and treat highly complex upper GI conditions quickly and safely. Patients can expect quick access to fully personalised treatment programmes, from initial consultation through to their treatment and aftercare.
At the London Digestive Centre, part of The Princess Grace Hospital, you’ll benefit from the exceptionally high safety standards of a leading acute, private surgical centre rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC.
We offer rapid patient pathways, accelerated access to a team of leading GI experts, and an exceptionally supportive environment for treatment and care.
What potential symptoms should I look out for?
There are several symptoms that may indicate you need to test for problems with your upper GI tract. Not all symptoms indicate a serious problem, but if they’re impacting the way you live your life or are causing you discomfort, we can often identify the cause with some simple tests.
✔ Acid reflux
✔ Stomach pain, discomfort or tenderness
✔ Indigestion
✔ Black or dark coloured stools
✔ Stomach pain after eating
✔ Difficulty swallowing
✔ Feeling full too early
✔ Vomiting blood
Why choose us?
Focused expertise
An expert multidisciplinary clinical team headed up by our specialist consultants, we are dedicated to the investigation, diagnosis and treatment of upper GI conditions.
Rapid response
For patients with stomach symptoms in need of accelerated treatment and care, we offer fast-tracked access to the most appropriate skilled experts, all of them outstanding leaders in their field.
A full team around the patient
Complex health conditions demand collaboration and teamwork. We bring leading GI experts together to deliver the best, most appropriate treatments and techniques.
Our expertise at the Upper GI Unit
Below is an explanation of some of the conditions we treat and the treatments we offer, but if you have any questions or want to discuss anything in detail, please call us on 020 7908 8003
-
Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
Need to know
Acid reflux is when fluid from your stomach travels up into your oesophagus (the muscular tube running from your mouth to your stomach). This can lead to heartburn and other symptoms. If acid reflux keeps happening it could be a sign of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). One in five people will...
-
Upper gastrointestinal cancer
Need to know
Upper gastrointestinal cancers include cancer of the oesophagus, stomach, small bowel, pancreas, liver or biliary system. No matter what type of upper GI cancer you have, you’ll be treated by a multidisciplinary team, including expert consultants, Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs), allied health professionals...
-
Surgery for stomach cancer and GISTs
Need to know
Stomach cancer is a reasonably uncommon type of cancer. It is more likely to affect men over the age of 55. The most common type develops in the cells of the stomach lining. This is called an adenocarcinoma and affects over 90% of cases. The first symptoms of stomach cancer can be confused with other...
-
Neuroendocrine tumours
Need to know
NETs can be found anywhere in the body. There are two main sub-groups of this cancer type, carcinoid tumours and gastroenteropancreatic tumours. At HCA Healthcare UK, you’ll have access to leading NETs consultants who are internationally recognised for their management of neuroendocrine tumour...
-
Gallstones
Need to know
Sometimes gallstones (small stones of cholesterol) develop in the gallbladder or nearby bile duct. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ beneath your liver. It stores bile, which helps your body digest fat. When this happens, most people have no symptoms but it can lead to biliary colic or other symptoms...
-
Achalasia
Need to know
Achalasia is where the oesophagus and ring fail to contract and relax. This leads to a build up of food and stops it from entering the stomach. When you swallow food, the muscles in your oesophagus (the tube from your mouth to your stomach) contract to push it along. A valve at the end of the oesophagus...
-
Inguinal hernia repair
Need to know
A groin-area hernia is the most common type of hernia. It's caused by a weakness in your abdominal wall, which allows the contents of your abdomen to push through the muscle, producing a lump called a hernia. If left untreated, a hernia will not heal on its own and can cause serious complications.
-
Umbilical hernia repair
Need to know
An umbilical hernia occurs near the belly button (umbilicus). It is a condition caused by a weakness in the muscles of the abdominal wall. This weakness allows part of the bowel or internal tissue to push through, forming a pouch or painful bulge called a hernia. Surgery to repair a hernia and strengthen...
-
Soft tissue sarcoma
Need to know
Soft tissue sarcomas can originate in any part of the body. They develop in the connective or supporting tissue including fatty tissue, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and any soft tissues which surround organs in the body. They can also originate in the skin, stomach, small bowel, womb or, rarely, the...
Treatments for upper GI conditions
Our highly skilled consultants, dieticians, specialist nurses and their teams perform a range of medical, endoscopic or surgical procedures for upper GI conditions.
✔ Subtotal (partial) gastrectomy for stomach cancer.
✔ Total gastrectomy for stomach cancer.
✔ Extended total gastrectomy for stomach / lower oesophageal junctional cancer.
✔ Oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer.
✔ Surgical excision (laparoscopic or open) for sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) affecting the stomach or small bowel, neuroendocrine tumours of the stomach.
✔ Cholecystectomy (laparoscopic) for benign upper GI conditions such as gallstones, biliary colic, cholecystitis and gallstone pancreatitis.
✔ Nissen fundoplication (alongside medical management) for serious acid reflux.
✔ Endoscopy for the investigation, assessment and treatment of rare disorders such as achalasia.
✔ Heller myotomy a laparoscopic procedure for the treatment of achalasia.
✔ General surgery (laparoscopic or open) for inguinal hernia, ventral or paraumbilical hernia and incisional hernia.
An integrated approach to complex care
Every day at the Upper GI Unit, our experts come together to share their expertise and offer the very best, most appropriate combination of surgical, non-surgical and lifestyle management approaches available.
Rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC, our patients are at the heart of everything we do.
London Digestive Centre
The Upper GI Unit is part of a larger, specialist digestive centre with access to world-renowned clinical experts in every field of gastrointestinal care – from the most common to the more complex.
Imaging and diagnostics
We have imaging and testing facilities on site, including MRI, CT and ultrasound, patients can expect a quick turnaround for results. Where possible, we arrange for tests, imaging and consultations to happen on the same day to make it as convenient as possible.
The Endoscopy Centre
Our Endoscopy Centre at The Princess Grace Hospital is a centre of excellence for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Our experienced endoscopy teams are dedicated to delivering personalised care, tailored to your condition.
Our consultants
We're proud to work with world-leading consultants, dieticians and nurses who specialise in conditions of the upper gastric system. Our clinical expertise at the Upper GI Unit is fully focused on diagnosing and treating conditions with the latest treatment technologies and surgical techniques if necessary.
The skills and experience of our consultants are matched by their integrity, compassion and dedication to patient-centred care.
