James Maher, M.D., is your ideal choice out of the Katy TX digestive specialists. Dr. Maher is an expert in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Here, our team does the best to provide you with the best in digestive health. Our consultation, diagnosis, and treatment services are all comprehensive. No matter your stomach or digestive problem, we have it covered.
About Your Digestive Specialist
On his road to becoming a gastronomist, Dr. Maher started by attending the University of Michigan. Although, he would later seek the comfort of warmer climates at the Medical College of Virginia. He continued by completing his residency at the University of California-Irvine in Internal Medicine. Dr. Maher then did a year of Fellowship in Hepatology at the University of Southern California. He returned to the University of California-Irvine for a two-year Fellowship in Gerontology.
James Maher made a point to go above and beyond to getting educated in his field. No one can argue that he is not the best Katy TX digestive specialists. Dr. Maher is board-certified in Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine. Even today, he does rigorous continuing education and recertifications. He remains up-to-date on the knowledge he needs to serve you. Our office specializes in inflammatory bowel disease, biliary tract disease, colon cancer, IBS, and endoscopy. But we do far more.
Dr. Maher considers patient education with great importance. We want you to be aware of what is going on with your condition and your treatment. By keeping you informed, you will know too what is best for you and have all the possible options available. And you can feel secure and stay comfortable throughout the process.
Our Gastronomic Services
As your Katy TX digestive specialists, we have a long list of gastronomic services we perform. All are related to your digestive health. We will go over a few of the major ones. But you should continue to browse through our site to see what other conditions we treat.
Upper G.I. Endoscopies
One of the most common procedures we perform in our office is the upper G.I. endoscopies. These fall into a broader category known as EGD’s. EGD is short for esophagogastroduodenoscopy. EGD is a procedure that examines the esophagus, stomach, and first portion of the duodenum, or small intestine. This category includes colonoscopies as well. An upper G.I. endoscopy deals specifically with the upper digestive tract. Many stomach problems can call for an Upper G.I. for diagnosis.
In an upper G.I., we insert a tiny camera along a long, flexible tube through the mouth and down the esophagus. We put you under for the procedure. It is one of the safest surgeries out there. With it, we can diagnose what any number of digestive problems might be. We can resort to an EGD for chest or abdominal pain, nausea, heartburn, bleeding, vomiting, swallowing difficulties, or inflammation. Of course, this only comes after other more basic tests.
If we elect to go through an EGD for further diagnosis, we are going to ask several things for you. First of all, you need to come with a designated driver. Sedation’s effects will last for eight hours, causing drowsiness, impaired judgment, and dizziness. Additionally, because we are looking through your digestive tract, we are going to ask for you to fast for eight hours before the procedure.
Helicobacter Pylori
Infection from this bacterium is actually quite terribly common. It is estimated that half the world’s population has H. pylori inside their stomachs. Usually, the infection starts in childhood. Many can go through their entire lives without knowing it or getting sick. However, it can cause severe problems for people after the age of 65.
People at higher risk of infection include those living in highly populated areas, especially without a clean water source, in developing countries, or living near an infected person. However, it is impossible to assume who has it with how common it is.
Symptoms of a Helicobacter infection include an abdominal ache, pain, or burning that gets worse when the stomach is empty, loss of appetite, bloating, frequent burping, nausea, and unintentional weight loss. If you persistently experience these symptoms, seek immediate medical attention through your Katy TX digestive specialists.
If you have difficulty swallowing or see bloody or black and tarry stools or vomit, then schedule an appointment with Dr. Maher right away. At this point, a Helicopter pylori infection is threatening severe issues. It can damage the lining in your stomach, creating peptic ulcers. Or it could mean inflammation or stomach cancer later down the line.
For diagnosis, we go through several tests: breath, blood, stool, and scope. Afterward, we will probably call for an endoscopy. During the procedure, we will also do a biopsy where we take sample tissue and inspect it for the bacteria. Treatment for H. Pylori usually calls for making two antibiotics at once to avoid it becoming resistant to either one. We might also prescribe a stomach acid-suppressing drug to help your stomach lining recover.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
When talking about it, we will commonly refer to gastroesophageal reflux disease as GERD. And you have probably heard it as such. We define it as frequent or intense acid reflux. Through such backwash, where the stomach acid comes back up through the esophagus, it damages the throat over time. Without treatment, the damage becomes severe.
Acid reflux alone is pretty standard. But GERD is mild reflux that occurs at least twice a week or severe reflux that happens once a week. Sometimes, a change in diet and over-the-counter medications can manage it. Otherwise, we can help with more powerful prescriptions or surgery.
Katy TX Digestive Specialists
If you are suffering from stomach or other digestive problems, contact us today. Dr. Maher’s office can take care of everything from diagnosis to treatment. Call us at (281) 945-5190 or fill out this online form to start the process to schedule an appointment. We can ensure that James Maher, M.D., is the best of the Katy TX digestive specialists.
Katy Texas Fun Facts
- We have ten parks, including Heritage Park, best known for its restored buildings.
- “Old Town Katy” is our downtown area. It has many specialty stores, antique shops, and restaurants.
- While our primary industry is rice, we are also known for peanuts, cotton, and gas.
- Our original name was “Cane Island,” after the creek running through it.
- For more on Katy, visit https://www.cityofkaty.com/about.