Dr. James Maher’s office is your Katy TX stomach doctor near me. James Maher, M.D., is a specialist in gastroenterology and internal medicine. Our team does our best to provide you with the best in stomach health. We give the most effective and highest-quality healthcare. Both our consultation and services are comprehensive, so no matter the stomach issue, we can diagnose it.
About Your Gastroenterologist
James Maher, M.D., attended the University of Michigan. He would later seek out the comfort of a warmer climate by going to the Medical College of Virginia. There, he graduated in an accelerated program. Dr. Maher, then, completed his residency at the University of California-Irvine in Internal Medicine. James went on from there to the University of Southern California for a year’s Fellowship in Hepatology. In the next two years, he did a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of California-Irvine.
Dr. Maher went above and beyond to get educated and experienced in his field of gastroenterology. As a Katy TX stomach doctor near me, he is board-certified for both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. To this day, he does rigorous continuing education and goes through recertifications to stay up to date in his knowledge. Our office’s interests include inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, biliary tract disease, endoscopy, and colon cancer.
Here, we treat patient education with the utmost importance. We involve our patients in open discussion. We want our clients to understand their condition and all possible options for treatment. Through this, you can know what is best for you and be comfortable during procedures.
Our Gastronomic Services
As the Katy TX stomach doctor near me, we offer a long list of gastronomic services. They are all related to your digestive system, but we will focus on the ones specifically related to your stomach. To see any of the other conditions we treat, continue to browse our website.
Upper G.I. Endoscopies
One of the most common procedures we provide here, as the Katy TX stomach doctor near me, is EGD’s. EGD stands for esophagogastroduodenoscopy. This can refer to several surgeries, including colonoscopies. And an upper G.I. endoscopy will deal with the upper tract specifically. Many digestive and stomach problems can call for an Upper G.I.
An upper G.I. will use a tiny camera to examine your upper digestive tract. We move it through a long, thin, and flexible tube, beginning at the mouth. It helps us diagnose to determine what the problem is. So, any different symptoms can call for an EGD: chest or abdominal pain, nausea, heartburn, vomiting, bleeding, swallowing problems, or inflammation. After ruling out issues through other tests, we turn to an EGD.
As far as surgeries go, it is very safe. You are sedated for the procedure. So, afterward, you will need a designated driver to get you home. The sedation causes drowsiness, dizziness, and impaired judgment for up to eight hours. Additionally, we will ask you to fast for the eight hours before your procedure.
Helicobacter Pylori
H. pylori is a bacterium that infects the world population at an incredibly high rate. It is believed that half of everyone may have Helicobacter pylori inside them. Typically, infection happens during childhood. Most go through life without realizing it, never getting sick. However, in old age, it can cause many complications and become quite dangerous. One of the most significant signs of these is stomach ulcers. So, if you go through a peptic ulcer or suffer from a few other symptoms, you should get tested.
Helicobacter pylori’s symptoms include abdominal pain, ache, or burning that gets worse when your stomach is empty, nausea, loss of appetite, bloating, frequent burping, and unintentional weight loss. If you live in crowded areas, without a clean water source, in a developing country, or near someone infected, then you are at a higher risk for the bacteria. However, it is so common that it becomes impossible to predict who has it.
If you are persistently experiencing these symptoms, seek medical help from your Katy TX stomach doctor near me. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Maher immediately if you notice difficulty swallowing or bloody or black, tarry stools or vomit. H. pylori can damage the lining in your stomach and causes ulcers. It also means a higher chance of inflammations and stomach cancer.
There are many tests you have if you think you are at risk of Helicobacter pylori. You can take a blood, breath, stool, and scope test. It may call for an endoscopy where you are put under for the procedure. During the endoscopy, we may want to remove a sample tissue, have a biopsy, and inspect it for the infection. We typically treat pylori with two antibiotics simultaneously, along with an acid-suppressing drug to help the stomach lining heal.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
We commonly refer to this condition like GERD. It is basically very frequent or intense acid reflux, where your stomach acid flows back into the esophagus. This frequent backwash irritates and eats away at your throat. If we do not treat it, it can become a severe issue.
Acid reflux, itself, is pretty common. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, on the other hand, is defined as more dangerous. We call it GERD when you experience mild acid reflux at least twice a week or severe reflux once a week. A lot of the time, the discomfort that comes with GERD can be managed with a diet change and over-the-counter medications. But if it is a more difficult situation, then we may prescribe more powerful medications or resort to surgery.
Katy TX Stomach Doctor Near Me
If you are experiencing stomach or digestive issues, then contact us today to make an appointment. We can help with a large variety of gastronomic problems. If you are unsure of what the problem is, we can diagnose it. Call us at (281) 945-5120 or fill out this form. As your premier Katy TX stomach doctor near me, we can help.
Katy Texas Fun Facts
- We have ten parks, including Heritage Park, best known for its restored buildings.
- While our primary industry is rice, we are also known for peanuts, cotton, and gas.
- “Old Town Katy” is our downtown area. It has many specialty stores, antique shops, and restaurants.
- Our original name was “Cane Island,” after the creek running through it.
- For more on Katy, visit https://www.cityofkaty.com/about.