About Us
Introduction
The Digestive Disease Center (DDC) at the Medical University of South Carolina was founded in 1994 as a collaborative venture between the College of Medicine's departments of Medicine, Surgery and Radiology; the Medical University Hospital; and University Medical Associates. It is an autonomous organization within the College of Medicine responsible primarily to the Dean and was recognized as an administrative unit by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education in 1997. Housing an administrative office core, research space and joint medical-surgical areas, the Center also has an outreach site closeby located at the Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
The DDC brings together the diverse specialties involved in evaluating and treating digestive diseases. We have made a strong commitment to providing informative resources to patients and their loved ones wishing to enhance their understanding of digestive diseases and/or procedures. The management of digestive diseases, which has improved enormously over the last two to three decades, has also become more complex as the number of treatments have proliferated making it essential for specialists of different expertise to work together to provide the most effective and efficient treatment. We recognize that optimum patient care frequently requires a multidisciplinary approach, cutting across the traditional distinctions between medicine, surgery, and radiology. In fact, we have pooled together gastroenterologists, surgeons, radiologists, and hepatologists to work together to provide expert patient care. This collaboration works best when the specialists work together in a coordinated group such as the Digestive Disease Center.
The clinical activities of the DDC include integrated Medical-Surgical GI clinics and endoscopy facilities, an inpatient floor (Ashley River Tower, 6 East & 6 West), as well as a state-of-the-art Digestive Disease Intensive Care Unit and Progressive Care Unit. Specialized faculty have particular expertise in liver disease (and transplantation), esophageal diseases and general motility disorders, complex pancreatic and biliary diseases, advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, interventional radiology, laparoscopic surgery, nutritional disorders, ano-rectal and colonic problems, pediatric gastroenterology and surgery, and GI oncology (in association with the Hollings Cancer Center). Digestive services are also offered at the Veterans Affairs Hospital and Charleston Memorial Hospital.