Gastroenterology is a branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders.
Diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the organs from mouth to anus, along the alimentary canal, are the focus of this specialty.Physicians practicing in this field of medicine are called gastroenterologists. Gastroenterology is not the same as colorectal or hepatobiliary surgery, which are specialty branches of general surgery.
Hepatology, or hepatobiliary medicine, encompasses the study of the liver, pancreas, and biliary tree, and is traditionally considered a sub-specialty.