Maouidi

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology and hepatology: when the complaint lasts weeks

This specialty covers an entire tube, from the oesophagus to the colon, along with the liver, the gallbladder and the pancreas. The practical rule that sets it apart: a passing digestive complaint means little, while one that lasts weeks or keeps coming back in the same shape is the one worth a specialist opinion.

What this specialist handles

  • Persistent reflux and heartburn.
  • Chronic abdominal pain, bloating, and irritable bowel syndrome.
  • Chronic constipation or diarrhoea and changes in bowel habit.
  • Stomach ulcers and Helicobacter pylori infection.
  • Liver disease: viral hepatitis, fatty liver, raised liver enzymes.
  • Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy, and screening examinations.

When to book

  • Digestive symptoms that have run for several weeks without improving.
  • Reflux that keeps returning despite changes in eating habits.
  • A lasting change in bowel habit, or unexplained weight loss.
  • An abnormal liver blood test, or a family history of bowel cancer.

What the visit looks like

The first consultation is a detailed history: how long, how symptoms relate to meals and to sleep, what you have tried, and your family history. Then an examination of the abdomen. Bring reports from any previous endoscopy or imaging and your blood results — they decide whether any of it needs repeating.

Endoscopy is usually not done the same day: it is scheduled separately and preceded by preparation — fasting for an upper endoscopy, a longer bowel preparation for a colonoscopy. Ask for the instructions in writing, because incomplete preparation means starting over.

Booking on Maouidi

  1. Install the Maouidi app on Android and create an account with your phone number.

  2. Search by specialty, then filter by wilaya.

  3. Open the practitioner or clinic profile: address, services, and how they take bookings.

  4. Pick your slot. Some practitioners work in fixed time slots, others hand out queue numbers for the day — the app shows which one each of them uses.

  5. Confirm. The appointment appears in the app, together with your queue number if the practitioner works that way.

  6. Turn up at the time or the number shown. Consultations are paid at the clinic. If something comes up, cancel in the app ahead of time so the place goes to someone else.

When booking, separate the consultation from the procedure: the first assesses, the second is scheduled afterwards and carries its own preparation rules. In the Maouidi app, choose “Gastroenterology”.

Get the app

Common questions

Is the endoscopy done during the consultation?

Rarely. The consultation first decides whether the procedure is needed, then it is scheduled on another day with preparation instructions. Ask the practice what the usual gap between the two is.

Which symptoms should not wait for an appointment?

Vomiting blood, black tarry stools, or sudden severe abdominal pain that will not settle: these are emergencies and belong at an emergency department.

I have had heartburn for years and treat it myself — is that enough?

Long-standing reflux deserves a medical opinion rather than prolonged self-treatment, because the causes are varied and follow-up differs case by case. General information; the decision is your doctor’s.

Useful guides