Expanding Access to Leading-Edge Pancreas and Biliary Care at AHN
The AHN Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition offers comprehensive, patient-centered care for pancreas and biliary diseases — from advanced diagnostic techniques to specialized and personalized treatment options. Board-certified gastroenterologist Divya Chalikonda, MD, now sees patients in eastern Pittsburgh, providing expanded access to expert pancreatobiliary care.
Diagnosing pancreatobiliary disease at AHN
Pancreas and biliary diseases often present with nonspecific and overlapping symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and jaundice. Accurate diagnosis requires a thoughtful, and oftentimes, multidisciplinary approach.
Specialists at AHN offer endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound coupled with multimodal tissue and fluid acquisition to obtain expedited diagnoses for pancreaticobiliary diseases such as pancreas cysts, pancreatic cancer, and biliary strictures.
“Accurate, early diagnosis is critical,” said Dr. Chalikonda. “Our techniques, along with a multidisciplinary team, allow us to identify and treat these conditions as early as possible.”
Comprehensive, individualized treatment plans
Management strategies at AHN are personalized based on disease type, severity, comorbidities, and patient goals. Each treatment plan is developed collaboratively, integrating patient history, risk factors, and preferences to optimize outcomes. Options include:
- Medical management like enzyme replacement therapy, immunosuppressants, or antibiotics.
- Endoscopic procedures such as stone removal, cyst aspiration, or biliary and pancreatic stenting.
- Surgical interventions including cholecystectomy, distal or total pancreatectomy, and biliary bypass surgery.
- Oncologic therapies like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy.
- Nutritional monitoring and diabetes management.
Collaborative and accredited care
AHN’s coordinated care model brings together specialists in gastroenterology, hepatobiliary surgery, medical and radiation oncology, radiology, and pathology. Patients are evaluated through our multidisciplinary Pancreas Cancer Center of Excellence at AHN Cancer Institute, accredited by the National Pancreas Foundation. The program is recognized by the American Gastroenterology Association for outstanding quality of care and patient outcomes.
Patients also have access to evidence-based treatment protocols and investigational therapies through clinical trials.
“We're not only committed to improving the quality of life for our patients,” said Dr. Chalikonda. “We’re also committed to advancing the field through evidence-based, collaborative approaches to ensure patients receive a personalized treatment plan and the best possible results."
How to refer
To refer a patient for advanced pancreas or biliary disease diagnosis, treatment, or management, contact Dr. Chalikonda’s office at (412) 359-8900.
About Divya Chalikonda, MD
Divya Chalikonda, MD, is a gastroenterologist with AHN Medicine Institute. She is skilled at advanced gastroenterological therapeutic procedures and provides patient-centered medical care for gastroenterology. Dr. Chalikonda went to medical school at George Washington, University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. She did her residency and fellowship in gastroenterology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is certified by the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr. Chalikonda is affiliated with the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association. She sees patients ages 18 and older.
As the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, we care for common to complex digestive disorders through a variety of subspecialty clinical programs.