Michael Sciarra, D.O.

“I want to establish a relationship of trust with my patients, to be approachable, to break down barriers and take the anxiety right out of the mix.”

Dedicated to preventing, diagnosing and treating disorders of the digestive system and associated organs, Dr. Michael Sciarra brings a range of expertise to the practice of Gastroenterology at Beaufort Memorial Lowcountry Medical Group Specialty Care. Board-certified and fellowship trained, he specializes in performing routine and complex GI procedures as well as in treating chronic and acute GI disease.

Areas of Expertise

• Chronic Liver Disease – Progressive deterioration of liver function resulting from protracted inflammation of or damage to the liver; can be caused by hepatitis, autoimmune disorders or long-term alcohol abuse.
• Colonoscopy and Upper Endoscopy – Examinations that use a long, flexible tube with a light on the end to look for growths and other abnormalities in the large intestine and rectum (colonoscopy) and the esophagus, stomach and small intestine (upper endoscopy).
• ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) – A procedure in which upper endoscopy and X-ray are used in combination to treat problems of the bile and pancreatic ducts.
• Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia – A precancerous change in the lining of the stomach associated with an increased risk of dysplasia and cancer.
• Gut Microbiome – The totality of the microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, that live in the digestive tract; probiotics can be used to treat various GI conditions by altering the microbiome’s composition.

Background

Born, raised, educated and trained as a physician in New Jersey, Dr. Sciarra also practiced in the state—15 miles from where he grew up—for the entirety of his medical career before coming to the Lowcountry. In private practice at Riverview Gastroenterology in Edgewater since 1997, he was at the time of his relocation on the medical staff at three nearby medical centers; the director of the gastroenterology fellowship program at Hackensack Meridian/Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen and Hackensack; and an associate professor at Touro University's Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City.

Dr. Sciarra and his wife, Christine, have five children and two dogs. In his leisure time, he enjoys traveling, skiing, boating and especially collecting old cars, including a 1924 Model T Ford and a vintage Corvette he describes as “red with a black interior and growling side pipes.”

Awards & Honors

• Served as president of medical school and medical residency classes