Lester Kenneth Bowser, MD| Gastroenterology | MedStar Health
About me
Lester K. Bowser, MD, is a gastroenterologist at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. He is board-certified in gastroenterology by the American Board of Internal Medicine and fellowship-trained in gastroenterology.
Dr. Bowser specializes in general gastroenterology, including EGD, which allows diagnosis and treatment of problems in the upper gastrointestinal tract; colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer; capsule endoscopy; biliary tract disorders; inflammatory bowel disease; liver and gallbladder disease; and Hepatitis C.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Bowser served as a Major in the United States Army, providing gastroenterological leadership and care for active duty military and their family members throughout the United States. He is a native Baltimorean and decided to return to the community after completing his military service as a gastroenterologist.
He has a special interest in colon cancer screening.
Clinical areas of focus
- Abdominal Bloating
- Abdominal Distention
- Abdominal Pain
- Abnormal Bowel Movement
- Abnormal Stool
- Altered Bowel Habits
- Anal Fissure
- Bleeding Hemorrhoids
- Blood In Stool
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Colonoscopy
- Constipation
- Dysphagia
- Epigastric Pain
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Melena
- Nausea
- Postprandial Diarrhea
- Rectal Bleeding
- Rectal Pain
- Stomach Cramps
- Stomach Pain
- Swallowing Problem
- Vomiting
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdominal Bloating
- Abdominal Distention
- Abdominal Pain
- Abnormal Amylase Blood Test
- Abnormal Bowel Movement
- Abnormal Liver Function Blood Test
- Abnormal Stool
- Achalasia
- Acute Pancreatitis
- Alcoholic Liver Disease
- Allergic Esophagitis
- Altered Bowel Habits
- Anal Cancer
- Anal Fissure
- Anal Fistula
- Anal Itching
- Anal Pain
- Anal Spasm
- Annular Pancreas
- Anorexia
- Appendiceal Cancer
- Autoimmune Enteropathy
- Barrett's Esophagus
- Benign Neoplasm Of Colon
- Biliary Tract Disease
- Bleeding Hemorrhoids
- Blood In Stool
- Bowel Dysmotility
- Bright Red Blood Per Rectum
- Choking Sensation
- Cholangitis
- Cholecystitis
- Cholelithiasis
- Cholestasis
- Chronic Abdominal Pain
- Chronic Diarrhea
- Chronic Pancreatitis
- Clostridium Difficile
- Colitis
- Collagenous Colitis
- Colonic Inertia
- Colorectal Malignancy
- Constipation
- Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
- Digestive Disorders
- Diverticulitis
- Drug Induced Liver Injury
- Duodenal Ulcer
- Duodenitis
- Dyspepsia
- Dysphagia
- Early Satiety
- Elevated Alkaline Phosphatase Level
- Elevated Lipase
- Eosinophilic Colitis
- Eosinophilic Enteritis
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Eosinophilic Gastritis
- Epigastric Pain
- Eructation
- Esophageal Cancer
- Esophageal Disease
- Esophageal Diverticulum
- Esophageal Mass
- Esophageal Motility Disorders
- Esophageal Spasm
- Esophageal Stricture
- Esophageal Thickening
- Esophageal Ulcer
- Esophageal Varices
- Esophagitis
- Family History Of Colon Cancer
- Family History Of Colon Polyps
- Fatty Liver
- Fecal Impaction
- Fecal Incontinence
- Flatulence
- Focal Nodular Hyperplasia
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Gallbladder Polyp
- Gastric Ulcer
- Gastroenteritis
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Stromal Tumors
- Gastrointestinal Amyloid
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Gastrojejunal Ulcer
- Gastroparesis
- Giardiasis
- Gluten Sensitivity
- Hematemesis
- Hemochromatosis
- Hepatitis
- Hepatomegaly
- Hiatal Hernia
- Ileitis
- Intestinal Obstruction
- Intractable Vomiting
- Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Ischemic Bowel
- Ischemic Colitis
- Jaundice
- Lactose Intolerance
- Left Upper Quadrant Pain
- Liver Disease
- Liver Mass
- Lymphocytic Colitis
- Lynch Syndrome
- Malabsorption
- Malignant Neoplasm Of Stomach
- Melena
- Microscopic Colitis
- Nausea
- Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
- Obstipation
- Obstructive Jaundice
- Odynophagia
- Ogilvie Syndrome
- Pancreas Divisum
- Pancreatic Cyst
- Pancreatic Insufficiency
- Pancreatic Pseudocyst
- Pancreaticobiliary Disease
- Peptic Ulcer
- Peritonitis
- Pernicious Anemia
- Personal History Of Colonic Polyps
- Peutz Jeghers Syndrome
- Polyposis Syndrome
- Portal Hypertension
- Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy
- Positive Hemoccult Fecal Occult Blood Test
- Postprandial Diarrhea
- Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
- Proctitis
- Rectal Bleeding
- Rectal Cancer
- Rectal Pain
- Right Lower Quadrant Pain
- Right Upper Quadrant Pain
- Short Bowel Syndrome
- Small Bowel Disease
- Small Intestine Cancer
- Steatorrhea
- Stomach Cancer
- Stomach Cramps
- Stomach Disorders
- Stomach Pain
- Swallowing Problem
- Toxic Liver Injury
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Ulcerative Proctitis
- Vomiting
- Whipple's Disease
- Wilson's Disease
Procedures I perform
- Bravo PH Test
- Colon Polypectomy
- Colonoscopy
- Endoscopy
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD)
- Feeding Tube Management
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancer Screening
- Gastroscopy
- Peg (PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPIC GASTROSTOMY)
- Proctosigmoidoscopy
- Sigmoidoscopy
- Single Balloon Enteroscopy
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)
- Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO
- Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
- Aetna Better Health of Maryland
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Medicare Fee for Service
- Kaiser Virginia Premier
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans
- CFBCBS EPO
- Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- UHC Community Plan of MD
- POS OA & OA Plus
- Aetna HMO
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- PPO and PPO Plus
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Open POS II
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
- Network OA
- Opoen HMO Option
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Open HMO
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Cigna EPO
- United Healthcare Choice
- Open EPO Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- United Student Resources
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
- Tricare Prime
- FIRST HEALTH
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
- CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology
Fellowship Program: Brooke Army Medical Center (2000)
Residency Program: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (1997)
Internship Program: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (1995)
Medical School: Univ. of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (1994)
Awards
- Top Doc (Gastroenterology) - Baltimore Magazine, 2013
- Top Doc (Gastroenterology) - Baltimore Magazine, 2015
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- "Large Colonic Lipoma With Mucosal Ulceration Mimicking Carcinoma." Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. September 2003, 468-470
- "Viral Hepatitis Serology." The El Paso Physician. December 2000, 18-24.
- "The Role of Surveillance ERCP in Preventing Episodic Cholangitis in Patients with Recurrent Common Bile Duct Stones." Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. February 2000, 247-248.
- "Antibiotic Prophylaxis Prior to GI Endoscopy: A Survey of ASGE Members." DDW Poster Presentation. May 1999
- “Percutaneous Pseudocyst Drainage”. KENS TV Channel 5 (CBS affiliate) Medical Breakthroughs Segment. March 1999.
- "Environmental Fate and Effects of Chemical Simulants." U.S. Army Technical Report. January 1989