Four expert endoscopists will discuss some of the unique challenges and important considerations when treating patients with complex conditions during Monday’s ASGE Clinical Symposium Special Situations in Endoscopy.

“Patients who present with certain conditions or characteristics, such as patients who are pregnant or who have cirrhosis, for example, bring unique challenges that endoscopists need to recognize and be comfortable dealing with,” said Jason A. Dominitz, MD, FASGE, AGAF, national director of gastroenterology for the Veterans Health Administration, gastroenterology section chief at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle.

Dr. Dominitz will co-moderate of the symposium with Gerard A. Isenberg, MD, FASGE, AGAF, associate chief of the division of gastroenterology and liver disease at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.

DDW Council Chair Grace H. Elta, MD, AGAF, FASGE, professor of medicine, associate chief for clinical programs and director of the medical procedure unit at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, is one of the session’s featured presenters. She will discuss the endoscopic treatment of pregnant patients, including the use of ERCP.

“ERCP is the highest-risk procedure that gastroenterologists perform, and yet it is not rare that it is indicated during pregnancy,” Dr. Dominitz said. “Dr. Elta will talk about ways to minimize the procedural and radiation risks to the patient and her baby. She will also review the drugs used for endoscopy and their risks during pregnancy.”

Vivek Kaul, MD, FASGE, AGAF, professor of medicine and chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, will discuss anticoagulation management in patients undergoing endoscopy.

“Dr. Kaul will navigate us through the ever-changing landscape of antithrombotic medications,” Dr. Dominitz said.
Zachary H. Henry, MD, assistant professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, will discuss the endoscopic treatment of cirrhotic patients, including the impact of coagulopathy and ascites on treatment.

The final presenter, John C. Fang, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the division of gastroenterology at the University of Utah Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, will review common scenarios when treating geriatric patients, a group that accounts for an increasing proportion of GI patients.

“Clinicians attending this session will learn the most up-to-date management strategies and techniques for performing endoscopy in these specific, and often challenging patient populations,” Dr. Dominitz said. “By understanding and becoming more comfortable in our approach to the challenges associated with these complex conditions, we’re better able to serve our patients and increase the likelihood of favorable outcomes.”

Please refer to the DDW Mobile App or the Program section in Monday’s DDW Daily News for the time and location of this and other DDW^® events.