Thank you to everyone who made the 2016 Course a success! 

This was the 31st year of the course, “Medical and Surgical Aspects of Esophageal and Foregut Disorders: Pathophysiology and Treatment”. This year we are pleased to once again bring three outstanding leaders in the field of Esophageal Disease as our special guests to the Hawaii esophageal course.  Joining us will be Dr. C. Daniel Smith, our Surgical guest, and Drs. Stuart Spechler, and Dr. Ken Chang as our Medical guests. Together they will join our core faculty to discuss in detail the pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy of diseases of the esophagus and foregut.  The course is specifically designed to be a classroom environment for a small group of interested physicians and allied health personnel. The course is particularly appreciated by gastroenterologists and gastrointestinal surgeons with interest in esophageal disorders and for those who have set up a swallowing center and function as a team to collaboratively approach esophageal problems.  The lectures are designed to encourage discussion on a broad variety of esophageal topics including both benign and malignant disorders.  

Dr. Daniel Smith has extensive expertise in minimally invasive surgery, as well as clinical outcomes following corrective therapies and operative management of GI diseases.  

Dr. Stuart Spechler, from UT Southwestern Medical Center, is widely renowned as an expert in diseases of the esophagus, with a special interest in gastroesophageal disease and Barrett’s esophagus. He has an active program of clinical research into the pathophysiology of Barrett’s esophagus. 

Dr. Ken Chang is Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of California, Irvine, and is also Director of the UC Irvine Health H.H. Chao Comprehensive Digestive Center and has received an endowed Chair in GI Endoscopic Oncology. He specializes in interventional endoscopy for esophageal and pancreatico-biliary disorders and is an expert in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), EUS-guided fine needle aspiration and EUS-guided intervention. He is skilled in the endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, endoscopic mucosal resection, laser-induced endomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography, radiofrequency and cryoablation therapy for Barrett¹s esophagus and esophageal cancer; as well as per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for Achalasia and various endoscopic bariatric procedures. His clinical research focuses on development of endoscopic modalities for cancer diagnosis, staging and therapy. He is the author of more than 200 publications and book chapters and has conducted numerous clinical trials on the development of new biologic agents against esophageal and pancreatic cancers. 

Highlights of this year’s course will be an interactive session on esophageal radiology and a number of debates on controversial topics in esophageal disease.  Also featured will be discussions on endotherapy and neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer, novel diagnostic and therapeutic technology, and a special session on adopting novel technologies into a medical center. As in prior years  there will be “hands-on” break-out sessions involving high resolution motility, esophageal pH and pH + impedance monitoring, stents, novel diagnostic and therapeutic technologies, as well as a video demonstration room of the techniques for LINX, BÂRRX, EMR, EsophyX, endoscopic and laparoscopic myotomy for achalasia and esophagectomy. This portion of the course will expose the participants to each of these areas along with instruction, assistance and information exchange from the faculty. It promises to be a truly interesting, informative and enjoyable educational experience. 

We are pleased to again provide AMA PRA Category 1 credit ™ and self-assessment credits toward Part 2 of the ABS MOC Program.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants should be able to:

1. Understand the  normal function and pathophysiology of the esophageal sphincters and esophageal body

2. Describe and learn to interpret esophageal diagnostic studies including high-resolution manometry, pH and impedance testing, and novel technologies including optical coherence tomography and endomicroscopy

3. Describe the diagnosis and management of GERD, Hiatal Hernia, Barrett’s Esophagus, and Esophageal adenocarcinoma

4. Understand the traditional and novel therapies available for the endoscopic and surgical management of benign esophageal disease

5. Discuss the staging for esophageal cancer and options for neoadjuvant and surgical therapy