Gi Insights

Live from the floor of Digestive Disease Week in Washington DC, GI Insights presents two interviews focusing on innovative approaches to inflammatory bowel disease, hosted by Dr. Barry Mennen. Guests on this program include: Dr. Jonathan Braun, Professor and Chair of Pathology and Lab Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His research centers on the biology of mucosal interaction of host immunity with the local microbial community, and its impact on chronic mucosal inflammatory disease and cancer. Michael Hurst, author of Poop Power: How a Man Used a Fecal Transplant at Home to Permanently Cure Himself of Ulcerative Colitis. Mr. Hurst is a known advocate and volunteer for the Fecal Transplant Foundation, whose story of self-designing an unorthodox treatment regimen for ulcerative colitis has since offered new insights on best clinical management practices for IBD.

Host Dr. Barry Mennen welcomes Dr. Ryan Stidham, Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Center of the University of Michigan Health System, to discuss the current therapeutic landscape for IBD based on recent comparative clinical trials.

Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Guest: Douglas Drossman, MD Host Dr. Jay Goldstein discusses the latest in IBS & Functional GI Disorders (FGIDs) with guest expert Dr. Douglas Drossman of the Drossman Center for the Education and Practice of Integrated Care. Dr. Drossman is Professor Emeritus in the departments of Gastroenterology and Psychiatry at the Center for Functional GI and Motility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Host Dr. Jay Goldstein welcomes Dr. Sunanda V. Kane, Professor of Medicine in the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, to dicuss the latest in Crohn's disease diagnosis and management. Dr. Kane is author of IBD Self-Management: The AGA Guide to Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, now in its second edition.

Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Guest: Stanley Cohen, MD What types of small bowel abnormalities are most common among pediatric patients? How can physicians investigate suspected small bowel disease or gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in our younger patients? Dr. Stanley Cohen, gastroenterologist at the Combined Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Children's Center for Digestive Health Care at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and adjunct clinical professor of pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia, discusses the roles of CT scans, MRIs and small bowel capsule endoscopy in evaluating pediatric patients with suspected small bowel disease. Dr. Jay Goldstein hosts.

Guest: Jonathan Leighton, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Guest: Moshe Rubin, MD Obscure gastrointesinal bleeding can pose investigational challenges. What are the potential causes of obscure GI bleeding? After initial negative upper endoscopy and colonoscopy tests are performed, what new technologies can help physicians more effectively detect small bowel abnormalities? Dr. Jonathan Leighton, professor of medicine and chair of the division of gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and Dr. Moshe Rubin, director of gastroenterology and program director of the GI fellowship training program at New York Hospital Queens Medical Center and the Weill-Cornell Medical College in New York, discuss the roles of small bowel capsule endoscopy, balloon-assisted enteroscopy, spiral enteroscopy, and CT enterography in evaluating patients with obscure GI bleeding. Dr. Jay Goldstein hosts.

Guest: Brian Lacy, MD, PhD Host: Lee Freedman, MD Resistance to proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, is not uncommon among patients with gastroesophogeal reflux disease, or GERD. How should physicians initially approach managing patients with suspected GERD, and at what point should physicians classify a patient as a PPI non-responder? Our guest, Dr. Brian Lacy, associate professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, and director of the GI Motility Laboratory at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, suggests tests that physicians might use in evaluating patients with refractory GERD, including upper endoscopy and various types of pH monitoring. What therapeutic strategies can physicians use to manage these patients? Hosted by Dr. Freedman.

Guest: Joel Brill, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD How do we categorize and define value-based purchasing, and how can it help us avoid unnecessary costs and foster better quality of care? What are some examples, and how do guidelines work in conjunction with value-based purchasing? Dr. Joel Brill, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine and chief medical officer of Predictive Health, LLC, talks about how we can best characterize and measure the still-nebulous ideals of quality and value. Hosted by Dr. Jay Goldstein.

Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Guest: Maria T. Abreu, MD Dr. Maria Abreu, professor of medicine and chief of the division of gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Jay Goldstein to discuss inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, and women's reproductive health. Does inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, affect female fertility? What influence does IBD have on the course of pregnancy, and how does pregnancy, in turn, affect the natural history of IBD? Which medicines used to treat IBD are safe to use during pregnancy, and for new mothers who are nursing? Tune in to hear a discussion of these questions and more.

Guest: Rebecca West, JD Host: Mark DeLegge, MD The cost of malpractice insurance and the cost of resolving malpractice claims continues to climb. What are the trends in premiums for gastroenterologists around the country? And what are some of the most common risks and most commonly alleged errors? What’s the likelihood of a gastroenterologist being sued during his career? Rebecca West, CEO of Piedmont Liability Trust, a non-profit serving the University of Virginia School of Medicine, joins host Dr. Mark DeLegge to discuss strategies for avoiding malpractice claims. Ms. West also provides an update on national efforts at tort reform and how malpractice insurance premiums might be affected.

Guest: Jack Grider, PhD Host: Mark DeLegge, MD What is the underlying mechanism of propulsion in the digestive system, and how is motility stimulated? How are some newer pharmacotherapies looking to target serotonin to treat conditions such as IBS and constipation? Dr. Jack Grider, professor in the department of medicine, division of gastroenterology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, talks about future pharmacotherapy directions that either suppress or encourage motility in the digestive system. Hosted by Dr. Mark DeLegge.

Guest: Miriam Vos, MD, MSPH Host: Mark DeLegge, MD Although it's important to consider the many factors that contribute to childhood obesity when designing a weight loss plan, sugar may be one of the most important components to target. Specifically, how does fructose influence childhood obesity? Dr. Miriam Vos, assistant professor in the department of gastroenterology at Emory University and author of the book The No-Diet Obesity Solution for Kids, published by the AGA Institute Press, offers tips for discussing a healthy lifestyle with parents of overweight children. Dr. Mark DeLegge hosts.

Guest: Mansour Mohamadzadeh, PhD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Researchers have developed an oral vaccine utilizing probiotics and, in preclinical studies, have found it successful in providing immunity against anthrax. Why are probiotics a good delivery component, and why might this method encourage a greater degree of response than the traditional vaccine injection? Dr. Mansour Mohamadzadeh, associate professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, tells host Dr. Jay Goldstein about this new vaccine delivery method. Will oral vaccines soon be ready for clinical trials?

Guest: Elizabeth Montgomery, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Gastroenterologists and pathologists often rely on each other to care for patients. How can clinicians and pathologists best facilitate each other's work for the good of the patient? Dr. Elizabeth Montgomery, professor of pathology and oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explores the interaction between gastroenterologists and pathologists with host Dr. Jay Goldstein. Also, Dr. Montgomery outlines biopsy tips for gastroenterologists.

Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Guest: Linda Lee, MD How does delayed gastric emptying, or gastroparesis, affect patients? What are some of the common comorbid conditions of gastroparesis, and why are women and diabetic patients more susceptible? Dr. Linda Lee, clinical director of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology and director of the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reviews the best gastroparesis diagnostic tools and management strategies with host Dr. Jay Goldstein.

Guest: William Chey, MD Host: Mark DeLegge, MD Guest: Mark Pimentel, MD Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, affects a significant number of patients and can be challenging to treat. How might antibiotic therapy benefit IBS patients, and how is antibiotic therapy a unique option for treating IBS? Should physicians empirically treat IBS patients with antibiotics? Joining us to debate these questions are Dr. William Chey, professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, and Dr. Mark Pimentel, associate professor of medicine at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Mark DeLegge hosts.

Host: Mark DeLegge, MD Guest: Charles Bernstein, MD Probiotics are becoming increasingly popular, but is there any substantial evidence supporting the efficacy of probiotics for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? Are there any potential risks to IBS and IBD patients using probiotic therapy? Which probiotic strains might be most beneficial, and what dosage is optimal? Dr. Charles Bernstein, director of the University of Manitoba Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical and Research Centre, explores these and other questions, and suggests physicians might want to be cautious when considering probiotic therapy for their patients. Hosted by Dr. Mark DeLegge.

Guest: Alphonso Brown, MD, MS Host: Mark DeLegge, MD The causes of pancreatitis are often unknown, but we're learning that there are more potential causes than previously believed. Genetic causes are rare, but their detection has improved with new technology. What role might genetic testing play in correctly diagnosing and managing the condition? And what are the ramifications of genetic testing for the patient? Dr. Alphonso Brown, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Pancreas Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, joins host Dr. Mark DeLegge to discuss the application of genetics for patients with pancreatitis.

Guest: Mark DeLegge, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD What unique perspectives can gastroenterologists offer to help manage and treat obesity, and how can gastroenterologists address the needs of their obese or overweight patients? When should a surgical bypass or lap-band procedure be considered? Host Dr. Jay Goldstein welcomes his GI Insights co-host, Dr. Mark DeLegge, to discuss the role of the gastroenterologist in preventing and treating obesity. You can access the AGA’s new materials about nutrition and obesity on the AGA's website, including The Nutrition Toolkit Series, authored by Dr. DeLegge

Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Guest: Deborah Proctor, MD Host Dr. Jay Goldstein welcomes Dr. Deborah Proctor, professor of medicine in the section of digestive diseases and medical director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Yale University School of Medicine, to provide an overview of common female gastroenterological disorders. They discuss which gastroenterological disorders present differently in women than in men. How do pelvic surgeries, such as C-sections or hysterectomies, affect colon cancer screening efficacy in women? And what factors increase a woman's chance of developing irritable bowel syndrome or Barrett's esophagus?