WHAT

Mayo Clinic experts will discuss recent advances in gastroenterology and hepatology at the first Mayo Clinic International-Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City Congress in Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Mayo Clinic and Abu Dhabi Health Services Co. entered into a joint venture in 2019 to operate Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City.

WHO

Navtej Buttar, M.D.

Dr. Buttar, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will speak about managing fistulas and leaks after surgery, including bariatric surgery. He also will speak about conditions that affect the esophagus, including achalasia and esophageal motility disorders.

Dr. Buttar also can discuss managing heartburn and gastrointestinal reflux through endoscopic interventions and restoring gastrointestinal continuity in people with inflammatory bowel disease.

James East, M.D.

Dr. East, a gastroenterologist with Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, will speak about colonoscopy techniques, including managing flat or large polyps through endoscopy.

Dr. East also can discuss screening for bowel cancer, artificial intelligence (AI) in endoscopy, serrated polyps and serrated polyposis syndrome.

Douglas Faigel, M.D.

Dr. Faigel, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will speak about advances in endoscopic biliary and gallbladder drainage. He also will speak about practical approaches to indeterminate biliary strictures, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a type of bile duct cancer.

Dr. Faigel also can discuss endoscopic oncology and understanding how gastrointestinal endoscopy can be used to manage patients with cancer.

Vivek Kumbhari, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D.

Dr. Kumbhari, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will speak about obesity and endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty, which is a newer weight-loss procedure that is minimally invasive.

Dr. Kumbhari also can discuss new treatments for weight loss available to patients, including those who had complications or gained weight after bariatric surgery.

Cuong Nguyen, M.D.

Dr. Nguyen, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will speak about new approaches to managing gastroparesis, a common condition that impairs emptying of the stomach. He also will provide an update on guidelines for treating inflammation of the pancreas.

Dr. Nguyen also can discuss the treatment and prevention of Clostridium difficile colitis, an infectious disease affecting the large intestine.

Darrell Pardi, M.D.

Dr. Pardi, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will speak about a cost-effective approach to evaluating patients with chronic abdominal pain while emphasizing some of the common, treatable causes. He also will discuss changes to guidelines for treating C. diff. and share new treatments coming soon.

Dr. Pardi also can discuss inflammatory bowel disease, especially microscopic colitis; pouchitis; C. diff. infection; and sclerosing mesenteritis, which is an inflammation of the tissue that holds the small intestine in place.

Bobby Prasad, M.B.B.S.

Dr. Prasad, a gastroenterologist with Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, will speak about improving quality in colonoscopy, including new AI options for screening.

Dr. Prasad also can discuss irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal cancer screening, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obesity, pancreatic and biliary disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.

Laura Raffals, M.D.

Dr. Raffals, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, will speak about treatment strategies for patients whose inflammatory bowel disease has not gone into remission. This includes ways to ensure their therapy is dosed properly and when to move on to new treatments.

Dr. Raffals also can discuss topics related to inflammatory bowel disease, including pouch complications.

WHERE

Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi

WHEN

March 18–19, 8:30 a.m.–5:20 p.m. each day

Journalists: If you are interested in interviews with these Mayo experts, contact Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, at newsbureau@mayo.edu.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact

• Rhoda Madson, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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