update from section chief
digestive diseases
Loren Laine, MD
michael nathanson, md, phd
S
ince forming one of the nation's first sections of hepatology and gastroenterology
over 50 years ago, the Yale Digestive Diseases section has had an enduring impact on fundamental and clinical investigation in digestive and liver disorders. We offer comprehensive clinical and research programs in a broad array of gastrointestinal and liver diseases. We also provide training to 18 fellows in our ACGMEaccredited GI fellowship program (including clinical and NIH-sponsored research fellows) and advanced fellows in liver transplantation and interventional endoscopy.
Clinical Care Such functional gastrointestinal disorders as irritable bowel syndrome are among the most common and challenging gastroentero-
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annual report 2021
logical conditions. The section has recently established a new program specializing in the multidisciplinary care of these patients, with a variety of pharmacological and nonpharmacological options available. Jill Deutsch, MD, who has great expertise in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, is director of the program. The section’s advanced endoscopic physicians are experts in performing highly complex procedures not done elsewhere in Connecticut; some are available at a few select centers worldwide. Thiruvengadam Muniraj, MD, director, Yale Center for
Pancreatitis, performs novel endoscopic ultrasound-guided interventions, including EDGE ERCP for gastric bypass patients; gallbladder and bile duct drainage; hepatic-pancreatic gastric anastomoses and gastro-jejunostomy; and pancreatic necrosectomy. Harry Aslanian, MD, director, Endoscopic Ultrasound, has established programs in cutting-edge therapies that may obviate the need for surgery, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection for GI tract tumors, and per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for achalasia. The Digestive Diseases Section recently opened a clinic beyond Connecticut in New
