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Underwood
Center for
Digestive
Disorders

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Quarterly Digest

Directors' Message

Welcome to our second newsletter, and a big thank you to all who visited our first edition! We are delighted that so many of you found it interesting and explored our activities in detail. A highlight of the year was the recent American College of Gastroenterology Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC. Faculty, fellows, residents and students presented 25 research studies and garnered several prizes; it was a wonderful experience for all involved to interact with their peers. Our first ever ACG reception outside of Texas provided an opportunity to meet old friends and former fellows as well as colleagues from the Greater Houston area and elsewhere – an event we will repeat. Meanwhile, we continue to interact with GI & GI surgery colleagues from across the Houston Methodist network to strategize on optimizing the expansion of the Underwood Center across the system. At our recent retreat, we heard great ideas on how to improve the quality and efficiency of patient-centered care; ideas which could well be integrated at all of our locations. Forty new physician members also recently joined the center. A great start on this journey! Plans for our 10th anniversary year continue to take shape, so mark your calendars! We’re extremely proud of our center’s accomplishments over the past decade, and we’re excited about what’s to come. Happy holidays, and we’ll see you next year.
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Eamonn M.M. Quigley, MD David M. Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders Co-Director, Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders Chief, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Houston Methodist Hospital Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Sciences Center College of Medicine
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Wade M. Rosenberg, MD Co-Director, Lynda K. and David M. Underwood Center for Digestive Disorders Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine
Awards & Recognitions
  • Congratulations to Dr. R. Mark Ghobrial who is now the President-Elect of the International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS)
  • Congratulations to Dr. Rodolfo Oviedo who was awarded two seed grants by Rice University and HMAI
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Center updates
  • Dr. Eamonn Quigley’s vibrating capsule study gets FDA Marketing Authorization
  • Faculty, residents and fellows traveled to ACG, ACS, AASLD and ASMBS’s national meetings to present new research and education
  • Underwood Center welcomed 40 new physician members from across the system
  • Underwood Center plans 10-year anniversary educational series, starting with world-renowned IBD physician scientist Dr. Maria Abreu and microbiome expert Dr. Fergus Shanahan
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New TECHNIQUES & RESEARCH
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Patient identification for gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy Dr. Sunil Dacha is investigating the distensibility index of the pyloric sphincter in patients with and without gastroparesis to inform patient selection for a promising treatment. READ MORE
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Novel Alternatives for Treating Obesity Dr. Thomas R. McCarty is investigating novel endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies as minimally invasive but efficacious treatment options for patients with obesity. READ MORE
Combining Bariatric Surgery with Organ Transplantation Dr. Vadim Sherman and colleagues at the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center pair bariatric surgery with kidney or liver transplantation for patients with obesity who require a transplant. READ MORE
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Expanding Transplantation for Patients with Liver Cancer Dr. Sudha Kodali studies outcomes for patients with liver cancer who undergo liver transplantation to expand the use of this potentially beneficial treatment.. READ MORE
ACTIVE / ENROLLING CLINICAL TRIALS
Please click here for our full listing of clinical trials for IBD, GERD, liver and more. We invite current Underwood Center members to submit clinical studies to spotlight here in upcoming newsletters.
Featured Publications
READ MORE for summaries
Systematic Review With Meta-analysis: Safety and Effectiveness of Combining Biologics and Small Molecules in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Alayo, QA, Fenster, M, Altayar, O, Glassner, KL, Llano, E, Clark-Snustad, K, Patel, A, Kwapisz, L, Yarur, AJ, Cohen, BL, Ciorba, MA, Thomas, D, Lee, SD, Loftus, EV, Fudman, DI, Abraham, BP, Colombel, JF & Deepak, P 2022, 'Systematic Review With Meta-analysis: Safety and Effectiveness of Combining Biologics and Small Molecules in Inflammatory Bowel Disease', Crohn's and Colitis 360, vol. 4, no. 1, otac002. https://doi.org/10.1093/crocol/otac002
Interactions between symptoms and psychological status in irritable bowel syndrome: An exploratory study of the impact of a probiotic combination
Groeger, D, Murphy, EF, Tan, HTT, Larsen, IS, O'Neill, I & Quigley, EMM 2022, 'Interactions between symptoms and psychological status in irritable bowel syndrome: An exploratory study of the impact of a probiotic combination', Neurogastroenterology and Motility. https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.14477
Prophylactic Perioperative Antibiotics in Open Pancreaticoduodenectomy: When Less Is More and When It Is Not. A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Propensity-Matched Analysis
Naffouje, SA, Allenson, K, Hodul, P, Malafa, M, Pimiento, JM, Anaya, DA, Dam, A, Klapman, J, Fleming, JB & Denbo, JW 2022, 'Prophylactic Perioperative Antibiotics in Open Pancreaticoduodenectomy: When Less Is More and When It Is Not. A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Propensity-Matched Analysis', Journal of Surgical Research, vol. 279, pp. 722-732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2022.06.028
Alterations in brain activation patterns in women with functional defecatory disorder: A novel fMRI rectal balloon expulsion study
Neshatian, L, Karmonik, C, Khavari, R, Shi, Z, Elias, S, Boone, TB & Quigley, EMM 2022, 'Alterations in brain activation patterns in women with functional defecatory disorder: A novel fMRI rectal balloon expulsion study', Neurogastroenterology and Motility. https://doi.org/10.1111/nmo.14389
EDUCATION
7th Annual Underwood Symposium & Hands-on Lab for Physician Endoscopists
The Underwood Center held its 7th Annual Symposium which included a special tribute to Dr. H. Randolph Bailey. This annual symposium covers a range of GI & GI surgery topics, from esophageal and upper GI disorders, IBD, colorectal, pancreas and liver diseases. Special guest speakers included Drs. Stuart Spechler and James Fleshman from Baylor Scott & White Health. WATCH HERE For gastroenterology fellows and surgery residents, a special hands-on lab follows to provide experience with advanced therapeutics, endoscopic techniques, and technology in the areas of mucosal ablation and resection, tissue closure, intraluminal stenting, gastroesophageal reflux treatments, and ERCP. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS HERE
George P. Noon Conference – Carol & Burt Keenan Liver Symposium: Changing the Landscape of Transplantation
The Carol & Burt Keenan Liver Symposium is the liver day of the week-long George P. Noon educational series for the Houston Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center. There were four plenary sessions on November 9th covering artificial intelligence in liver-associated diseases and transplantation, liver cancer, infectious disease of transplantation, and innovation in liver transplant critical care. WATCH HERE Of note, Dr. George P. Noon (pictured) also attended his namesake conference and was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to transplant surgery.
National conferences
Many of our faculty, residents and fellows traveled to present new research and education at the national meetings for American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), and American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s (ASMBS) in Charlotte, San Diego, Washington D.C., and San Antonio, respectively. Come join us next year! SEE MORE PHOTOS
Highlights
The Underwood Center created the inaugural Alberto O. Barroso, MD Award to recognize a fellow for research excellence in gastroenterology & hepatology. The award was presented to 3rd year fellow Dr. Michelle Jones-Pauley at the Houston Methodist reception at ACG.
Dr. Pat Reardon and Dr. Lee Morris from the Minimally Invasive Surgery team gave four educational video presentations at ACS’ Clinical Congress showing diaphragm relaxing incision techniques for paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair, laparoscopic posterior component separation via transversus abdominus muscle release, and more. SEE MORE HERE
To be featured in the next newsletter, please submit news, events or a story to: underwoodcenter@houstonmethodist.org If you have questions about membership, please contact: schui@houstonmethodist.org
SYSTEM HOSPITAL UPDATES
HMWB first to use navigation for digestive disease Dr. Todd Worley, HMWB Medical Director of Digestive Health Services realized the need for a digestive health clinical coordinator to support their hospital's patients and programs. Given the complicated disease process and many specialists involved, he advocated for patient navigation. Lois Pope, RN, BSN, CGRN, stepped into this role and has worked closely with service line leadership to help transform HMWB's Digestive Health services. Dr. Worley added "The importance of our Digestive Health Navigator cannot be understated. Lois provides a compass for patients traveling through what is often a complex medical system and is also a bridge between healthcare providers and patients. She is one of the keys to optimizing the patient experience and creating a more efficient flow, which in turn has led to significant growth in our program."
READ LOIS’ INTERVIEW HERE
Todd Worley, MD
Asheley Johnson, MSN, RN, NE-BC recently joined Houston Methodist Willowbrook as the Director of Endoscopy & Digestive Health Services, effective October 3, 2022.
Houston Methodist Baytown welcomes new physicians Ali Aamar, MD, FACP (Interventional Gastroenterology) and Christina Warner, MD (Colon & Rectal Surgery).
Houston Methodist West introduces two new physicians to their digestive health program: Adrianne Van Norman, DO (Gastroenterology) and Tareq Kamal, MD (Colon & Rectal Surgery).
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UPCOMING EVENTS
9th Annual IBD Lectureship February 9, 2023
Featuring Dr. Maria Abreu, nationally and internationally renowned physician-scientist in IBD, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Registration to open soon.
8th Annual Underwood Symposium March 31, 2023
SAVE THE DATE!
Underwood Center Presidential Lecture May 3, 2023
Featuring Dr. Fergus Shanahan, world-renowned gastroenterologist and microbiome scientist, from University College Cork, National University of Ireland.
Case Conferences Weekly GI Multidisciplinary Case Conference – led by Alberto Barroso, MD. Every Friday at 7:00 a.m. in-person and virtual. Contact Donna Ruddell (djruddell@houstonmethodist.org) for more information. Monthly IBD Case Conference – led by Bincy Abraham, MD. Contact Donna Ruddell (djruddell@houstonmethodist.org) to be added to the invite.
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