Target Audience
Gastroenterology, General Surgery

Overview
We continue to see great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal and liver disease. Therapy continues to evolve in multiple directions. Topics including inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis C, among others, see approvals of multiple important new medications every year. The line between the traditional realms of endoscopy and surgery also continues to blur and it is critical for both gastroenterologists and surgeons to explore these boundaries – this includes topics like the endoscopic approaches to treating Barrett's esophagus, and biliary disease, which in the past were relegated to a surgical approach, all of which will be covered in this course.

To maintain their practices, gastroenterologists, surgeons and advanced practitioners need to stay up to date on a wide range of topics, including diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis, understanding medical and surgical treatment strategies to chronic pancreatitis, managing colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver, and evaluating the side effect profiles of different biologic agents used in the management of inflammatory bowel disease . It is difficult for practicing physicians and surgeons to stay abreast of these new advances. The 37th Annual Medical and Surgical Gastroenterology Conference will provide a learning opportunity for participants in various GI disorders including the approach to the patient with suspected hereditary colon cancer, the calculus behind operating for arcuate ligament syndrome, and advances in robotic surgery for gastrointestinal disease. This year we are also returning back to basics, blending in an overview of management of hernias, acute cholecystitis and appendicitis, IBD for the non-IBDologist, and fatty liver disease. We will also continue to have a full day of interactive case presentations and attendees have the opportunity to earn maintenance of certification (MOC) points.