Update on pathophysiology and work up for Achalasia

Vani Konda, Baylor University Medical Center (USA)

Vani J.A. Konda, MD is a gastroenterologist with clinical expertise in esophageal disorders, Barrett's esophagus, surveillance and advanced endoscopic imaging. Her clinical practice focuses on esophageal diseases including Barrett's esophagus, early esophageal cancer, achalasia, swallowing disorders, eosinophilic esophagitis, reflux, and complex esophageal strictures. She completed her residency and fellowship training and remained on faculty at University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2017, she has served as the Clinical Director at the Baylor Scott and White Center for Esophageal Diseases at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Collaborating with other gastroenterologists, surgeons, and otolaryngologists, she has developed a clinical multidisciplinary program for complex benign and malignant disorders of the esophagus. She actively participates in a unique multidisciplinary, translational research program at the Baylor Scott and White Center for Esophageal Research. Her research interests have focused primarily on premalignant lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular Barrett’s esophagus and advanced endoscopic imaging. She has authored over 100 articles, book chapters, and videos. She has been active in the International Society of Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE) as the Web and Communications Committee Co-chair and in American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).

Update on endoscopic treatment for Achalasia

Haruhiro Inoue, Showa University, Japan

Dr. Haruhiro Inoue is a world-renowned surgeon and endoscopist. He is a professor at Showa University School of Medicine and Chairman of the Digestive Disease Center at Showa University Koto Toyosu Hospital in Tokyo, Japan.

Dr. Inoue’s clinical achievements are wide-ranging. In 1992, he developed a technique (cap-EMR) that simplified the performance of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). In 2000, he reported the world’s first EMR for Barrett’s intramucosal cancer, and in 2003, he again reported a circumferential EMR for Barrett’s esophagus with high grade dysplasia. This also served as the first clinical case of antireflux mucosectomy (ARMS). In 2008, he performed the world’s first clinical case of per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), and to date his team has treated more than 2100 achalasia patients with the POEM procedure. In 2014, he reported the endoscopic removal of a submucosal tumor (SMT) using a POEM-like procedure, per-oral endoscopic tumor resection (POET). Also in 2014, he reported the ARMS procedure for PPI-resistant GERD. Now it advanced as antireflux mucosal ablation (ARMA). In 2019, he reported POEM+F (POEM+fundoplication) as a pure NOTES surgery for PPI refractory GERD.

Dr. Inoue is an honorary member of the Russian Society of Endoscopy, and the German Society of Radiology and Digestive Endoscopy. In 2008, he has become a Fellow of ASGE, and he was honored twice with the society’s Crystal award (2006 and 2013). In 2011, he received the Pioneer in Endoscopy Award from the Society of American gastrointestinal and endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). In 2017, he received the Bushell Lecture Award from Australian society of gastroenterology. He is a long-term full member of ISDE.

Surgical treatment for Achalasia

Marco Patti, University of North Carolina, USA

Marco G. Patti was born and raised in Catania, Italy. He graduated from the University of Catania, School of Medicine in 1981 and following a distinguished career at the University of California and University of Chicago, he moved to the University of North Carolina in 2016 as Professor of Medicine and Surgery, and Co-Director of the Center of Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing.rolina, USA

Dr. Patti’s clinical activity focuses on foregut disorders and over the years has made major contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of GERD and achalasia. Dr. Patti has published more than 300 manuscripts in peer review journals and 6 books. He is Past President of the International Society for Digestive Surgery and Past President of the International Society of Surgery. He was President for the World Congress of Surgery in August 2017 in Basel, Switzerland. He has lectured extensively in North and South America, Europe, and Asia, and he has been a speaker to many meetings of the ISDE over the years.

André Brandalise, University of Campinas, Brazil

Vani Konda, Baylor University Medical Center, USA