Gastroenterology

'Change in lifestyle, diet
affect digestive health'

Chennai Digestive Diseases Week 2009 is being observed from today till 12 April at the Residency Towers, it was announced yesterday by Indian Society of Gastroenterology (ISG) Tamilnadu chapter in collaboration with the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO).
It will see the coming together of the best in the field of gastroenterology with a council of collective knowledge from across the world to impart expertise to Indian doctors specialising in this field.
Apollo Hospitals senior consultant, Dr K R Palaniswamy, organising chairman, organising secretary Dr Balasubramaniam, University of Alabama, US chief of endoscopy Dr Shyam Varadarajulu and Madras Medical College head of the department Dr Mohammed Ali made the announcement of the four-day workshop and briefed the press on inflammatory bowel diseases and irritable bowel syndrome.
The first of its kind meet world over would be inaugurated on the third day by Tamilnadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala. On 9 and 10 April, a hands on training training programme is being organised to impart specialists as to how to use an endoscopic ultra sonogram (EUS). About 50 gastroenterologists from all over India will be trained on this new technology by world renowned experts such as Dr Robert H Hawes (USA), Dr Shyam Varadarajulu (USA), the former's student and Dr Lawrence Ho (Singapore).
The EUS helps in early diagnosis of various diseases like cancer of oesophagus, bronchogenic carcinoma, gastric cancer, cancer of pancreas and rectal cancer. Diseases that involve the pancreas such as acute and chronic pancreatitis and its complications can be effectively diagnosed and treated using this technology.
On 11 April a live course on EUS will be transmitted live from Apollo Hospitals to auditorium at Residency Towers. Around 200 doctors are expected to view this programme. Apart from this it would be the plan to web cast the same transmission live which would facilitate not only specialists in India but also around the world. This would be the first of its kind happening.
On the final day an international Continuing Medical Education (CME) is to take place where five international and many Indian experts will take part in an active discussion. They will enlighten the audience on the advances in gastro oesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome, diventicular disease, non viral hepatitis, cholangio carcinoma, obesity and newer diagnostic tools such as impedence manometry, confoal endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, enteroscopy and narrow band imaging.
The highlight of The Chennai Digestive Week 2009 is a guest lecture on life style disorders and digestive health by the WGO president Dr Eamonn Quigley. Change in lifestyle, diet and stress can affect the digestive health, it was stressed at meet.