GI Insights

There’s been an increase in the elderly irritable bowel disease (IBD) population, and it’s estimated that a third of our overall IBD population will soon be over the age of 60. When managing and diagnosing these patients, there’s different factors to consider, like polypharmacy, biological versus chronological age, how fit these patients are versus how frail they are, and more. To take a deep dive into how IBD is affecting elderly patients, join Dr. Peter Buch as he speaks with Dr. David Hudesman, Professor of Medicine and Co-director of NYU Langone’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of developing infections, and some may be preventable with a vaccine. Approximately 70 percent of patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease will be on immunosuppressive therapy at some point during their treatment course, so it’s best to try to address vaccines before they’re immunosuppressed. So to walk us through some strategies for increasing the number of patients with gastrointestinal diseases who get vaccinated, Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Farraye, Co-Author of the article, titled “How to Implement a Successful Vaccination Program in Outpatient Gastroenterology Practices: A Focus on Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Chronic Liver Disease,” which appeared in Gastroenterology in 2023 and Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, where he also directs the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is diagnosed using the ROME 4 criteria, and fortunately, most patients who meet the criteria for IBS clinically are unlikely to have another underlying explanation for their symptoms. However, a common misconception is that IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, so to learn more about this and other controversies surrounding IBS, join Dr. Peter Buch as he speaks with Dr. Alexander Ford, Professor of Gastroenterology and Honorary Consultant of Gastroenterology at Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James University of Leeds.

Many patients with lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding are on anticoagulants, and they may need specific reversal agents depending on what antithrombotic they’re on. Tune into this episode to learn more about the article that dives into the management and treatment of acute lower GI bleeding and the challenges along the way with Dr. Peter Buch as he speaks with Dr. David Wan, Associate Professor of Medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) that occur in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are almost any manifestation that occur outside the gastrointestinal tract. And patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis are at an increased risk for developing these manifestations. So to review EIMs in IBD and discuss the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Katherine Falloon, Gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Due to recent technological advancements, the use of artificial intelligence to detect a variety of gastroenterological conditions like Barrett’s esophagus, gastric cancer, and colon polyps is increasingly being explored. Learn about the application, benefits, and pitfalls of artificial intelligence in gastroenterology with Dr. Peter Buch and Dr. Ali Soroush, Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

For patients with refractory constipation, it’s important to evaluate the psychological impact of these symptoms. Unfortunately, this disorder can easily affect a patient’s quality of life and keep them from doing their normal routine. So what treatment options can help alleviate some of the burden? Dive in with Dr. Peter Buch as he speaks with Dr. Joy Liu, Instructor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern.

Post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis is the most dreaded complication of this procedure. So what are the patient-related, procedure-related, and operator-related risk factors for developing post-ERCP pancreatitis, and how can we work to prevent it? Join Dr. Peter Buch as he speaks with Dr. Prabhleen Chahal, Program Director of the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.

Affecting over 25 percent of Crohn's disease patients, perianal disease is a persistent and difficult-to-treat condition. Due to its complex management and significant impact on patients' quality of life, a multidisciplinary approach to care is crucial. Here to discuss the management of perianal Crohn’s disease, Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Benjamin Cohen, Co-Section Head and Clinical Director for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Cleveland Clinic, and Dr. Stefan Holubar, IBD Surgery Section Chief and Director of Research at Cleveland Clinic.

In patients with chronic live disease, consuming alcohol could contribute to progressive liver damage and a variety of cancers. So alcohol consumption should not be a regular occurrence for those who have underlying chronic liver disease. And approximately four percent of patients with alcohol use disorder are referred at early stages for intervention compared to other liver diseases. To learn more, join Dr. Peter Buch to hear insights from Dr. Paul Kwo, Professor of Medicine and the Director of Hepatology at Stanford University.