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From NorwalkPlus.com Health
Digestive disorders such as frequent heartburn or acid indigestion are very common. Dr. Gross will discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatments of these conditions and will allow time to answer questions from the audience. About the Speaker Dr. Gross completed his fellowship training in gastroenterology and hepatology at the Mayo Clinic. He specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies and has advanced training in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), which combines endoscopy with ultrasound to obtain images of the digestive tract and surrounding tissues and organs. EUS is useful in the staging of cancers of the esophagus, rectum, stomach, lung and pancreas as well as detecting bile duct stones. It is also utilized for evaluating chronic pancreatitis, cysts of the pancreas, incontinence and "submucosal" tumors, which are lesions within the intestinal wall. Dr. Gross is highly skilled in endoscopic treatments of Barrett's esophagus and early esophageal cancer. Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which the esophagus, which carries food and saliva from the mouth to the stomach, is changed by the stomach acid (often caused by gastoesophageal reflux disease or GERD) replacing the lining of the esophagus with a type of tissue similar to that normally found in the intestine. While Barrett's esophagus may not cause symptoms, a small percentage of people with this condition may develop a relatively rare but potentially fatal type of cancer of the esophagus called esophageal adenocarcinoma. Dr. Gross has experience and expertise in treating Barrett's esophagus with cryotherapy and radiofrequency ablation (Barrx). Cryotherapy, which uses liquid nitrogen in medical treatments, has been used effectively since the 1950's to treat certain types of cancers and precancerous conditions. Cryotherapy is a recent breakthrough in the field of gastroenterology to treat conditions of the esophagus such as Barrett's esophagus, high and low grade dysplasia and esophageal cancer. "It has been shown in clinical research that by using liquid nitrogen, cryotherapy freezes diseased tissue in the esophagus destroying the cells, which are replaced with healthy cells," Dr. Gross explained. A similar technique is used with radiofrequency ablation allowing for a targeted superficial burn to destroy these cells resulting in regrowth of a healthy lining in the esophagus. He is also proficient in balloon assisted enteroscopy, which allows for complete evaluation of the small intestine. Balloon enteroscopy allows for both diagnostic and therapeutic intervention and can spare patients the need for surgery. The most common indication for the procedure is for unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding. Prior to his fellowship training, Dr. Gross completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at North Shore University Hospital New York University School of Medicine. He also served as a hospitalist at North Shore University Hospital- NYU. Dr. Gross is the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his accomplishments in the field of gastroenterology. He holds memberships in the American College of Gastroenterology, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American Gastroenterology Association and the American Medical Association. He has authored numerous articles published in prestigious medical journals and completed a book chapter, Photodynamic Therapy in the Esophagus for "Advances in Photodynamic Therapy: Basic, Translational and Clinical." For more information the program on "Gastric Reflex and other Digestive Disorders," call (203) 761-1191. Dinner is served at 5:30p.m. and the presentation will start at 6:00 p.m. The next program in the Norwalk Hospital lecture series is "Bloodwork Review, Cholesterol, Sugar - What Does it All Mean?" by Dr. Vidhya Varadarjan, an internist with Soundview Medical Associates on Tuesday, November 4 at 6 p.m. © Copyright by NorwalkPlus.com |
