ASGE President Karen L. Woods, MD, FASGE, invites DDW^® attendees to this year’s ASGE Presidential Plenary, which will feature coffee and crullers served up with spirited debates on controversial topics, endowed lectures from world-renowned luminaries and the rapid-fire presentation of ASGE’s top-rated abstracts.

The plenary session kicks off ASGE’s programming at DDW 2018 on Saturday morning, June 2.

“We’ll hear from some of our specialty’s top researchers, who will present abstracts covering some of the most important aspects of endoscopic research this year, including Barrett’s ablation, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), bariatric devices, endoscopic ultrasound access, chromoendoscopy, management of post-endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) polyp recurrence, and appropriate fluoroscopic practice, just to name a few,” Dr. Woods said.

The Presidential Plenary will feature three special debates, during which pairs of experts will square off on opposite sides of controversial clinical topics, such as the pros and cons of endoscopic bariatric therapy and how it compares to surgical options; the differences in electronic versus dye-based chromoendoscopy; and a comparison of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and EMR, including the advantages and disadvantages of each approach for the large polyp.

In the first of two state-of-the-art lectures, Mouen Khashab, MD, director of therapeutic endoscopy at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, will review the use of POEM for achalasia and G-POEM for management of gastroparesis.

In the second lecture, Douglas O. Faigel, MD, FASGE, professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ, will discuss radiation safety for patients, physicians and staff in the endoscopy unit, focusing on current practices and suggestions for future standards.

The plenary program also includes two endowed lectures. Vanessa M. Shami, MD, FASGE, assistant professor of medicine and director of endoscopic ultrasound at the University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, will present the Jack A. Vennes, MD, and Stephen E. Silvis, MD, Endowed Lecture. Robert E. Sedlack, MD, MHPE, FASGE, associate professor of medical education and associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, will present the J. Edward Berk, MD, DSC, FASGE, Endowed Lecture.

“Dr. Shami will review the major advances in the field of EUS and discuss procedures that allow access beyond the luminal space,” Dr. Woods said. “Dr. Sedlack will look at how we determine that a student has achieved competency to perform a certain procedure. While this has traditionally been based on the number of procedures performed, there are questions as to whether this is the best way to judge competency.”

The session will also feature the annual Presidential Address, in which Dr. Woods will reflect on her term as ASGE president and some of the issues and initiatives that impacted the specialty over the past year. She will also offer her thoughts on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the specialty.

“The field of endoscopy is rapidly expanding,” she said. “Today, for example, we easily access the submucosal space, dissect tissue planes, remove large lesions in one piece, and we use EUS in therapeutic ways that we never thought possible.”

As these procedures continue to become more commonplace, and not just in academic centers, Dr. Woods said ASGE is responding to the need to train practicing endoscopists to competently perform the procedures.

“My major initiative this year has focused on using simulated models to teach advanced skills and exploring whether these skills can be taught to a level of competency that would allow the student to move directly to the clinical arena from the skills lab,” Dr. Woods said. “In November of last year, ASGE hosted a very productive summit on simulation with the National Institutes of Health. The future is bright for simulator development and ASGE is working closely with industry colleagues to develop new training models.”

Immediately following the Presidential Address, Steven A. Edmundowicz, MD, FASGE, of the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, will be inaugurated as the 2018-2019 ASGE president.

“Reflecting ASGE’s status as the world-class leader for endoscopic research and education, this year’s Presidential Plenary session will highlight advances in the newest and most advanced endoscopic procedures and important information about everyday procedures that can be implemented right now in your practice,” Dr. Woods said. “It’s the perfect way to kick off ASGE’s tremendous DDW educational program.”