Andrew P. Keaveny, MD, FRCPI, FAASLD
Consultant Hepatologist and Medical Director of Liver Transplant, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida; Associate Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science; Chair, AASLD Annual Meeting Education Committee; Member of the AASLD Maintenance of Certification and Scientific Planning Committees
Lecture: “Best of AASLD at DDW” during Tuesday’s Best of DDW clinical symposium
Describe the lecture in a tweet: Highlights of significant clinical and research advances in liver disease relevant to practitioners will be discussed at the Best of AASLD.
What’s something interesting about the session that attendees might not know from reading the program description? The presentations will not be finalized until just before the session, allowing us to present some of the most interesting and exciting advances in practice and research that have been reported at this year’s DDW®.
Why did you decide to get into GI practice?
I was drawn to gastroenterology as a resident because gastroenterologists could intervene and improve the health and well being of their patients, being more than just diagnosticians. I loved learning about the pathophysiology of GI diseases, the nuances in presentation of disease states, the various tests available to us, as well as their interpretation. I was very fortunate to have outstanding teachers and mentors in GI and hepatology who were smart, compassionate and charismatic. They helped me appreciate the importance of setting out a treatment plan and communicating this effectively to patients and their families. My interest in hepatology was spurred by exposure to patients with end-stage liver disease in the nascent Irish liver transplant program in the 1990s, and subsequently during my GI fellowship at Boston University. I realized that I enjoyed dealing with the challenges of caring for critically ill patients within a team. Liver transplantation is the ultimate team activity in medicine, requiring the focus and dedication of a large group of providers. I found my home in the Mayo Clinic liver transplant team, where I can be most effective in meeting the needs of our patients.
Favorite part of DDW: The opportunity for multidisciplinary sessions, where the world’s experts can provide key insights on specific topics.
I feel most successful when … one of my fellows presents research we worked on together. And when I meet a patient following a liver transplant at our center — the transformative effect of transplantation is truly remarkable and never ceases to amaze me.
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be: Details matter, whether it be taking a patient’s history or writing a review article.
Please refer to the DDW Mobile App or the Program section in Tuesday’s DDW Daily News for the time and location of this and other DDW events.
