 Section of Gastroenterology
This Section provides state-of-the-art endoscopy services and
research activities of the GI faculty (four full-time
and four non-full-time members) and has leading research productivity. The Section provides procedures
which include esophagogastroduodenoscopy, endoscopic
variceal sclerotherapy, endoscopic band ligation, colonoscopy,
polypectomies, electrocoagulation, endoscopic retrograde
cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), common bile duct stone
extraction, etc. The Section has launched a new clinical
GI service, the Esophageal pH and Manometry Unit, capable
of performing 24-hour ambulatory esophageal pH monitoring
and esophageal manometry. This service will be of great
utility in the evaluation of patients with atypical chest
pain not of cardiac origin. Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)
is also a new service recently started by the Section.
The Section and Department of Medicine envision the
creation of an AKU Institute for Digestive and Liver
Diseases in the next three years, which would serve as
a national and international forum for training and research
in the field of Gastroenterology/Haepatology. The Section has an ever-increasing clinical workload, reflected
by enormous numbers of patients presenting to the outpatient
clinics and emergency rooms.
The research focus of the
Section includes viral hepatitis and chronic liver
disease. In the field of viral hepatitis B and C, the
Section of Gastroenterology has two researchers of
international prominence in Dr Jafri and Dr Saeed Hamid,
and there is an ongoing collaborative research project
on chronic hepatitis C infection with the University
of Cambridge.
In May 1999, the Section participated in a joint telemedicine conference with faculty from Rush Presbyterian Medical College Chicago, IL, USA. The Section has maintained its high standards of both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training, with an active and comprehensive three-year fellowship training programme in gastroenterology and haepatology.
Head of Section Dr Wasim Jafri to full professor is also Vice-President of the Pakistan Association
for the Study of Liver Diseases. In addition, he is currently the Chairman of the SAARC Liver
Forum, and Councilor for the Pakistan Society of
Gastroenterology.
Section of Gastroenterology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi
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