ISDE News

ESDE 2019 Congress President Theodore Liakakos invites you to attend this year's ESDE Annual Meeting in Athens, Greece on November 20-22, 2019.

The goal of this meeting is to present advances in the field of esophageal diseases and the scientific program features a range of multidisciplinary topics including:

Two (2) Pre-Courses

• Surgical course – live videos (MIE-abdominal, MIE-thoracic, Robotics)
• Endoscopy-hands on

The “Christophe Mariette” Lecture on Multimodality Treatment in esophageal cancer

Hot topics

• Is esophageal cancer the next malignancy that should be considered for screening: what is the evidence
• New technology, AI and robotics in diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy
• Robotic esophageal surgery: State-of-the-art
• Results from the International Oesophagogastric Anastomosis Audit (OGAA)
• Immunotherapy: a panacea for the future?

Main topics

• Staging in esophageal cancer: Where are we heading
• Barrett’s esophagus
• GERD – Refractory GERD
• Optimizing outcomes in multimodality treatment of esophageal cancer
• Surgical strategies for esophageal cancer
• Joint session with IGCA
• Facing Achalasia
• Difficult cases and a step forward?
• Paraesophageal hernias
• Complications post esophagectomy

Challenging cases

• Management of refractory esophageal strictures
• Boerhaave syndrome
• Hiatal hernia with motility disorders
• Esophageal foreign bodies
• Eosinophilic esophagitis

The Preliminary Scientific Program can be found online.

See here for the list of confirmed Invited Speakers.

Reduced registration fees are available to ESDE Members. 

The ISDE was pleasantly surprised to be the recipient of a Facebook Fundraiser initiated by Shania Singleton in the USA earlier this year.
Shania chose the society because the ISDE mission meant a lot to her and 100% of the proceeds will be put into the ISDE Reserve Fund.

Patients, friends and families can be great ambassadors for our profession and are happy to show this in a number of ways including fundraising. Facebook fundraisers are easy to setup and individuals can select a non-profit organization like ISDE to receive donations directly.

Next time a patient or someone they know asks you what they can do to raise awareness and support, we hope you will consider telling them about this.

Thank you to Christophe Faure, MD, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montréal, Canada for submitting this meeting review.

Esophageal atresia (EA) is among the most common congenital digestive malformations, affecting 1 in 3,000 infants at birth. Since the first successful primary repair of esophageal atresia (EA) in 1941, improvements in operative and perioperative care have led to a 90 to 95% survival rate, and thus leading to an evolvement from mortality to long-term morbidity and quality-of-life issues. EA is no longer just a neonatal surgical problem but rather a lifelong problem. It appears that respiratory, nutritional, and gastroenterological issues are the most prevalent health issues in the first years of life and also in adolescence and adulthood.

The International Network of Esophageal Atresia (INoEA) was founded in 2013 and is devoted to put together all people interested and involved in the care of patients with EA from birth to adulthood.

More than 200 participants from all over the world attended the conference.

From June 24-28, 2019, the fifth International Conference on Esophageal Atresia took place in Rome, Italy, hosted and organized by the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital under the auspices of the INoEA – in collaboration with the federation of Esophageal Atresia and Trachea-esophageal fistula support groups (EAT) and the Italian Association of Families with Esophageal Atresia (FATE).

This meeting was organized according to a model of conference based specifically on disease, bringing together all disciplines and specialities all linked together by their common interest and expertise in treating EA with an important participation of parents and patients support groups.

There were over 120 scientific abstracts submitted. Similar to previous conferences, all the categories of people involved in the care of EA patients were represented; neonatologists, pediatricians, surgeons, gastroenterologists, otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, intensivists, nurses, dieticians, speech pathologists, psychologists, occupational therapists, social workers, parents of patients, and children and adults with EA. The scientific program covered the entire spectrum of disease. Conferences and sessions by world’s experts were given on recurrent tracheo-esophageal fistula, laryngo-tracheal cleft, esophageal motility disorders and GER in EA, long gap EA management, tissue engineering, building networks, transition to adult with special interest to Barrett’s esophagus and cancer surveillance, and anastomotic stricture management. The INoEA consensus guidelines on the management of respiratory and ENT complications in children with EA were presented. Lunches with the experts with exciting clinical discussions took place on associated oral/head malformations, how to build an aero-digestive team, the thoracoscopic approach in EA, eosinophilic esophagitis. Research papers were orally presented by attendees during special sessions with exciting discussions.

Abstracts from this meeting were published in Volume 32, Issue Supplement_1 in the Journal for Diseases of the Esophagus.

The success of the event confirms one more time the importance of adopting a multidisciplinary approach and creating links between not only pediatric and adult medicine but also with parent support groups.

We look forward to the next Sixth International conference on EA which will be held in Cincinnati, USA in 2022 where new advancements and innovations in the field will be presented.

Note:

The International Network of Esophageal Atresia (INoEA) is a valued Associated Society of ISDE. Due to this special partnership, abstracts presented at the meeting were published as a supplement of the ISDE society journal Diseases of the Esophagus, and are accessible to ISDE Members and DOTE subscribers.

The ISDE 2020 program committee prepared a highly engaging program including experts video sessions, mini-debates, pro-con sessions, case presentations and panel discussions, encouraging an active participation from the audience. The program will feature the following topics:

• Management of Early Esophageal Cancer
• Plenary Video Session on a How I Do It Theme - Endoscopic & Surgical Topics
• Gastroesophageal Reflux
• Barrett’s Esophagus - Screening and Surveillance
• Barrett’s Esophagus – Endoscopic and Surgical Therapy
• Surgical Techniques in Esophageal Cancer
• Complications of Surgical and Endoscopic Interventions for Esophageal Disease
• Staging, Workup and Decision Making for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer
• Eosinophilic Esophagitis
• Treatment of Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer - Neoadjuvant Therapy
• Esophageal Motility Disorders (Non-achalasia)
• Other Topics in Advanced Esophageal Cancer
• Large Hiatus Hernia / Paraesophageal Hernia
• Management of Esophageal Emergencies (Encourage Videos)
• Optimizing Outcomes for Esophageal Cancer - the Surgical Encounter – Winning at Both Ends?
• Achalasia

Join us in Toronto, Canada from September 21-23, 2020

The ISDE was pleased to endorse the 26th Congress of Oesophagogastic Surgery held this past June 6-7, 2019 in Bilbao, Spain. Magnus Nilsson, President of the European Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ESDE), attended the meeting and together with Manuel Pera shared information about ESDE and ISDE to the Spanish oesophagogastic surgery community. We are pleased to share meeting highlights from Dr. Ismael Diez del Val, President of the Organizing Committee in a thank you letter we received this month.

On July 6th, 2019, the 11th West China Forum on Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery and ISDE China Highlights 2019, held by West China Hospital and Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA), and kindly endorsed by International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (ISDE), just came to a successful close. Nearly 600 delegates participated in the conference and exchanged insights about cutting-edge issues, as well as hot topics in thoracic surgery, including esophageal diseases.

During the conference, Prof. Ferguson introduced the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus and reviewed recent developments and highlights of the society. Experts from different medical centers also shared the experience on minimally invasive surgery in esophageal diseases in China and had an in-depth discussion about chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer. Additionally, other topics including early oral feeding, influences of BMI and weight loss on prognosis after esophagectomy, inflated mediastinoscopy combined with laparoscopic esophagectomy for cancer also raised continuous discussion among participants.

On the occasion of this conference, the inaugural ceremony of the Specialized Committee for Esophageal Diseases of Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association was held. Professor Long-Qi Chen, Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, was elected as the first chairman.

The West China Forum on Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery has been successfully held 11 times since 2007, pushing innovative achievements in the field of minimally invasive surgery to the whole country, including minimally invasive techniques for the diseases of the esophagus. It has been widely recognized that the forum has become one of the most influential events in the field of thoracic surgery in China.

ISDE Member, Fernando Lisboa MD PhD, welcomed attendees to Natal, Brazil on July 4th for the International Course on Esophageal Diseases. GERD was the central theme of the three-day meeting due in part to a growing elderly population in which gastrointestinal disorders are common. The course was Endorsed by ISDE and featured presentations from national and international faculty including Sudish Murthy, Cleveland Clinic (Ohio – USA); Asti Emanuelle substituting Luigi Bonavina, Milan (Italy); Ari Nasi, USP/SP (Brazil); Fernando Herbella, UNIFESP/SP (Brazil); Mauricio Bravin, Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Stennio Machado, Karla Emerenciano and Flaubert Senna from Natal (Brazil).

From left to right: Dr. Ary Nasi (São Paulo -SP - BR), Dr. Asti Eamanuele (Milan - Italy), Dr. Fernando Lisboa (Course Coordinator- Natal-RN- BR), Dr. Fernando Herbella (São Paulo SP- BR), Mauricio Bravim (Minas Gerais - BR) and Sudish Murty (Cleveland Clinic - Ohio - USA)

By 2050 it is estimated that more than 20% of the US population will be older than 65 years of age, and approximately 20 million individuals will be older than age 85 years. Gastrointestinal disorders are common in the elderly patient, but their manifestations may differ from those of younger patients. The International Course on Esophageal Diseases provided an update on both the diagnosis of various disorders, benign and malignant, that affect the esophagus as well as the various therapeutic modalities for the diversities of afflictions that affect it.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common and affects up to 40% of US adults at least once a month. A population-based study from Finland revealed that the prevalence of daily GERD symptoms in those aged 65 years and older was 8% in men and 15% in women. The mean time pH <4 was significantly higher (32.5%) as compared with younger patients (12.9%). In addition, more elderly patients (20.8%) had grade III/IV erosive esophagitis, compared with only 3.4% of younger patients. In Brazil the incidence varies from 9 to 19%. Together with the knowledge of a growing elderly population around the world, these statistics provide a sense of the large number of people that may develop and suffer from gastrointestinal disorders.

The International Course on Esophageal Diseases served as an opportunity to educate and host discussions with international and national authorities on several important topics including Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Diagnostic Methods and Monitoring in this Disease, Treatment of Iatrogenic Conditions of the Esophagus, cancer of the esophagogastric junction and the role of endoscopy as diagnostic, therapeutic and preoperative rehabilitation in esophageal diseases. Also discussed was the ideal team which should consist of a Gastrointestinal surgeon and/or Thoracic surgeon with experience in the field, an endoscopist, a gastroenterologist, radiologist, pneumologist, clinical oncologist and also Fellows and Residents interested in the area.

The International Society for Disease of the Esophagus is pleased to announce the World Congress for Esophageal Diseases will be held annually starting in 2021. This decision comes after many months of analysis and deliberation through which it was determined an annual meeting would be beneficial to society members, stakeholders and the specialty.

The congress destination rotation remains unchanged and will continue to cycle between Asia/Pacific, Europe and the America’s.

The International Society for Disease of the Esophagus (ISDE) is pleased to announce the first Annual World Congress will be held in Brisbane, Australia from September 3-6, 2021.

“In the early years the society (ISDE) held a World Congress every three years, then every two years and now it is becoming an annual event. This important change is a natural evolution and sign of the growing need for education and information on the diseases of the esophagus. We look forward to working with our members, researchers and others in the community on this important topic” said ISDE President, Prateek Sharma.

ISDE Executive Director, Mark Ferguson agreed saying “it has been a long-held dream for ISDE to hold its world congress annually. I am pleased this is coming to fruition in a beautiful city such as Brisbane, Australia and look forward to advancing the development and dissemination of scientific and medical knowledge of the esophagus.

Save the date and join us in Brisbane for the 18th World Congress on Esophageal Diseases.

The International Society for Disease of the Esophagus (ISDE) is pleased to announce the 2022 World Congress for Esophageal Diseases will be held in Tokyo, Japan from September 26-28, 2022.

In order to serve the esophageal community better the ISDE is working closely with the Japan Esophageal Society (JES), who will be hosting their annual meeting just before the ISDE World Congress at the same venue. The programs for both society meetings will be independent and delegates may choose to attend one meeting or both.

ISDE President, Prateek Sharma was quoted as saying “Japan is known for their cutting-edge treatments in the field of endoscopy and surgical procedures. This is a great opportunity for members and attendees from around the world and from Japan to observe, learn and share information on the esophagus.”

ISDE Executive Director, Mark Ferguson commented that “the 2022 Congress in Tokyo, Japan marks the 4th time this meeting has been held in this country and honors a longstanding relationship between ISDE and the Japanese Esophageal Society (JES). We anticipate this meeting will have the highest attendance numbers of any of our congresses to date.”

Save the date and join us in Tokyo for the 19th World Congress on Esophageal Diseases.

This will be the only time the ISDE will hold consecutive congresses in the same region. Future congress destinations will be sourced from the following areas:

• 2023 Europe
• 2024 America’s
• 2025 Asia/Pacific