Esophageal Institute at AHN

12/14/2021

For the final paper from this month’s edition of “Foregut, the Journal of the American Foregut Society,” we return to another article written by our own Dr. Shahin Ayazi. His article is here:

Esophageal Manometry Testing and Anti-Reflux Surgery: The Preoperative Necessity and Prognostic Utility
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26345161211044448

It’s available free to read or download for a limited time.

In it, Dr. Ayazi takes a deep dive into the function of manometry: How it developed, why it is essential to diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders, and how, if read properly, manometry can guide surgeons and patients to choosing the appropriate surgery and surgical techniques for optimal outcomes. He further discusses the utility of manometry as a predictor of a patient’s post-surgical performance.

Dr. Ayazi practices at West Penn Hospital.

Congratulations to Dr. Ayazi and Dr. Grubic on all their contributions to this month’s “Foregut”!

Manometric assessment of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) and esophageal body is the key to a better understanding of the mechanics of antireflux surgery (AR...

12/08/2021

This month's issue of "Foregut, the Journal of the American Foregut Society," is all about esophageal motility. The second of three articles we're making available this week was co-written by our friend, colleague, and graduate Fellow, Andrew Grubic. DO.

Evolution of Esophageal Motility Testing: From Kronecker to Clouse
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26345161211044151
The article is free to access or download for a limited time.

Dr. Grubic’s article, written in collaboration with Dr. Peter F. Crookes of the University of Southern California, provides an excellent history of motility testing as well as a discussion of the development of high-resolution manometry. Drs. Grubic and Crookes also present thoughts on the relationship of manometric testing to accurate diagnosis.

Dr. Grubic's practice is based at St. Vincent's Hospital in Erie, PA.

Esophageal motility, the science of quantifying the mechanical function of the esophagus, was initiated by Hugo Kronecker in Germany in 1882. Little progress wa...

12/06/2021

The Esophageal Institute is pleased to share that the third issue of "Foregut," the Journal of the American Foregut Society, is now available! This issue is themed around esophageal motility, featuring 14 papers covering different aspects of motility disorders. The preface article was co-authored by our own Dr. Shahin Ayazi:
Esophageal Manometry and Science and Practice of Esophagology
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26345161211044975
It is available for free to access or download for a limited time.

The entire issue can be found here: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/guta/1/3

Dr. Ayazi’s preface offers a great overview of esophageal manometry and is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to learn more about the science and utility of this essential diagnostic procedure.

Of the fourteen papers, another two were authored by Allegheny Health Network Esophageal Institute staff or graduates. We’ll share additional titles over the coming days.

Check out the issue and Dr. Ayazi’s article today!

If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box.

07/19/2021

THANKS TO ALL OUR DONORS!

On July 15, Highmark Health wrapped up its 2021 Virtual Highmark Walk for a Health Community.

Thanks to your generous donations, the Esophageal Institute raised over $3,100 for our Esophageal Cancer Patient & Family Fund. These funds will be used to benefit patients with a new diagnosis of esophageal cancer.

We truly appreciate everyone’s support, especially during these continuing difficult times. This is a strong foundation on which to build the Fund.

We hope to be able to celebrate this year’s success, remember and honor our loved ones, and connect with our patients and their friends and families, as well as our friends and family, at a live 5K event next April, during next year’s Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month.

Over the coming weeks, our office will receive t-shirts and contact information for the participants who qualified for them. We will distribute them from our office; we appreciate your patience while we get the items organized and sent.

Once again, our deepest gratitude to all those who gave generously to support this effort! Great job, everyone!

07/19/2021

Back in person and better than ever! Registration is now open for the AFS Annual Meeting! We will be IN PERSON for 2 1/2 days at the Ga***rd Opryland in Nashville, TN. 19 CME/MOC credits will be offered. Register here: http://ow.ly/GUVI50EPMhe

04/28/2021

ICYMI: Dr. Blair Jobe spoke with Lynne Hayes-Freeland yesterday on 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA! They talked about esophageal cancer in the context of maximizing men’s health.

You can access the interview here:
https://www.audacy.com/kdkaradio/podcasts/lynne-hayes-freeland-20942/dr-blair-jobe-is-the-director-of-the-esophageal-and-lung-institute-at-ahn-371801300

As we round out Esophageal Cancer Awareness month, Dr. Jobe and Lynne Hayes-Freeland discuss how little is known about why it affects more men than women. Dr. Jobe also talks about risk factors, and ways to minimize some of those risks. Did you know that 40% of patients develop esophageal cancer without experiencing any symptoms?

Remember that registration for the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is still open through July 15! Esophageal Cancer month may be drawing to a close, but you can still support our teams and donate to our Patient and Cancer Family Fund by participating here: hcf.convio.net/EIEC2021

Thanks to the team Allegheny Health Network and to KDKA and Lynne Hayes-Freeland KDKA for helping raise awareness about esophageal cancer!

Maximizing Men’s Health Segment, Dr. Jobe Is A Nationally Renowned Pioneer In The Field Of Minimally Invasive Surgery And Endoscopic Therapy For The Treatment Of Esophageal Cancer, Barrett’s Esophagus, Esophageal Mobility Disorders And Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). The Topic Of Convers...

04/23/2021

In our Ask a Doc series, we sit down with physicians and other clinical experts, including those at Allegheny Health Network (AHN), for a chat on an important health topic. In this interview, Dr. Blair Jobe discusses esophageal cancer.

04/21/2021

Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month continues! This morning, Dr. Jobe was featured on the The KDKA Radio Morning Show with Larry Richert and Kevin Battle!

In case you weren’t listening this morning, you can hear the full interview here:
https://www.audacy.com/kdkaradio/podcasts/the-kdka-radio-morning-show-with-larry-richert-and-kevin-battle-268

Larry and Kevin speak with Dr. Jobe about the risks of esophageal cancer, how and when to get tested, and the difficulty of getting men to see their doctors.

Thanks to KDKA Radio and Allegheny Health Network for helping us highlight Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month, and congratulations on a great interview, Dr. Jobe!

Remember that you can still register for the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community and support the Esophageal Institute’s Cancer Patient and Family Fund by going here: hcf.convio.net/EIEC2021

Donations made to the Esophageal Cancer Patient and Family Fund will help newly-diagnosed patients defray some of the costs of treatment that are not typically covered by insurance. This includes things like nutrition support pre- and post-surgery, and may include some of the costs associated with getting to their treatment appointments. Registration is open through July 15.

On-Demand Selections From The KDKA Radio Morning Show With Larry Richert And Kevin Battle On Newsradio 1020 KDKA, Airing Weekdays From 5am To 9am.

04/09/2021

In March 2021 the Allegheny Health Network Esophageal Institute performed Erie, PA’s first Per-Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) procedure! The procedure was performed by Drs. Blair Jobe and Andrew Grubic at St. Vincent Hospital.

”POEM is a minimally invasive, incisionless surgery used to treat certain patients with difficulty swallowing. Using a scope through the mouth, we are able to cut the tight muscles of the esophagus ultimately allowing food to pass more easily. Many patients prefer the procedure over other surgeries because recovery time is much quicker. Usually this procedure was limited to large city hospitals, but we are extremely excited to bring this to Northwestern, PA. Many thanks go out to the St. Vincent staff as well as industry representatives from Olympus and ConMed for making this possible!” – Andrew Grubic, DO

04/01/2021

April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month!

Today may be April Fool’s Day, but esophageal cancer is no joke. The Esophageal Institute is using the month of April to join the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community. Proceeds raised through our portal will benefit our Esophageal Cancer Patient & Family Fund.

Register to walk, join a team, or donate here: hcf.convio.net/EIEC2021

03/29/2021

April is Esophageal Cancer Awareness Month!

To kick off this month of spreading awareness, Dr. Jobe sat down with Emily Laubham of Highmark Health for their “Ask a Doc” series. You can read the interview here:
https://www.highmarkhealth.org/blog/care/Ask-a-Doc-Esophageal-Cancer.shtml

They discuss the link between reflux and cancer, the kinds of interventions and diagnostic processes that help identify the presence of cancer and pre-cancerous conditions, and emerging technologies that offer some hope for earlier intervention and better treatment.

Here’s a short excerpt:
Emily Laubham: It sounds like this cancer is still shrouded in a bit of mystery. What is promising in terms of research to understand it or future advances?

Dr. Blair Jobe: There’s a lot of work to be done, but also amazing things already being done. What we really need to be able to do is draw someone’s blood to know if they have cancer in their bloodstream. The blood test is the holy grail for us.... [I]mmunotherapy — a way of enhancing the immune system to attack and fight cancer — [has] been widely used in melanoma, and it’s a big player in lung cancer. We were one of the first to develop this protocol and look at the safety of using it in treating patients with esophageal cancer.”

Throughout the month, the Esophageal Institute will be sharing stories and facts about the risks of esophageal cancer and its effects on the lives of patients and families. We'll also have some information about our innovative research and emerging technologies that can not only treat, but prevent, esophageal cancer.

In our Ask a Doc series, we sit down with physicians and other clinical experts, including those at Allegheny Health Network (AHN), for a chat on an important health topic. In this interview, Dr. Blair Jobe discusses esophageal cancer.