Captivating a national audience with live endoscopy
A cutting-edge live endoscopy event was held at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) on February 28, 2025, marking a monumental first at the Glen site for the Endoscopy department. As part of the prestigious Joint Canadian Digestive Disease Week and the Canadian Liver Meeting (CDDW™-CLM), the MUHC hosted seven live endoscopy cases, showcasing the latest in gastroenterology and hepatology techniques to a national audience.
Why the MUHC?
For the past five years, the MUHC has been at the forefront of innovative endoscopy, pushing the boundaries of traditional practice. Our leadership in this field has attracted international attention and that of the Canadian Digestive Disease Week (CDDW) selecting the MUHC to rise to the occasion of a high-profile teaching opportunity.
“Bringing live endoscopy to the CDDW is an honour for our department and our institution,” states Dr. Yen-I Chen, a world leading advanced endoscopist. “The expertise displayed during these live cases demonstrated the incredible work done at the MUHC while bringing together and showcasing the extraordinary talent across Canada.”
In attendance were gastroenterologists and hepatologists from across Canada, tuning in live from a full auditorium in Quebec City, where the national conference was held.
“A recent technique by visiting Professor Dr. Jeremie Jacques was shown: we are able to remove pre-cancerous lesions en bloc (in one piece) with ESD (Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection), a technique that is revolutionizing the treatment of advanced polyps that are at high risk of harbouring early cancer,” explains Dr. Chen. “The MUHC’s expertise extends also to endo-hepatology, with Dr. Amine Benmassaoud driving new approaches to liver disease treatment, and to pancreaticobiliary endoscopy, where the hospital is making strides in treating pancreatic cancer through endoscopic ultrasound.”
Special thanks to key players
A tremendous amount of planning and coordination went into this event. Kimberly Ann Gutierrez and Sheryl White, Nurse Manager and assistant head nurse manager for endoscopy, played pivotal roles. “From my humble perspective, this event happened because of Kimberly and Sherri,” Dr. Chen warmly acknowledges. “They ensured that the event went smoothly and her leadership was critical in bringing it all together. We also received enormous support from our institution, Dr. Alan Barkun (Chief of Endoscopy), and Dr. Alain Bitton (Chief of Gastroenterology). I am very proud of the doctors, the PABs, nurses, and administrative staff in Endoscopy. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement, which reminds us that our hard work does not go unnoticed.”
“The hidden heroes of this massive operation are our administrative personnel and Christian Lavigne (MUHC AV Technician Team Leader). They all contributed greatly to helping us organize this event,” asserts Kimberly. “I also wish to thank the MUHC Radiology department, where the procedures were performed, and the radiology technologists who helped us."
As we stay committed to implementing the highest quality techniques in endoscopy, the MUHC welcomes and expects more events like these for years to come.
For more information on Canadian Digestive Disease Week, please visit www.cag-acg.org/cddw.html
