Doha, 22 May 2023: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Department of Colorectal Surgery recently hosted the 7th Qatar Colorectal and Gastroenterology Conference from 18 to 20 May at HMC’s Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center and Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha.
The opening session of the conference was attended by Dr. Abdulla Al Ansari, HMC’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Surgery Department, as well as a number of clinical leaders from HMC. The conference also featured international visiting endoscopic colorectal surgery experts, including Professor Simon Travis and Professor James Lindsay from the United Kingdom, Professor Ayman Agha from Germany, in addition to several speakers and presenters from GCC states, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman.
Dr. Mohammed Abunada, Senior Consultant and Head of HMC’s Department of Colorectal Surgery and Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee, said that the conference discussed the latest developments in endoscopic colorectal surgery and provided an opportunity to hear from international colorectal surgery experts. The conference also provided an ideal platform to highlight the outcomes of research studies conducted in this field by HMC physicians, which will contribute to ensuring the delivery of high-quality healthcare services to patients.
“As the main provider of tertiary healthcare in Qatar, HMC is committed to improving the quality of its services and to meet the demand for healthcare services from Qatar’s rapidly growing population. The Gastroenterology and Colorectal Surgery unit strives to provide the highest quality services to patients in Qatar,” said Dr. Abunada.
Dr. Khalid Al Ejji, Senior Consultant and Deputy Head of HMC’s Gastroenterology Department and Conference Co-Chair, said that the conference discussed three main topics, namely colon cancer and the latest diagnosis and treatment methods including chemotherapy and surgery; ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s Disease, which are two immunological diseases that began to spread in the Middle East, and the latest developments in the treatment of these diseases; and pelvic floor diseases and chronic constipation related to colon diseases.
Dr. Al Ejji delivered a lecture on Crohn's Disease and endoscopic treatment options for this condition. He also gave a presentation on Qatar’s achievements in the field of early detection and treatment of colon cancers over the past ten years and its impact on improving treatment outcomes for patients with colorectal diseases and cancers.
Several research papers conducted by HMC physicians were presented in the conference. Dr. Rafie Yakoob, Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist at HMC, presented on treatment options for tumors that cause bowel obstruction. Dr. Abulgasim Mohamed, Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist at HMC’s Al Wakra Hospital, presented on the latest endoscopic methods for the treatment of colonic obstruction. Professor Amjad Parvaiz, Consultant Colon Surgeon at HMC, delivered a lecture on the surgical treatment of certain types of colon cancers.
Dr. Anil John, Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist, delivered a presentation on the Colorectal Screening Program in Qatar. Dr. Yahaya Bensuleiman, Consultant Gastroenterologist, presented on the endoscopic management of colon polyps. Dr. Ahmed Ayash, Associate Consultant Gastroenterologist at HMC, discussed the role of artificial intelligence in polyp detection. Dr. Reem Al-Sulaiman, Consultant in Genetic Counseling, presented on hereditary polyposis syndromes. Dr. Khaleel Sultan, Senior Consultant Gastroenterologist, presented on colonic inertia.
During the conference, several posters were displayed on new research projects conducted at HMC related to colon cancer, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's Disease. A medical exhibition was also held on the sidelines of the conference with participation of international companies to display the latest medical equipment, surgical supplies, and endoscopes used in colon surgeries, as well as the latest medications to treat colon diseases.
The conference scientific program included sessions featuring international speakers, including Professor Simon Travis, Professor of Clinical Gastroenterology at the University of Oxford, who delivered two lectures on the latest developments in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and the optimal time for surgery in acute ulcerative colitis cases. Dr. Nasser Al Sanea, Consultant Colorectal Surgeon and Professor of Colon and Rectal Surgery at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Saudi Arabia, gave a lecture on ileal pouch creation for ulcerative colitis complicated with colorectal cancer. Professor Al-Sanea commended the remarkable development in the field of diagnosis and surgical treatment of colorectal diseases at HMC since 2012, when he first visited HMC to participate in a medical conference.
Dr. Othman Al Harbi, Consultant Gastroenterologist at King Saud University Medical City in Saudi Arabia, delivered a lecture on the role of histopathological remission as a treatment target. Dr. Al Harbi praised HMC for offering the latest innovations and most advanced treatments for its patients.
