Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Department of Colorectal Surgery recently hosted the 7th Qatar Colorectal and Gastroenterology Conference at HMC’s Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Centre and Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha.
The opening session 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 Prof Simon Travis and ProfJames Lindsay from the United Kingdom, Prof 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 Organising 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.
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. Several research papers conducted by HMC physicians were presented in the conference.
Dr Anil John, senior consultant, gastroenterologist, delivered a presentation on the Colorectal Screening Programme 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.
Some of the attendees at the conference.
