Chennai:

About two-third of the symptoms leading to gastrointestinal diseases occur in the food pipe and the stomach in the form of heartburn and ulcer. But reading textbooks and following practices pioneered in the West alone cannot help doctors in treating them.

More than 30 videos that demonstrated surgical procedures in managing diseases of the gastrointestinal tract including that of the stomach and food pipe as well as those involving the liver, pancreas, gallbladder and bile duct (hepato-pancreatic biliary) were screened. Experts, who had done the procedures and had mastered the techniques involved in successful management of the diseases later gave tips to more than 200 post-graduates and practising surgeons.

The videos were screened to give an update of the latest techniques involved in some standard as well as complex procedures to treat diseases like hernia and chronic inflammation of the pancreas. It was screened as part of the Global Gastro Update organised by Institute of Gastro Intestinal and Hepato Pancreatic Biliary Sciences of Global Health City.

“The videos focusses on the most important steps critical to the success of the procedures,” said Dr S M Chandramohan, director, department of gastrointestinal surgery, Global Health City.

State health secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan, who earlier inaugurated the event, said while surgeons updating their scientific knowledge will ultimately benefit the public, he urged the experts to work together to make them accessible and affordable.

Assistant professor from Madras Medical College Dr Raj Kumar Rathnaswamy, who attended the sessions, said such an event can help them correct the mistakes that happen in planned surgeries.