The program address endoscopic techniques used to manage achalasia, an incurable disease that occurs equally among men and women. It is characterized by insufficient relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and difficulty in swallowing and is often misdiagnosed as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Achalasia should be suspected in those with dysphagia to solids and liquids, and in those with regurgitation unresponsive to an adequate trial of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. These patients commonly present with symptoms that may contribute to misdiagnosis including substernal chest pain during meals, unintended weight loss and heartburn.

The course provides recordings of a variety of case and interventional scenarios that were presented live from leading institutions in both the U.S. and Internationally. Moderated by leading authorities, these recordings demonstrate how to incorporate these techniques into hospital and other practice settings.

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants will be able to:

1. Describe clinical success as defined by Eckardt score <3.
2. Identify the rate and severity of common adverse events.
3. Summarize recurrence rates during long-term follow-up, inclusive of GERD with pH studies, rate of erosive esophagitis, and proton pump inhibitor use.

Live case # 1: HREM and EndoFlip (John Pandolfino, Northwestern)

Live case # 2: POEM (Mouen Khashab, Johns Hopkins)

Live case # 3: Pneumatic Dilation (Michael Vaezi, Vanderbilt)

Session 2

1. Close other applications and browser tabs. This decreases the load on memory so your computer or other device can focus on streaming.
2. Use a 5 GHz frequency if your router supports it. The common 2.4 GHz frequency is used by household appliances, so is more crowded. Avoiding it is like getting into the carpool lane on a freeway: smoother sailing.
3. Use Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi if possible but GI LEAP is built with Wi-Fi in mind. 
4. Monitor your internet connection. If your ISP has promised you 5MBps and you are getting only 1MBps, it's time for a phone call to your internet provider to sort that out.