Houston Methodist 11th Annual Exploring Frontiers in the Management of Digestive and Liver Disorders 2026

Exploring Frontiers in the Management of Digestive and Liver Disorders brings medical, endoscopic, and surgical perspectives to common and complex gastrointestinal problems. The Houston Methodist symposium addresses autoimmune liver disease, pancreatic cysts, constipation, GLP-1 agents, reflux, hiatal hernia, gastrointestinal defects, and inflammatory bowel disease. Case discussions connect treatment choices with nutrition, procedural techniques, and multidisciplinary planning. Directed by Eamonn Quigley with co-directors Sudha Kodali and Lee Morris, the February 20, 2026 meeting was held at Houston Methodist Research Institute with virtual participation. The program is relevant to gastroenterologists, hepatologists, surgeons, and other professionals involved in digestive and liver care.

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the risks and management of common GI disorders.
• Review the latest updates in GI Cancer.
• Describe the endoscopic management of GI disorders.
• Discuss robotic strategies in the management of GI disorders.
• Review the latest innovations in GI surgery.

The original live activity listed up to seven AMA credits, ABS MOC credits, attendance credits, and nursing contact hours. These are not included with store files. The retained topics reflect the listing’s original sequence and do not independently establish complete coverage of the live agenda.

Topics

• 01 Welcome to the 2026 Underwood Symposium

• 02 Updates in Autoimmune Liver Disease

• 03 Management of Pancreatic Cysts (2026)

• 04 Spatial Computing in the Operating Room

• 05 Clinical Constipation – Mechanisms, Phenotypes, and Targeted Therapy

• 06 LiverPancreasConstipation Panel Discussion

• 07 GLP-1 Agonists – A Hepatologist’s Perspective – Impact on MASLD, Interactions with AFLD

• 08 GLP1-RA – An Endocrinologist’s Perspective

• 09 Side Effect Profile of GLP-1 Agonists

• 10 GLP-1 Agents Panel Discussion

• 11 Concomitant Hiatal Hernia Repair and Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication (cTIF) for Treatment of GERD with Hiatal Hernia

• 12 Hiatal Hernia Repair in Octogenarians – Rethinking Surgical Risk in an Aging Population

• 13 P-CABs – Where Do They Fit in the Treatment of GERD and H.Pylori

• 14 Endoscopic Management of Gastrointestinal Defects

• 15 Esophagus and Foregut Panel Discussion

• 16 Positioning All the Available IBD Therapies

• 17 Nutritional Support for the IBD Patient

• 18 Operative Approaches to Colonic Crohn’s Disease

• 19 IBD and Colorectal Panel Discussion

Session Chairs

• Kavish Patidar, MD
• Deepika Satish, MD
• Neha Mathur, MD
• Joe Galati, MD
• Charles Meade, MD
• Deven Patel, MD
• Feenalie Patel, MD
• Tareq Kamal, MD

Faculty

• Osama Gaber, MD, FACS, FAST
• Eamonn Quigley, MD
• Kavish Patidar, DO
• Yee Lee Cheah, MD, FACS
• Patrick Reardon, MD, FACS, MAMSE
• Adil Bharucha, MBBS, MD
• Joe Galati, MD
• Archana Sadhu, MD, FACE
• Thomas McCarty, MD, MPH
• Deepika Satish, MD
• Warren Naselsky, MD
• Kavin Kanthasamy, MD
• Eric Pauli, MD, FACS, FASGE, FEBSAWS (Hon.)
• Malcolm Irani, MD
• Marianne Ayad, RD, LD, MS, MBChB, DipACLM
• Joshua Coursey, MD