Participants will be able to:

• Identify clinical features, risk factors, and disease patterns in diverticulitis that warrant surgical consultation, and apply criteria to distinguish cases appropriate for continued medical management from those requiring operative evaluation.

This session will delve into the areas of greatest controversy and change in the management of rectal cancer, referencing recent data and highlighting these areas in case presentations.

Participants will be able to:

• Understand the spectrum of endoscopic management of rectal cancer
• Appreciate implementation of "watch and wait" protocols
• Explain the complexities of rectal cancer management in the setting of metastatic disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and inherited CRC syndromes

This multidisciplinary session highlights contemporary advances in the endoscopic and surgical management of GERD, as well as broader esophageal surgery and invasive foregut intervention. Presentations will address outcomes, physiologic predictors, and comparative effectiveness of therapies for esophageal pathology such as GERD, motility disorders, and esophageal cancer, with emphasis on postoperative outcomes, recurrence, and the integration of operative and endoscopic approaches in foregut care.

Participants will be able to:

• Apply evidence-based criteria to select and compare surgical and endoscopic interventions for esophageal motility disorders and GERD, including differentiating indications, expected outcomes, and complication profiles for procedures such as POEM, Heller myotomy, fundoplication, and related foregut interventions
• Analyze clinical and physiologic factors associated with postoperative outcomes and recurrence following esophageal and hiatal surgery, and incorporate these factors into operative decision-making, perioperative planning, and longitudinal patient management
• Integrate multidisciplinary principles of invasive GERD management into clinical practice, including coordinating surgical and endoscopic care pathways, optimizing patient selection, and appropriately incorporating evolving technologies within foregut treatment strategies

The SSAT honors Maja and Frank Moody with its Moody State of the Art Lecture each year during its Annual Meeting. Dr. Moody's contributions to gastrointestinal surgery were enormous. His research was continuously funded by the NIH from 1967-2009 in areas including gastric acid secretion, gastric ulcerogenesis, biliary stasis and cholesterol lithogenesis, ileus in multiple organ failure, and glucotoxicity and cardiac dysfunction in obesity. He became a member of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract in 1966 and served as Treasurer (1972-1975) and President (1981-1982) of the organization. Dr. Moody was honored in 1995 with the SSAT Founders' Medal and, in appreciation of his mentorship, former trainees endowed the "Maja and Frank G. Moody State of the Art Lecture" which is now delivered annually at the SSAT meeting during DDW.

This co-sponsored session is designed for those interested in surgical care for rural patients, whether that care be received locally in rural hospitals or at tertiary referral centers. The speakers bring perspectives from both settings, discussing opportunities for rural and urban surgeons to partner together in serving rural patients.

Participants will be able to:

• To understand current challenges in rural surgical care.
• To empower rural surgeons to lead initiatives for rural care defragmentation.
• To identify opportunities to strengthen bidirectional rural-urban care networks.

Participants will be able to:

• Understand new methods of decreasing ductal pressure and pain in chronic pancreatitis with biodegradable stents, acetic acid ablation of exocrine cells, and surgical ductal decompression.
• Assess the role of prebiotics in microbiome modification to decrease pain in chronic pancreatitis.
• The possible role of CRISPR to modify mutated genes in chronic pancreatitis for pain control When should total pancreatectomy and islet cell therapy be considered for chronic pancreatitis.

Participants will be able to:

• Understand strategies that strengthen collaboration between medical and surgical teams in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), that optimize patient outcomes.

Amidst shrinking federal funding and rising clinical demands, gastrointestinal physician-scientists face unprecedented hurdles. Join our multidisciplinary Digestive Disease Week session, designed for surgeons and gastroenterologists at every stage—from trainees to mid-career faculty. World-class experts will provide actionable insights into building a sustainable, well-funded career. Presentations cover the mechanics of federal funding and specific strategies for securing grants. Gain the essential tools to navigate administrative pressures and thrive as a modern physician-scientist. There will be a Q & A session as part of this session which will enable for audience participation.

Participants will be able to:

• Navigate Federal Funding Mechanisms: Identify the structural and operational frameworks of major funding agencies to align research proposals with specific institutional priorities and review processes.
• Optimize NIH Grant Applications: Execute best practices for drafting successful NIH R-series and T32 applications by applying "Do’s and Don’ts" strategies that address common reviewer critiques and technical requirements.
• Construct High-Impact Specific Aims: Develop a compelling Specific Aims page that clearly articulates the research gap, hypothesis, and innovation to serve as the foundational roadmap for a competitive federal grant.

International experts will examine the current state of minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery across the world, and highlight key techniques, technological innovations, training models, and global challenges to inform future practice and collaboration.

Participants will be able to:

• Evaluate emerging technologies and innovations in minimally invasive GI surgery in a global context and their impact on clinical outcomes and health systems across the world.
• Analyze differences in international training models and adoption pathways that influence implementation and dissemination of techniques and approaches in minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery.
• Integrate key insights from international experiences to improve in clinical practice, surgical education, and program development in institutions worldwide.

This symposium on colorectal cancer liver metastases will highlight how management is rapidly evolving through multidisciplinary collaboration. Talks will explore the unique biology of colorectal liver metastases and its therapeutic implications, modern systemic therapies and sequencing strategies, and how chemotherapy associated liver injury influences surgical timing. Speakers will also review advances in parenchymal sparing and minimally invasive liver surgery, as well as options for patients who are not candidates for hepatectomy, including liver directed therapies and transplant. Together, the session will provide a practical, up to date framework for optimizing outcomes in this complex patient population.

Participants will be able to:

• Understand disease biology and treatment implications: Describe how the unique biology of colorectal liver metastases influences prognosis, patient selection, and multidisciplinary treatment planning
• Apply modern therapeutic strategies: Review current systemic therapies, sequencing approaches, and the impact of chemotherapy associated liver injury on timing and safety of surgery
• Evaluate liver directed and surgical options: Compare parenchymal sparing and minimally invasive surgical techniques with liver directed therapies and transplant strategies for patients who are not candidates for conventional hepatectomy

Participants will be able to:

• Understand how financial constraints, lack of access, language barriers, as well as digital and healthcare literacy impact patient care
• Recognize the role, current status and shortcomings of artificial intelligence in gastroenterology and hepatology care especially among underserved patients.
• Understand steps in connecting and collaborating with community leaders and members in a bid to foster trust and reduce health disparities