SAGES Magazine

THE SOUTH AFRICAN GASTROENTEROLOGY REVIEW 2022 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 3 | 22 The IBD interest group meeting took place on the 29th of October 2022 at the Radisson Gautrain Hotel. This took on a different significance this year as it happened to be the weekend during which there was potentially a terrorist threat in the Sandton Area. The Radisson happens to be in the middle of Sandton. Despite this there was a very good attendance both in person and virtually. The first session was chaired by Professor Kassianides and Dr Neo Seabi. Our international expert was Professor Peter Irving. He gave us a fantastic overview on the positioning of current therapies in IBD. He also discussed where the newer small molecules will potentially fit into the treatment paradigm. This sparked many interesting questions from the participants both in person and virtually. The concept of combination therapy was touched upon briefly and certainly appears to be a potential option for our refractory IBD patients. There were a number of thought provoking case presentations. The first case was presented by Dr Marc Ostrofsky who described the challenges in managing a patient with Crohn’s disease and NASH cirrhosis. Dr Daniel Surridge gave us an approach to stricturing crohn’s disease. He provided the audience with a practical approach to managing this difficult complication in crohn’s disease. It was very relevant to both surgical and medical gastroenterologists. There after Dr David Epstein updated us on IBD Africa. This organization continues to provide a platform for both patients and doctors. Patient Advocacy is a programme whereby patients through education, support, guidance and advice achieve the best possible care for their disease. This is a concept that IBD Africa is working hard to achieve. A delicious brunch was provided during the break. This gave colleagues a chance to reconnect whilst enjoying some delicious food. The second session was chaired by Prof Ally and Dr Kay Karlsson. Dr Nicola MacRobert, a colorectal surgical fellow at WITS, presented a case on a patient with complications secondary to an ileoanal pouch. She expertly highlighted some of the challenges that both surgeons and gastroenterologists are met with when treating patients with pouches. This was followed by a fantastic lecture on IBD in Sub Saharan Africa. This was given by Professor Mashiko Setshedi, who took us through some of the advances that have been made in Sub Saharan Africa regarding diagnosing and treating patients with IBD. She also highlighted the need for gastroenterologists in Sub Saharan Africa to report ours cases in order to better understand how IBD presents in our patient cohort. Dr Barbra Makumbi who is currently a fellow in medical gastroenterology at CMJAH, presented a comprehensive approach to causes of diarrhoea in patients with IBD. She drove the point home that a flare is not always the cause of diarrhoea. Prof Gill Watermeyer gave us a detailed approach to the management of enterocutaneous fistulas in Crohn’s disease. This is a daunting complication to manage for both patient and health care provider alike. Prof Watermeyer provided the audience with clinical pearls that we can draw upon in our clinical practice. The final case was presented by Dr Nazeer Chopdat. This was an intriguing case which highlighted an uncommon neurological complication (multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block) of Anti TNF agents. The IBD interest group was enriching not only from an educational point of view but also from a social point of view as colleagues and friends were able to reunite in person at a meeting. As always a huge thank you must go to the Gastro Foundation as well as to all the sponsors for making this hugely successful meeting possible. IBD Interest Group meeting Dr Marc Ostrofsky Physician 14TH GASTROFOUNDATION WEEKENDFORFELLOWS Friday 17 – Sunday 19 March 2023 Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West Queries: bini@global.co.za Mobile: +27 82 442 9779