Vinay Chandrasekhara, M.D.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of a previously developed peroral cholangioscopy (POC-CNN) to determine the etiology of biliary strictures when used in real-time.

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of temperature-sensitive radiofrequency ablation (RFA) immediately before biliary stent placement on duration of biliary stent patency and re-intervention free survival.  Additionally, to describe the incidence of adverse events with combination RFA plus stenting.

We will study the effects of photodynamic priming for pancreatic adenocarcinoma treatment. Prior to study treatment, the patient will undergo photodynamic therapy using endoscopic ultrasound or CT-guided fine needle aspirate to directly target the tumor. After recovery from the procedure, the patient will start pembrolizumab. These steps are hoped to enhance the effect of standard chemotherapy given to eradicate the tumor.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) shear wave elastography in the assessment of liver fibrosis compared to magnetic resonance (MR) elastography.

The purpose of this study is to assess the accuracy and safety of smart watches in the endoscopy suite for patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures with sedation.

The term wearable technology encompasses a wide spectrum of devices worn on or near a person. Market research suggests that one in five Americans are users of wearable technology with the market currently valued at over 30 billion dollars annually. These devices have the ability to record physical information, ranging from heart rate to pulse oximetry, as well as audio and video. These devices are often marketed to improve health and well-being, and there has been significant interest in their use to diagnose, monitor and treat disease. Rigorous studies of consumer-facing products have shown significant issues with accuracy and reliability. We will provide a timely and much-needed framework that addresses both practical and theoretical considerations around a technology that has become increasingly relevant to patients.

The goal of project is to target of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) with a photodynamic therapy (PDT) to evaluate response of tumor.

The primary aim of this study is to determine if there is any evidence of viral shedding within the gastrointestinal or pulmonary system in patients with a prior recent negative nasopharyngeal PCR test. This will be of critical importance to the practice of endoscopy during this pandemic as it will help:  1) determine if a pre-endoscopy testing strategy is adequate to ramp-up access to semi-urgent and eventually elective procedures, while allowing the decreased utilization of limited or costly personal protective equipment (e.g., N95 respirators) while still keeping the GI endoscopy staff safe; and 2) realize the false negative rate of pre-procedural testing, which is vital to inform procedural practice policy and operations.