Clinical Trials

Participating in a clinical trial gives you access to new and promising therapies.

Find an open trial

Insurance

We accept most insurance plans and work with managed care networks.

Find out more

Esophageal Disorders Program

Caring for GERD and More

Patients nationwide seek care from our Esophageal and Stomach Disorders Program, one of the largest of its kind in the country. Our specialists have renowned medical and surgical expertise, in addition to access to the most advanced equipment, technology and research available. This unique combination positions the program to continue its long tradition of pioneering state-of-the-art care, from diagnosis to recovery.

We are changing the medical paradigm of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment, a condition that afflicts nearly 20 percent of the population. Most patients rely on medical management for relief, but for those with persistent heartburn and regurgitation, the LINX Reflux Management System effectively stops the symptoms. LINX, a device laparoscopically placed around the lower end of the esophagus, was largely developed at Keck Medicine of USC. We are home to the nation’s largest LINX program and clinical trial protocols were determined here.

Damage from severe GERD can lead to Barrett’s esophagus, often a precancerous condition. However, Barrett’s esophagus with high-grade dysplasia, an early form of cancer, is treated by endoscopic ablation and resection, procedures largely pioneered here, which preserve the esophagus and eliminate the need for additional extensive surgery.

The Esophageal and Stomach Disorders Program is one of the nation’s leading providers of care for gastroparesis, a motility condition that interferes with the stomach’s ability to pass food into the small intestine. Afflicting up to two percent of the population and inexplicably rising, complications include chronic nausea, vomiting, development of bezoars, and for those with diabetes, difficulty managing blood sugar levels. When medical management is insufficient, gastric electrical stimulation (GES) prompted by a gastric pacemaker implanted subcutaneously in the abdomen can trigger normal motility and subdue symptoms. Keck Medicine of USC has the highest volume of gastric pacemaking implantation in California.

Clinical Trials

Participating in a clinical trial gives you access to new and promising therapies.

Find an open trial

Insurance

We accept most insurance plans and work with managed care networks.

Find out more

Why Choose Us for Your Care

Program specialists deliver patient-centered, comprehensive care from diagnosis to recovery by a multidisciplinary team of experts, including experts in medicine, surgery, oncology, imaging and occupational therapy.

Many diagnostic tools were developed at our medical center and have been adopted worldwide as the industry gold standard.

Upon diagnosis, an individualized treatment plan designed for the best possible outcome and a team of specialists, all of who are renowned experts in their field are assembled.

A state-of-the-art computerized reports system facilitates prompt information sharing among team members, affording the patient the most efficient care.

Stuart A. Abel, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more
Specialties
Physician Assistant, Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Saroja Devi Bangaru, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology
Specialties
Nurse Practitioner, Melanoma Surgery, Gastroenterology

James L. Buxbaum, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor (Clinical Scholar)
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Cynthia Cherfane, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology

Carol J. Chow, NP-C

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Nurse Practitioner, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Internal Medicine

Laurie D. Deleve, MD, PhD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Florinale Cuico Elorta, NP-C

Accepting new patients
Nurse Practitioner
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Katie Galvin, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Foregut Surgery  View more

Allen Ghlandian, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery
Specialties
Nurse Practitioner, Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Caitlin C. Houghton, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
Minimally Invasive General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery  View more

Rome Jutabha, MD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Jeffrey A. Kahn, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Liver Transplant Surgery

Ani Amirian Kardashian, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Hepatology, Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Saro Khemichian, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Transplant Hepatology
Specialties
Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery  View more
Specialties
Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery  View more

Michael Lin, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Liver Transplant Surgery, Gastroenterology

John C. Lipham, MD

Accepting new patients
Chief, Division of Upper GI and General Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Foregut Surgery  View more
Specialties
General Surgery , Gastrointestinal Surgery, Physician Assistant  View more

Surinder K. Mann, MD

Accepting new patients
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology

Neel Kamal Mann, MD

Accepting new patients
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Nipaporn Pichetshote, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Luke R. Putnam, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Minimally Invasive General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Kathleen Kay Rosario, NP-C

Accepting new patients
Clinical Instructor of Medicine (Practitioner)
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Ara Sahakian, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Kamran Samakar, MD

Accepting new patients
Director, Bariatric Surgery Program
Specialties
General Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Anisa Shaker, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Sonia Sharma, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Sarah Sheibani, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology

Sharon Shiraga, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Upper GI and Gen ...
Specialties
General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Foregut Surgery

Edy Soffer, MD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine/Divis ...
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Neil Kaplowitz Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Hepatology  View more

Jacques Van Dam, MD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Medicine (Clinical Scholar)
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Liyun Yuan, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology  View more

Bing Zhang, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology

Kali Zhou, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Saroja Devi Bangaru, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology

James L. Buxbaum, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor (Clinical Scholar)
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Cynthia Cherfane, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Internal Medicine

Laurie D. Deleve, MD, PhD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Rome Jutabha, MD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Jeffrey A. Kahn, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Liver Transplant Surgery

Ani Amirian Kardashian, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Hepatology, Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Saro Khemichian, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Transplant Hepatology

Michael Lin, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Liver Transplant Surgery, Gastroenterology

Surinder K. Mann, MD

Accepting new patients
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology

Neel Kamal Mann, MD

Accepting new patients
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Nipaporn Pichetshote, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Ara Sahakian, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Specialties
Hepatology, Gastroenterology

Anisa Shaker, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Sonia Sharma, MD

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Sarah Sheibani, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology

Edy Soffer, MD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine/Divis ...
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Neil Kaplowitz Professor of Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Hepatology  View more

Jacques Van Dam, MD

Accepting new patients
Professor of Medicine (Clinical Scholar)
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Liyun Yuan, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology  View more

Bing Zhang, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Gastroenterology, Gastroenterology

Kali Zhou, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine
Specialties
Hepatology, Transplant Hepatology, Gastroenterology
Specialties
Nurse Practitioner, Melanoma Surgery, Gastroenterology

Florinale Cuico Elorta, NP-C

Accepting new patients
Nurse Practitioner
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Kathleen Kay Rosario, NP-C

Accepting new patients
Clinical Instructor of Medicine (Practitioner)
Specialties
Gastroenterology

Stuart A. Abel, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Katie Galvin, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Foregut Surgery  View more

Allen Ghlandian, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery

Caitlin C. Houghton, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
Minimally Invasive General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery  View more

John C. Lipham, MD

Accepting new patients
Chief, Division of Upper GI and General Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Foregut Surgery  View more

Luke R. Putnam, MD

Accepting new patients
Assistant Professor of Clinical Surgery
Specialties
General Surgery, Minimally Invasive General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Kamran Samakar, MD

Accepting new patients
Director, Bariatric Surgery Program
Specialties
General Surgery, Bariatric Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Sharon Shiraga, MD

Accepting new patients
Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Upper GI and Gen ...
Specialties
General Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, Foregut Surgery
Specialties
Physician Assistant, Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more

Carol J. Chow, NP-C

Accepting new patients
Specialties
Nurse Practitioner, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery
Specialties
Nurse Practitioner, Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery  View more
Specialties
Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery  View more
Specialties
Foregut Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery, General Surgery  View more
Specialties
General Surgery , Gastrointestinal Surgery, Physician Assistant  View more

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