Ara Sahakian, MD

Dr. Sahakian is a board certified gastroenterologist with specialized training in advanced endoscopic techniques and medical treatment of complex biliary and pancreatic disorders. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship at Yale University, where he was awarded the Samuel Kushlan Award in 2012 as the most outstanding fellow of his class. After his gastroenterology fellowship, Dr. Sahakian spent an additional year at Yale to complete his advanced endoscopy fellowship. During this time he trained with renowned experts in the field, gaining extensive experience in advanced endoscopic procedures, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), undoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR).

Dr. Sahakian also has a special interest in endoscopic removal of mucosal tumors of the GI tract. He spent one month at the National Cancer Center in Japan to acquire specialized training in Endoscopic Mucosal Resection (EMR) and Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD), an exciting new technique used to remove large superficial gastrointestinal tumors all in one piece. His research interests include quality and training in endoscopic procedures, evaluation and resection of large colon polyps, and maximizing the efficiency of EUS guided fine needle aspiration. Dr. Sahakian has also authored the chapter on ERCP in pregnancy in a prominent ERCP textbook and has published several peer-reviewed research papers in well-known journals.

• Gastroenterology, 2012
• Yale-New Haven Hospital: Samuel Kushlan Award for Outstanding Clinical Fellow, 2012
• Internal Medicine, 2008

• Comparative Outcomes of Endoscopic Mucosal Resection for Laterally Spreading Lesions in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Endoscopy. 2024 Jul 19. . View in PubMed
• Evaluating Real World Consistency and Accuracy by ChatGPT4 for Post-Colonoscopy Follow-Up Recommendations Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 Jul 10. . View in PubMed
• ChatGPT4 Outperforms Endoscopists for Determination of Postcolonoscopy Rescreening and Surveillance Recommendations Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 May 09. . View in PubMed
• Increasing Antibiotic-Resistant Infections With Inpatient Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangioscopies (ERCP) Is Associated With Higher Mortality in the United States: A Cross-sectional Cohort Study J Clin Gastroenterol. 2024 May-Jun 01; 58(5):487-493. . View in PubMed
• A Preliminary Controlled Trial of Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fiducial Markers to Guide Pancreas Surgery J Clin Gastroenterol. 2023 Dec 19. . View in PubMed
• Underwater versus conventional endoscopic mucosal resection for colorectal lesions: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Endosc Int Open. 2023 Oct; 11(10):E935-E942. . View in PubMed
• Hybrid resection of GI stromal tumor with endoscopic submucosal dissection and the full-thickness resection device VideoGIE. 2023 Jan; 8(1):8-10. . View in PubMed
• Pancreatic schwannoma: Case report, clinico-pathologic correlation, and review of the literature Radiol Case Rep. 2022 Oct; 17(10):3504-3510. . View in PubMed
• Double pigtail stent placement as an adjunct to lumen-apposing metal stentsfor drainage of pancreatic fluid collections may not affect outcomes: A multicenter experience Endosc Ultrasound. 2022 Jan-Feb; 11(1):53-58. . View in PubMed
• Single-use duodenoscopes: The next disruptor or passing fad? Gastrointest Endosc. 2021 12; 94(6):1056-1058.. View in PubMed
• Persistent pancreatic fistula following distal pancreatectomy J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2021 12 01; 91(6):e164-e165. . View in PubMed
• Qualitative and Quantitative Contrast-enhanced Endoscopic Ultrasound Improves Evaluation of Focal Pancreatic LesionsClin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 04; 18(4):917-925. e4. . View in PubMed
• Obscure Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Secondary to Meckel’s Diverticulum Diagnosed by Retrograde Double-Balloon Enteroscopy Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 04; 18(4):e44-e45. . View in PubMed
• Bleeding from Small Intestine: No Man’s Land Clin Colon Rectal Surg. 2020 Jan; 33(1):16-21. . View in PubMed
• Not Just Your Ordinary Tumor: A Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Esophagus Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020; 32(1):176-178. . View in PubMed
• Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Should Endoscopy Be Within the Scope of Practice? Dig Dis Sci. 2019 06; 64(6):1395-1396.. View in PubMed
• Endoscopic Ultrasound Assessment of Pancreatic Duct Diameter Predicts Neuroendocrine Tumors and Other Pancreas Masses Pancreas. 2019 01; 48(1):66-69. . View in PubMed
• Balloon overtube-assisted cholangioscopy and laser lithotripsy of large bile duct stones VideoGIE. 2018 Jul; 3(7):217-219. . View in PubMed
• Endoscopic Closure of Gastrointestinal Fistulae and Leaks Gastrointest Endosc Clin N Am. 2018 Apr; 28(2):233-249. . View in PubMed
• Metallic coil and N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate for closure of pancreatic duct leak (with video) Gastrointest Endosc. 2018 Apr; 87(4):1122-1125. . View in PubMed
• Randomized trial of cholangioscopy-guided laser lithotripsy versus conventional therapy for large bile duct stones (with videos) Gastrointest Endosc. 2018 Apr; 87(4):1050-1060. . View in PubMed
• Endoscopic submucosal dissection for resection of submucosal tumors of the colon and rectum: Within reach, or the edge of tomorrow? Gastrointest Endosc. 2018 02; 87(2):549-551.. View in PubMed
• Narrow-band imaging versus white light versus mapping biopsy for gastric intestinal metaplasia: a prospective blinded trial Gastrointest Endosc. 2017 Nov; 86(5):857-865. . View in PubMed
• Optimal Timing of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Acute Cholangitis J Clin Gastroenterol. 2017 Jul; 51(6):534-538. . View in PubMed
• Randomized Trial of Endoscopist-Controlled vsAssistant-Controlled Wire-Guided Cannulation of the Bile Duct. Am J Gastroenterol. 2016 Dec; 111(12):1841-1847. . View in PubMed
• Can a Computerized Simulator Assess Skill Level and Improvement in Performance of ERCP? Dig Dis Sci. 2016 Mar; 61(3):722-30.. View in PubMed
• Cold snare polypectomy for large sessile colonic polyps: a single-center experience Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2015; 2015:175959. . View in PubMed
• Prevention and management of post-ERCP pancreatitis JOP. 2014 Nov 28; 15(6):544-51. . View in PubMed
• The utility of esophagogastroduodenoscopy before endoscopic ultrasonography in patients undergoing endoscopic ultrasonography for pancreatico-biliary and mediastinal indications J Clin Gastroenterol. 2013 Nov-Dec; 47(10):857-60. . View in PubMed
• Endoscopic biopsy and predictors of malignancy in ampullary adenomas: once bitten, twice shy? J Clin Gastroenterol. 2013 Apr; 47(4):296-7.. View in PubMed
• Necrotizing pancreatitis complicated by fistula and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011 Jul; 9(7):e66-7. . View in PubMed
• Methane and the gastrointestinal tract Dig Dis Sci. 2010 Aug; 55(8):2135-43. . View in PubMed
• Evaluating breath methane as a diagnostic test for constipation-predominant IBS Dig Dis Sci. 2010 Feb; 55(2):398-403. . View in PubMed
• New clinical method for distinguishing D-IBS from other gastrointestinal conditions causing diarrhea: the LA/IBS diagnostic strategy Dig Dis Sci. 2010 Jan; 55(1):145-9. . View in PubMed
• Humor and the cardiovascular system Altern Ther Health Med. 2007 Jul-Aug; 13(4):56-8. . View in PubMed

• Buxbaum, James
• Demetriades, Demetrios
• Zada, Gabriel