Ara Sahakian, MD

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

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Overview

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.

Awards

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

Publications

  • Differentiating Immunoglobulin G4-Related Sclerosing Cholangitis From Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Features. Am J Gastroenterol. 2026 Apr 16.. View in PubMed
  • Minor Papillotomy for Treatment of Idiopathic Acute Pancreatitis With Pancreas Divisum: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2026 02 24; 335(8):682-692.. View in PubMed
  • Impact of artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy on gastroenterology fellow performance: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Gastrointest Endosc. 2026 05; 103(5):1043-1051.e3.. View in PubMed
  • Comparing ChatGPT3.5 and Bard recommendations for colonoscopy intervals: Bridging the gap in healthcare settings. Endosc Int Open. 2025; 13:a25865912.. View in PubMed
  • A Preliminary Controlled Trial of Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fiducial Markers to Guide Pancreas Surgery. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2024 10 01; 58(9):931-936.. View in PubMed
  • Comparative outcomes of endoscopic mucosal resection for laterally spreading lesions in inflammatory bowel disease. Endoscopy. 2025 02; 57(2):148-155.. View in PubMed
  • Reply. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2025 Jan; 23(1):190-191.. View in PubMed
  • ChatGPT4 Outperforms Endoscopists for Determination of Postcolonoscopy Rescreening and Surveillance Recommendations. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024 09; 22(9):1917-1925.e17.. 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
  • 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