This issue will be an informative treatise on gastroparesis, a symptomatic chronic disorder of the stomach characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Gastroparesis is an increasingly recognized and diagnosed disorder. Treatment can be challenging due to several mechanisms which play a role in causing the symptoms. Symptoms of gastroparesis are variable and include early satiety, nausea, vomiting, bloating, and upper abdominal discomfort. These symptoms can range from mild to severe leading to such complications as malnutrition, functional disability, and multiple hospitalizations. The three most common etiologies are diabetes, post-surgical, and idiopathic (unknown). Treatment consists of dietary manipulation, medical, and surgical therapy. The articles will provide a comprehensive review and in-depth information on gastroparesis. Each chapter will be written by an expert in the area. This issue will give the reader a better appreciation for the breadth of gastroparesis.

In this issue of Gastroenterology Clinics, guest editor Dr. John A. Martin brings his considerable expertise to the topic of Advances in Endoscopy. Endoscopy has forever changed the fundamental nature of the clinical gastroenterologist's practice, from one that was originally predominantly clinic-based, to one that, today, is largely driven by endoscopy. In this issue, top experts explore and celebrate the now numerous facets of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy that markedly benefit patients today and continually advance to empower the gastrointestinal endoscopist more and more, year by year. - Contains 14 relevant, practice-oriented topics including pediatric endoscopy; ERCP: biliary and pancreatic endoscopy; endoscopic ultrasound; advanced esophageal endoscopy; artificial intelligence in endoscopy; and more. - Provides in-depth clinical reviews on endoscopy, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. - Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

The goal of this issue of Gastroenterology Clinics is to present GI diseases which affect women uniquely, such as pelvic floor problems and pregnancy related disorders, or which require a more considered approach such as functional bowel disease or autoimmune processes. It will also address the position of women and female gastroenterologists in the health system as a whole. This issue is published at an exciting, transitional time in the future of gastroenterology, as we adjust approaches for the assessment of disease in a large portion of our patient population, and as we address the challenges in practicing medicine based on the uniqueness of specific populations.

In consultation with Dr. Charles Lightdale, Dr. Cai has assembled a list of articles devoted to gastroparesis with the most current and clinically relevant content. Dr. Cai invited top experts from well-known institutions to contribute reviews on the following topics: Epidemiology and Pathophysiology of Gastroparesis; Diabetic Gastroparesis and Non-Diabetic Gastroparesis; Clinical Manifestations and Natural History of Patients with Gastroparesis; Evaluation of Patients with Suspected Gastroparesis; Symptomatic Management of Gastroparesis; Gastric Electrical Stimulator for Treatment of Gastroparesis; Surgical Treatment for Gastroparesis; Botulinum Toxin Injection for Treatment of Gastroparesis; Stent Placement for Treatment for Gastroparesis; Technical Aspects of Per Oral Endoscopic Pyloromyotomy; Gastric Emptying Scintigraphy for Evaluation of Patients with Gastroparesis before Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy; Outcomes of Per Oral Endoscopic Pyrolomyotomy in France; Outcomes of Per Oral Endoscopic Pyloromyotomy in China; and Outcomes of Per Oral Endoscopic Pyloromyotomy in the United States. Readers will come away with the most current clinical information they need to inform clinical decisions to improve patient outcomes.

This issue of Gastroenterology Clinics of North America is all about acute upper GI bleeding and is divided into two distinct sections: section I is devoted to nonvariceal upper GI bleeding and section II is devoted to variceal upper GI bleeding. Acute nonvariceal upper GI bleeding may originate from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum, essentially anywhere proximal to the Ligament of Treitz. In Section I, Dr Gianluca Rotondano, Hospital Maresca, Torre del Greco, Italy, begins with a review of the epidemiology and diagnosis of acute nonvariceal upper GI bleeding. We then turn to patient presentation, risk stratification, and how to initially medically manage these bleeding patients. I am pleased to have one of our emergency medicine colleagues, Dr Andrew Meltzer, Department of Emergency Medicine, George Washington University, contribute this important article and provide a unique viewpoint from the emergency department where most of these patients initially present. As we all know, endoscopic hemostasis is the accepted standard of care for patients with acute nonvariceal upper GI bleeding. Moreover, peptic ulcer bleeding is the most common nonvariceal cause of acute upper GI bleeding; thus, Drs Yidan Lu, Yen-I Chen, and Alan Barkun from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, provide an in-depth review of the endoscopic management of peptic ulcer bleeding. Drs Eric Tjwa, I. Lisanne Holster, and Ernst Kuipers from the Erasmus Medical Center University Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, review the endoscopic management of all other causes of acute nonvariceal upper GI bleeding, and in addition, Drs Louis Wong Kee Song and Michael Levy from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota discuss emerging endoscopic hemostasis treatments, such as topical sprays and over-the-scope clipping devices. Although endoscopic hemostasis is very highly effective, there are unfortunately cases where bleeding is unable to be controlled or when significant rebleeding occurs that is not amenable to endoscopic therapy. Therefore, I have included two articles that provide insight into the question...what if endoscopic hemostasis fails? The first article, written by Drs Philip Wai Yan Chiu and James Yun Wong Lau, from Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, focuses on tried and true surgical treatment options. The second article, by Dr Sujal Nanavati, University of California at San Francisco, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, addresses the alternative treatment strategy of angiographic embolization, which has now emerged as the often preferred salvage treatment strategy.

Together with Consulting Editor, Dr. Alan Buchman, Dr. Parkman has created as state-of-the-art issue devoted to the modern technology and approaches for evaluation and treatment of GI motility. He has provided coverage for the esophagus, colon, small intestine, and gut. Leaders in the field have contributed the detailed clinical review articles on the following topics: Enhancing High Resolution Esophageal Manometry: Use of Impedance, multiple rapid swallows, Position change, Solid food boluses, and other techniques; EndoFLIP in the esophagus: Assessing sphincter function, wall stiffness, motility to guide treatments; Evaluation and Treatment of patients with persistent reflux symptoms despite PPI treatment; Esophageal Evaluation for Patients undergoing Lung Transplant Evaluation: What should we do for evaluation and management; Tailoring Endoscopic and Surgical Treatments for GERD; Endoscopic and Surgical Treatments for Achalasia: Who to treat and how; Enhancing Scintigraphy for evaluation of gastric, small bowel, colonic motility; Targeting treatment for gastroparesis: Use of clinical tests to guide treatments; Endoscopic and Surgical Treatments for Gastroparesis: What to do and Whom to treat; Gastric Biopsies in Gastroparesis: Insights to Gastric Neuromuscular Disorders to Help with treatment; SIBO: How to diagnose and treat (and then treat again); Assessing anorectal function in constipation and fecal incontinence; Treating chronic abdominal pain in patients with Chronic Recurrent Abdominal Pain and IBS; and Refractory Chronic Constipation: How to evaluate and treat. Gastroenterologists will come away with the technical information they need to improve outcomes in their patients.

For this important and unique issue of Gastroenterology Clinics, Consulting Editor Dr. Alan Buchman decided to serve as co-Guest Editor with Dr. David Hackam to provide a “bench to bedside look at intestinal failure. Authors have contributed reviews on the status of the science behind artificial organs while emphasizing how to clinically prepare for intestinal failure. Articles are devoted to the following topics: Initial Evaluation and Care of the Patient with New Onset Intestinal Failure; Getting the Patient Ready for Home Parenteral Nutrition; Pediatric Intestinal Failure: Etiology and Management; Predictors of Intestinal Adaptation in Children; Management of the Patient with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction and Intestinal Failure; Intestinal Growth and Adaptation Following Resection in Intestinal Failure; Fluid and Electrolyte Management and Prevention of Dehydration in Intestinal Failure; The Oley Foundation and Consumer Support Groups; Weaning from Parenteral Nutrition; Hepatobiliary Complications of Intestinal Failure; Non-Transplant Surgery in Intestinal Failure; Indications for Intestinal Transplantation in Intestinal Failure; Intestinal Regeneration and the Artificial Gut; Bench to Bedside Approaches for Engineered Intestine, Esophagus and Colon; and Fetal and Amniotic Stem Cells in Gut Engineering. Readers will come away with a true state-of-the-art look at how to manage intestinal failure.

Gastroparesis: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment is a reference book providing a centralized source of data on gastroparesis collected over the last decade. Contents include the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic recommendations and treatment options for gastroparesis. The reference is split into broad subsections, with the strategy of first focusing on the key features of the disease and then turning to controversies, recent developments, patient support resources, the spectrum of treatment – including medical and surgical - and future directions. Chapters will include coverage of important topics like autonomic neuropathy, the brain-gut axis, potential pathophysiological advances at the cellular level, diagnostic and therapeutic options specifically targeted at the pylorus, and the evaluation of the female predominance in gastroparesis. This is a must-have resource for scientists looking to find the next step in their research as well as healthcare professionals ranging from Gastroenterologists to Internists, Surgeons, Nutritionists, Psychiatrists, and Psychologists, Residents and Medical Students who struggle with how to optimally take care of their gastroparetic patients. - Provides a comprehensive overview of what is known regarding the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic considerations and treatment options for gastroparesis - Includes key updates made in the last decade, including the progress made by the NIH Gastroparesis Consortium - Presents both sides of key controversies in the field, including the debate between classification of gastroparesis versus functional dyspepsia - Fully reviews the major advances in pharmacologic agents for therapy, both anti-emetics and prokinetics - Extensive update on the "Pyloric Revolution" and our understanding of the pathophysiology of gastroparesis and how the focus on the pylorus has literally transformed our treatment strategy with an emphasis on both surgical and endoscopic advances in addressing pyloric dysfunction

By the time this issue of Gastroenterology Clinics of North America is released, it will have been 16 years since infliximab was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn disease. Not only have we come a long way in understanding the efficacy and safety of infliximab, we are beginning to understand how and when to use the drug. Furthermore, as of this writing, we have five other biologic agents approved for either Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis, and there are many more molecules currently in drug development for these indications. In this issue,the Editors have assembled a collection of experts to provide the most cutting-edge information on the status of biologic therapy for inflammatory bowel disease.

A thorough update is presented by the Guest Editors on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of Barrett’s Esophagus. Not only do they address the most pertinent clinical issues like screening, biomarkers, surveillance, therapeutics, and predictors of disease progression but they present state of the art material on therapeutic/treatment modalities like EMR, ESD, and ablative therapy. Further, articles are presented on epidemiology, molecular pathogensis, and cost-analysis studies so that the reader will come away with a comprehensive update on Barrett’s Esophagus.