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.