Cryoablation has been widely accepted as an ablation therapy to destroy unwanted tissue in the field of general surgery. It has recently been introduced in the arena of gastroenterology. Considered the newest appproach in the treatment of Barrett's esophagus, cryoablation is an organ sparing endoscopic large area ablation therapy. Anatomy and physiology of the disease, disease process, risk factors of Barrett's esophagus, and esophageal cancer will be discussed. There will be an overview of other ablative therapies for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. Case studies will be presented utilizing cryoablation therapy. Nursing considerations for the patient undergoing cryoablation therapy will be discussed including pre-operative, intraoperative, and post-operative phases of the patient experience.

Section Description

We are pleased to present the abstracts from sgna's 36th annual course, SGNA: your gateway to opportunity. The diversity of these topics certainly reflects the richness and breadth of our specialty. in keeping with the tradition of the annual course, we hope the following abstracts will encourage discussions for improving nursing practice and patient care outcomes.