Priya Jamidar, MD, is a nationally known expert in pancreatic cancer—but when his wife Melissa developed the disease, neither his expertise nor the efforts of colleagues around the country could save her.
She died in April; and Dr. Jamidar, a gastroenterologist and Yale’s director of endoscopy, has become even more conscientious when he explains a diagnosis or course of treatment to patients and their families. “Even though I’ve been taking care of patients with pancreatic cancer for 20 years, my wife’s experience gave me a very different perspective. I’m much more aware of what the patients are going through,” he says. “I think it made me more compassionate.”
Dr. Jamidar is a leader in using a confocal microscope—an advanced instrument that can pinpoint both cancerous and precancerous cells to improve detection at the cellular level in real time. He has used this microscope to view images of the bile duct, where cancer detection is difficult because tissue sampling techniques are only about 50 percent sensitive.
He also provides care for patients with Barrett’s esophagus, a condition in which the cells lining the esophagus undergo changes that increase a patient’s risk of esophageal cancer. Dr. Jamidar now treats this condition using radiofrequency ablation (RFA), a technique that uses high-frequency radio waves to destroy the damaged cells. RFA is not only minimally invasive, but also more effective than such other treatments as photodynamic therapy.
Dr. Jamidar was attracted to interventional endoscopy because it allows him to perform life-altering procedures—to catch problems early enough to prevent serious disease as well as provide relief and comfort to patients with more advanced disease. “When I did my advanced endoscopy training, it felt like it was what I should be doing for the rest of my life,” he says. He loves the rapid results his work often brings. For example, when he uses a stent to treat a patient with an infected bile duct, recovery can begin in a matter of hours.
Patients are often referred to Dr. Jamidar for this difficult procedure. That was the case with a pancreatic cancer patient who needed a stent to treat a bile duct infection, although the procedure had been tried previously and failed three times. “We were very concerned we wouldn’t be able to do it because it had already been attempted by a lot of good people,” Dr. Jamidar said. He placed the stent successfully and the patient and his family were very appreciative.
Dr. Jamidar and his colleagues work closely with referring gastroenterologists, surgeons, oncologists and other specialists to provide expert and timely consultations as well as prompt scheduling.
“I love what I do,” he says. “The most gratifying [part] for me is that we really do have the potential to make a positive difference in someone’s life.”
More about Dr. Jamidar
Name: Priya Jamidar, MD
Title: Professor of medicine (digestive diseases), director of endoscopy
Area of expertise: Gastroenterology and interventional endoscopy
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Place of birth: Nairobi, Kenya
Age: 53
College: Methodist College Belfast, Northern Ireland
Med School: Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland
Training: Residency in internal medicine/gastroenterology, University of Connecticut Medical Center; fellowships in internal medicine/gastroenterology, University of Southern California; advanced biliary endoscopy, University of Indiana Medical Center
Family: Widowed with two sons, Christopher, 14, and Tristan, 13
What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your patients?
Humility. My wife developed pancreatic cancer and died from that. It taught me to be humble, and to be kind and sensitive to feelings of the patient and their families.
What was the biggest challenge you ever faced as a physician?
Being deeply involved in my wife’s care was extremely difficult.
How have your experiences with patients changed your approach to care?
I try and deal [with] the patient and family as a whole, rather than just the disease, even though my area of expertise is very heavily procedurally based.
Personal interests or pastimes?
Reading and sailing.
Last book read:
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.