Down the Hatch
Sandy Sellers made history when she became the first UAMS patient to swallow the pill camera, a device that provides an alternative to the traditional endoscopy.  The large vitamin-size capsule with cameras at each end traveled down Sellers’ esophagus taking 2,600 pictures to identify any problems caused by her persistent acid reflux. UAMS is among the first hospitals in the country to use the pill camera, which transmits color pictures to a recording device worn by the patient. After 20 minutes, Dr. Amar Al-Juburi, gastroenterologist and assistant professor in UAMS’ College of Medicine, had enough images to make a diagnosis.  The disposable capsule is passed naturally, usually within 24 hours to 72 hours. The procedure requires no sedation and recovery is immediate.

From Patient to Champion 
Olympic bronze medalist and liver transplant recipient Chris Klug recently brought his message of hope and recovery to patients at UAMS.  During his visit, the 32-year-old snowboarder met with three recovering transplant patients. “I’m much healthier and much stronger than I ever was before my transplant,” he told them.
Klug learned in 1996 that he had primary schlerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease whose only cure is a transplant. He received a liver in July of 2000.  The snowboarding champ placed sixth in the 1998 Winter Olympics. After his transplant he won the bronze medal in the 2002 games and last year won the U.S. Nationals title. He is now training for the 2006 Olympics.

The Wart Report
Need help for those pesky warts? You’re in luck thanks to the findings of two UAMS researchers. Dr. Thomas Horn, chairman of the UAMS Department of Dermatology, and Dr. Sandra M. Johnson, former assistant professor of dermatology at the UAMS College of Medicine, drew national attention this year for demonstrating a simple procedure that is effective in eliminating warts. The injection-based treatment was found to stimulate the body to fight and destroy all warts by injecting a single wart with approved skin test antigens.

Read more news at
www.uams.edu/news.