Physician Spotlight: David Mercer, MD, PhD, FRCS (C) FACS

This video features Dr. David Mercer, professor of Surgery and Transplant and Director of Intestinal Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Mercer sees nutrition as pivotal in every decision made at his intestinal rehabilitation program. As a transplant surgeon, the practice has evolved so much that he spends most of his time focusing on intestinal rehabilitation instead of transplant. Improvements in medical therapy, PN and lipids have helped patients with short intestinal length thrive and enabled more to come off PN. Dr. Mercer shares that ASPEN is where the intestinal failure thought leaders are, and the ASPEN conference is one that he never misses. He believes nutrition care is no longer multidisciplinary but transdisciplinary. Clinicians are no longer pigeonholed in their roles and can work across perceived roles, within the scope of practice. If a young clinician finds any of this interesting, he recommends calling any of the big centers and asking for opportunities.

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Time Codes
0:00 Introduction
0:53 Journey to Nutrition
1:30 Nutrition: Pivotal to Every Decision Made
1:54 Intestinal Rehabilitation Program
4:44 Transplant or Rehabilitation?
9:00 Goal: Good Functioning Intestine vs. Amount of Intestine
9:23 Ideal Transplant Patient
13:27 Role of Nutrition in Intestinal Rehab and Transplant
15:11 Role of Growth Factors
16:12 Where Does the Future Lie?
18:50 The Role of ASPEN
20:20 Oley Foundation
23:17 Advice for Young Clinicians