About

Gobind Anand is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSD. His research focuses on gastroenterology, with particular emphasis on esophageal anatomy and physiology, pancreatic cyst features, and minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. He has contributed to the understanding of disorders of the esophagogastric junction outflow, including achalasia, and has worked on diagnostic methods to guide tailored myotomy length. His work also includes studies on pancreatic cysts, their incidence, and associated mortality, as well as the development of core curricula for various endoscopic procedures such as ESD, lumen apposing stent placement, and endoscopic mucosal resection. Dr. Anand's research involves translating clinical findings into improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for gastrointestinal diseases.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Medical education
• General surgery
• Internal medicine
• Radiology
• Pedagogy
• Gastroenterology
• Family medicine
• Nuclear medicine
• Psychology
• Medical emergency
• Medical physics

Selected publications

• PHYSICIAN TRIAGE TIME FOR INTERVENTIONAL GI PROCEDURE REFERRALS - BALANCING PRACTICE EFFICIENCY AND PHYSICIAN WELL-BEING

  Gastrointestinal Endoscopy · 2025-05-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• S3016 Physician Time Spent Triaging Interventional GI Patient Referrals

  The American Journal of Gastroenterology · 2025-10-01

  article

  Introduction: Triaging interventional gastroenterology (GI) referrals improves care efficiency but is associated with large amount of uncompensated work done outside of normal work hours. The purpose of this study was to assess the physician time spent triaging interventional GI procedure and clinic referrals. Methods: Prospective observational study from March 2024 to March 2025 involving an academic medical center with 7 interventional GI endoscopists who share triage referral responsibilities each week they are on call. Physicians performed additional daily triage of referrals directly referred to them. To systematically capture triage work performed by interventional endoscopists, an electronic medical record “smart phrase” was created to track the following variables: Diagnosis/Reason for Triage, Triaging Physician, Triage Disposition, Procedure Ordered, Type of Anesthesia, Time Frame, Requested Provider, Triage Comments. Time spent performing triage work was calculated from the EMR’s user access log. Results: 3009 triages were captured, averaging 57 triages per week (range 14-87). Physicians spent an average of 4.2 minutes in each triage note. The physicians varied in time spent per triage from 2.5 minutes to 5.3 minutes. The on-call attending of the week performed 44% triages. Sixty-nine percent of referrals were triaged directly to procedures, 23% to clinic, and 8% to other (e.g. oncology or surgery or to get more information). Thirty-eight percent of patients were triaged to have urgent (<4 weeks) procedures/visits (5% within 1 week, 12% within 2 weeks, 21% within 4 weeks). The mean amount of time per week spent by the on-call physician doing triage was 98 minutes. The mean amount of time per week spent by the other 6 non-on-call physicians doing triage was 29 minutes. Forty-eight percent of triages were done after hours (5 pm to 7 am) or on weekends/holidays. Conclusion: Half of all referrals triaging by interventional GI endoscopy physicians takes place on night/weekends/holidays. There were 57 triages per week which took an average of 4.2 minutes per triage. The on-call physician spent 98 minutes per week doing triages, while the not on-call physicians each spent 29 minutes doing triages. Although physician triaging referrals improves clinical operations efficiency and patient care by getting the right patient to the right care at the right time, it may decrease physician wellness and compensation.

  PublisherDOI

• Significance of dose estimation and radiological data analysis in safe management of high active spent resins

  Radiation Protection and Environment · 2025-04-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  High-activity resin hoppers from the Spent Fuel Storage Facility are fluidized and immobilized with a specific cement matrix in the Resin Fixation Facility before disposal in suitable engineered modules at the Near Surface Disposal Facility. Potential exposure rates at various locations within the plant were estimated, using standard codes, prior to radio-active operations. The estimation was essential to implement required radiological safety measures and protocols during actual radioactive operations in accordance with the as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) principle. The dose estimation highlighted possible hot spots and required radiological safety protocols for safe operations. The estimated radiation levels correlated well with measured radiation levels during actual radioactive operations involving fluidization and immobilization of different levels of 137 Cs total activity, namely 14 Ci and 40 Ci, with an accuracy within 80%. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the radiation field estimation tool and implemented safety measures in ensuring radiological safety for radiological workers following the ALARA principle.

  PublisherDOI

• S906 Wide Variability in Anesthesia Utilization for GI Endoscopic Procedures in the VA Healthcare System

  The American Journal of Gastroenterology · 2024-10-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Response

  Gastrointestinal Endoscopy · 2024-03-18

  letterOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• COMPARING DIAGNOSTIC METHODS TO MEASURE SPASTIC SEGMENT AND INFORM MYOTOMY LENGTH IN TYPE 3 ACHALASIA

  Gastrointestinal Endoscopy · 2023-06-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Pancreatic cyst features predict future development of pancreatic cancer: results of a nested case-control study

  Gastrointestinal Endoscopy · 2023-10-17 · 4 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background and AimsRisk factors for pancreatic cancer among patients with pancreatic cysts are incompletely characterized. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for development of pancreatic cancer among patients with pancreatic cysts.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective case-control study of U.S. veterans with a suspected diagnosis of branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm from 1999 to 2013.ResultsAge (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.06), larger cyst size at cyst diagnosis (HR, 1.03 per mm; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04), cyst growth rate (HR, 1.22 per mm/y; 95% CI, 1.14-1.31), and pancreatic duct dilation (5-9.9 mm: HR, 3.78; 95% CI, 1.90-7.51; ≥10 mm: HR, 13.57; 95% CI, 5.49-33.53) were found to be significant predictors for pancreatic cancer on multivariable analysis.ConclusionsAge, cyst size, cyst growth rate, and high-risk or worrisome features were associated with a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Applying current and developing novel strategies is required to optimize early detection of pancreatic cancer after cyst diagnosis. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer among patients with pancreatic cysts are incompletely characterized. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for development of pancreatic cancer among patients with pancreatic cysts. We conducted a retrospective case-control study of U.S. veterans with a suspected diagnosis of branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm from 1999 to 2013. Age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.06), larger cyst size at cyst diagnosis (HR, 1.03 per mm; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04), cyst growth rate (HR, 1.22 per mm/y; 95% CI, 1.14-1.31), and pancreatic duct dilation (5-9.9 mm: HR, 3.78; 95% CI, 1.90-7.51; ≥10 mm: HR, 13.57; 95% CI, 5.49-33.53) were found to be significant predictors for pancreatic cancer on multivariable analysis. Age, cyst size, cyst growth rate, and high-risk or worrisome features were associated with a higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Applying current and developing novel strategies is required to optimize early detection of pancreatic cancer after cyst diagnosis.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Diagnostic methods to measure spastic segment and guide tailored myotomy length in type 3 achalasia

  Neurogastroenterology & Motility · 2023-06-08 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Myotomy length in type 3 achalasia is generally tailored based on segment of spasticity on high-resolution manometry (HRM). Potential of length of tertiary contractions on barium esophagram (BE) or length of thickened circular muscle on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to guide tailored myotomy is less understood. This study aimed to assess agreement between spastic segments lengths on HRM, BE, and EUS among patients with type 3 achalasia. METHODS: This retrospective study included adults with type 3 achalasia on HRM between November 2019 and August 2022 who underwent evaluation with EUS and/or BE. Spastic segments were defined as HRM-distance between proximal borders of lower esophageal sphincter and high-pressure area (isobaric contour ≥70 mmHg); EUS-length of thickened circular muscle (≥1.2 mm) from proximal border of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) to the transition to a non-thickened circular muscle; BE-distance between EGJ to proximal border of tertiary contractions. Pairwise comparisons assessed for correlation (Pearson's) and intraclass correlation classification (ICC) agreement. KEY RESULTS: Twenty-six patients were included: mean age 66.9 years (SD 13.8), 15 (57.7%) male. Spastic segments were positively correlated on HRM and BE with good agreement (ICC 0.751, [95% CI 0.51, 0.88]). Spastic segments were negatively correlated with poor agreement on HRM and EUS (ICC -0.04, [-0.45, 0.39]) as well as BE and EUS (ICC -0.03, [-0.47, 0.42]). CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: Length of spastic segment was positively correlated on HRM and BE while negatively correlated when compared to EUS, supporting the common use of HRM and highlighting the uncertain role for EUS in tailoring myotomy length for type 3 achalasia.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• COMPARING DIAGNOSTIC METHODS TO MEASURE SPASTIC SEGMENT AND INFORM MYOTOMY LENGTH IN TYPE 3 ACHALASIA

  Gastrointestinal Endoscopy · 2023-06-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Esophageal anatomy and physiology vary across spastic and non‐spastic phenotypes of disorders of esophagogastric junction outflow

  Neurogastroenterology & Motility · 2023-11-27 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background Pathophysiologic mechanisms of disorders of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow are poorly understood. We aimed to compare anatomic and physiologic characteristics among patients with disorders of EGJ outflow and normal motility. Methods We retrospectively evaluated adult patients with achalasia types 1, 2, 3, EGJ outflow obstruction (EGJOO) or normal motility on high‐resolution manometry who underwent endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) from January 2019 to August 2022. Thickened circular muscle was defined as ≥1.6 mm. Characteristics from barium esophagram (BE) and functional lumen imaging probe (FLIP) were additionally assessed. Key Results Of 71 patients (mean age 56.2 years; 49% male), there were 8 (11%) normal motility, 58 (82%) had achalasia (5 (7%) type 1, 32 (45%) classic type 2, 21 (30%) type 3 [including 12 type 2 with FEPs]), and 7 (7%) had EGJOO. A significantly greater proportion of type 3 achalasia had thickened distal circular muscle (76.2%) versus normal motility (0%; p &lt; 0.001) or type 2 achalasia (25%; p &lt; 0.001). Type 1 achalasia had significantly wider mean maximum esophageal diameter on BE (57.8 mm) compared to type 2 achalasia (32.8 mm), type 3 achalasia (23.4 mm), EGJOO (15.9 mm), and normal motility (13.5 mm). 100% type 3 achalasia versus 0% type 1 achalasia/normal motility had tertiary contractions on BE. Mean EGJ distensibility index on FLIP was lower for type 3 achalasia (1.2 mmHg/mm 2 ) and EGJOO (1.2 mmHg/mm 2 ) versus type 2 (2.3 mmHg/mm 2 ) and type 1 achalasia (2.9 mmHg/mm 2 ). Conclusions Our findings suggest distinct pathologic pathways may exist: type 3 achalasia and EGJOO may represent a spastic outflow phenotype consisting of a thickened, spastic circular muscle, which is distinct from type 1 and 2 achalasia consisting of a thin caliber circular muscle layer with more prominent esophageal dilation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Catharine M. Walsh

  The Wilson Centre

  28 shared

• Thomas J. Savides

  University of California, San Diego

  22 shared

• Wilson Kwong

  University of California, San Diego

  21 shared

• Fady Youssef

  San Francisco VA Medical Center

  21 shared

• Samir Gupta

  Moores Cancer Center

  21 shared

• Michael A. Chang

  19 shared

• Sunil Dacha

  18 shared

• Sunil G. Sheth

  Harvard University

  18 shared

Education

• M.D.

  University of California, San Diego

• B.S.

  University of California, San Diego