dr. Elke Van Daele (MD, PhD)

Anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophageal cancer (EC) surgery is associated with severe postoperative morbidity, mortality and a reduced QoL. Our main research projects aim to provide an assessment of AL risk factors, consequences, impact on quality of life (QoL), early postoperative detection and potential prevention, through gastric tube perfusion assessment after EC surgery. 

• For an anastomosis to heal, it needs oxygen and nutrients delivered by the blood flow through the gastric tube (GT). GT perfusion is an important predictor for anastomotic integrity. Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGA) and Hyper spectral imaging (HSI) are both assessment tool for GT perfusion. Our research aims to quantify ICGA and HSI in the assessment of GT perfusion. 
• When AL occurs, the morbidity is determined by the severity of the inflammation, the extent of contamination and the degree of sepsis, all related to the time between diagnosis and treatment of the AL. Early detection and prediction of AL based on inflammatory biomarkers is another research topic of our group. 
• A third research line focusses on prevention of AL through enhancement of the esophagogastric anastomosis with a biological autologous BioMatrix.
• Many patients will develop functional disorders resulting in impaired QoL. We therefor have a group focusing on functional outcome after esophagectomy.
   

Elke Van Daele obtained her Master degree in Medicine at the “Vrije Universiteit Brussel” in 2005. Followed by a training as a general surgeon in UZ Brussels and ASZ Aalst. After a fellowship in gastrointestinal surgery at UZ Ghent, she became a staff member in 2013 at the department of gastrointestinal surgery at the Ghent University Hospital, with a focus on Upper GI surgery. Since 2022, she is responsible for the esophageal cancer care program at the UZ Ghent. Since 2018 she has been working on a program to prevent, diagnose and treat anastomotic leaks after esophageal cancer surgery. She is a past president of the Belgian upper GI surgical society (BSUGIS), past board member of the Endoscopic society of surgeons (BGES), member of the Audit for Belgian Esophageal Surgery (ABES) and member of national and international upper GI and esophageal surgical societies.
 

See ORCID
 

• Lab address: Experimental Surgery Lab, campus UZ Gent, C. Heymanslaan 10, The Core, entrance 37, 3rd floor
• Researchgate
• ORCID 
• Elke Van Daele is involved in Minimally Invasive Oesophageal (MIO) thinkthank
• Elke Van Daele is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks