CAP Profiles

Bio

Bio

Afrin Kamal is a board-certified gastroenterologist, who trained at Washington University in internal medicine, Cleveland Clinic in gastroenterology/hepatology, and most recently Stanford University in esophageal and motility diseases. Afrin shares a clinical passion in esophageal motility diseases with an an overlapping interest in health services and outcomes research.

Clinical Focus

  • Gastroenterology
  • Benign esophageal diseases
  • Esophageal motility

Academic Appointments

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • Trainee Committee member, American College of Gastroenterology (2018 - Present)

Professional Education

  • Board Certification: Gastroenterology, American Board of Internal Medicine (2018)
  • Residency:Washington University School Of Medicine Registrar (2014) MO
  • Fellowship:Cleveland Clinic GME Training Verifications (2018) OH
  • Board Certification, Gastroenterology, American Board of Internal Medicine (2018)
  • Board Certification: Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine (2014)
  • Medical Education:University of Missouri (2011) MO

Contact

  • 430 Broadway St Rm 302 Pavilion C 3rd Fl MC 6343 Redwood City, CA 94063
    • Tel: (650) 721-7278
    Fax: (650) 498-6323

Research & Scholarship

Clinical Trials

  • Applying Nutrient Drink Test in Understanding Pathophysiology of CVS Recruiting

    Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a disorder characterized by nausea and vomiting, separated by periods without any symptoms. There is very little research on this field at this point and most doctors do not fully understand the disorder. The goal of this study is to assess how the stomach empties food. Participants will be asked to participate in this study because either (a) they have been diagnosed and/or treated for cyclic vomiting syndrome in the past, or (b) they are physically healthy. The study seeks to compare how a healthy person's stomach empties to how the stomach of someone with cyclic vomiting disorder empties.

    View full details

Publications

All Publications

  • Gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy: Current status and future directions WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY Podboy, A., Hwang, J., Nguyen, L. A., Garcia, P., Zikos, T. A., Kamal, A., Triadafilopoulos, G., Clarke, J. O. 2019; 25 (21): 2581–90

    View details for DOI 10.3748/wjg.v25.i21.2581

    View details for Web of Science ID 000470246400004

  • Under Pressure: Do Volume-Based Measurements Define Rectal Hyposensitivity in Clinical Practice? DIGESTIVE DISEASES AND SCIENCES Kamal, A. N., Garcia, P., Clarke, J. O. 2019; 64 (5): 1062–63

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s10620-019-05613-7

    View details for Web of Science ID 000466886100002

  • Under Pressure: Do Volume-Based Measurements Define Rectal Hyposensitivity in Clinical Practice? Digestive diseases and sciences Kamal, A. N., Garcia, P., Clarke, J. O. 2019

    View details for PubMedID 30963367

  • High Prevalence of Slow Transit Constipation in Patients With Gastroparesis JOURNAL OF NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY Zikos, T. A., Kamal, A. N., Neshatian, L., Triadafilopoulos, G., Clarke, J. O., Nandwani, M., Nguyen, L. A. 2019; 25 (2): 267–75

    View details for DOI 10.5056/jnm18206

    View details for Web of Science ID 000464525700012

  • High Prevalence of Slow Transit Constipation in Patients With Gastroparesis. Journal of neurogastroenterology and motility Zikos, T. A., Kamal, A. N., Neshatian, L., Triadafilopoulos, G., Clarke, J. O., Nandwani, M., Nguyen, L. A. 2019

    Abstract

    Background/Aims: Current evidence suggests the presence of motility or functional abnormalities in one area of the gastrointestinal tract increases the likelihood of abnormalities in others. However, the relationship of gastroparesis to chronic constipation (slow transit constipation and dyssynergic defecation) has been incompletely evaluated.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients with chronic dyspeptic symptoms and constipation who underwent both a solid gastric emptying scintigraphy and a highresolution anorectal manometry at our institution since January 2012. When available, Xray defecography and radiopaque marker colonic transit studies were also reviewed. Based on the gastric emptying results, patients were classified as gastroparesis or dyspepsia with normal gastric emptying (control group). Differences in anorectal and colonic findings were then compared between groups.Results: Two hundred and six patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients with gastroparesis had higher prevalence of slow transit constipation by radiopaque marker study compared to those with normal emptying (64.7% vs 28.1%, P = 0.013). Additionally, patients with gastroparesis had higher rates of rectocele (88.9% vs 60.0%, P = 0.008) and intussusception (44.4% vs 12.0%, P = 0.001) compared to patients with normal emptying. There was no difference in the rate of dyssynergic defecation between those with gastroparesis vs normal emptying (41.1% vs 42.1%, P = 0.880), and no differences in anorectal manometry findings.Conclusions: Patients with gastroparesis had a higher rate of slow transit constipation, but equal rates of dyssynergic defecation compared to patients with normal gastric emptying. These findings argue for investigation of possible delayed colonic transit in patients with gastroparesis and vice versa.

    View details for PubMedID 30870880

  • Gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy: Current status and future directions. World journal of gastroenterology Podboy, A., Hwang, J. H., Nguyen, L. A., Garcia, P., Zikos, T. A., Kamal, A., Triadafilopoulos, G., Clarke, J. O. 2019; 25 (21): 2581–90

    Abstract

    Gastroparesis, or symptomatic delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction, is a challenging and increasingly identified syndrome. Medical options are limited and the only medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of gastroparesis is metoclopramide, although other agents are frequently used off label. With this caveat, first-line treatments for gastroparesis include dietary modifications, antiemetics and promotility agents, although these therapies are limited by suboptimal efficacy and significant medication side effects. Treatment of patients that fail first-line treatments represents a significant therapeutic challenge. Recent advances in endoscopic techniques have led to the development of a promising novel endoscopic therapy for gastroparesis via endoscopic pyloromyotomy, also referred to as gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy or per-oral endoscopic pyloromyotomy. The aim of this article is to review the technical aspects of the per-oral endoscopic myotomy procedure for the treatment of gastroparesis, provide an overview of the currently published literature, and outline potential next directions for the field.

    View details for DOI 10.3748/wjg.v25.i21.2581

    View details for PubMedID 31210711

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6558440

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What to Do When There Is an Overlap INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASES Kamal, A., Padival, R., Lashner, B. 2018; 24 (12): 2479–82

    View details for DOI 10.1093/ibd/izy277

    View details for Web of Science ID 000456677100001

    View details for PubMedID 30169572