Adarsh M. Thaker, MD
Accepting new patients

Adarsh M. Thaker, MD

  • Gastroenterology|
  • Interventional Gastroenterology
Average rating: 4.9
(32 ratings)  
Santa Monica Digestive Diseases | 1223 16th Street, Suite 3100, Santa Monica, CA 90404

About

Dr. Thaker is an advanced endoscopist with particular interest in bariatric and metabolic endoscopy as well as other minimally invasive endoscopic procedures which help fill the gap between medical management and traditional surgery. He is co-leading the bariatric endoscopy program at UCLA, which is now among the busiest endoscopic weight loss centers on the west coast. He frequently coordinates with a multidisciplinary team in the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition and the Center for Obesity and METabolic Health (COMET). Dr. Thaker performs endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) for weight loss as well as gastric revision procedures, such as transoral outlet reduction (TORe) and sleeve revision, for patients who have regained weight after prior gastric surgery. He is also co-principal investigator on an innovative new procedure called Duodenal Mucosal Resurfacing (the Revitalize-1 Trial) to treat type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease. He also performs the transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) procedure, which is a minimally invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of acid reflux.

In addition, Dr. Thaker has specialized training in other advanced therapies, including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) of large polyps; radiofrequency ablation for Barrett's esophagus and early esophageal cancer; stricture dilation; endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP); cholangioscopy; endoluminal stent placement; single and double-balloon enteroscopy; endoscopic suturing, fistula and leak closure; and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for cancer staging, fine needle aspiration/biopsy, EUS-guided gallbladder drainage, and other interventions.

Dr. Thaker is board certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. Dr. Thaker's research has focused on weight loss and metabolic therapies, eliminating endoscope-related infections to improve patient safety, helping to develop and implement the use of the world's first available disposable duodenoscope. He has multiple published multiple research studies, literature reviews, editorials, and chapters on these topics.

Dr. Thaker serves on the national committee for the American Gastroenterological Association's (AGA) Center for GI Innovation and Technology (CGIT), which supports innovation and the development of new technologies for use in gastroenterology, hepatology, nutrition and obesity management. He is also co-chair of the AGAs educational program on Innovations in Duodenoscopes. He completed his undergraduate training in chemical engineering at UCLA before attending medical school at New York Medical College. He completed his internal medicine residency training at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston, followed by gastroenterology fellowship and advanced endoscopy fellowship training at UCLA. In additional to performing procedures at UCLA Health campuses in Westwood and Santa Monica, Dr. Thaker performs advanced procedures in other Southern California locations.

Languages

English

Education

Medical Board Certifications

Gastroenterology, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2018
Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2015

Fellowship

Gastroenterology, UCLA School of Medicine, 2018

Residency

Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 2015

Degree

MD, New York Medical College, 2012

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

Areas of Focus

Transoral incisionless fundoplication (tif)
Obesity and weight loss therapy
Endoscopic mucosal resection of large colon polyps
Overstitch endoscopic suturing
Endoscopic ultrasound
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Videos

New alternatives to surgery for weight loss | Endoscopic procedures
Patient story: A second chance: Endoscopic suturing procedure after bariatric surgery helped Bren reach her weight loss goals
Fundoplication, LINX, TIF: Which should I get? | Adarsh M. Thaker, MD and David C. Chen, MD
Novel interventional treatments for obesity and metabolic syndrome
Barrett's esophagus: Link between acid reflux and esophageal cancer
Endo-hepatology for patients with liver diseases
Endoscopy video forum
Pancreaticobiliary disease: The management of hilar cholangiocarcinoma
Pancreaticobiliary disease: ERCP
Endoscopy video forum

Research

Interests

  • Bariatric and metabolic endoscopic therapies
  • Barrett's esophagus
  • Eliminating endoscope-related infections
  • Large polyp resection
  • Pancreas and bile duct disorders
  • Treatments for gastroinestinal bleeding

Recognitions

  • Super Doctors® Southern California Rising Stars, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024