Mimics, masks and misses – abdominal red flags in the GLP-1 era

Learning outcomes

• List the common gastrointestinal side effects of GLP-1 therapy that can also mimic acute surgical conditions that may require urgent investigation or intervention.
• Describe how GLP-1 therapy can mask serious pathology or contribute to missed or delayed diagnoses

Speaker biography

Dr Vered Buchholz Harari is an Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric and General Surgeon.

Dr Buchholz Harari completed her upper gastrointestinal surgical training in Australia across leading tertiary centres, including Fiona Stanley Hospital, Alfred Health and Austin Health. She further advanced her subspecialty expertise through fellowships at internationally renowned centres in the United Kingdom, undertaking a high-volume Oesophagogastric Cancer Surgery Fellowship at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, followed by a dedicated Robotic Upper GI Surgery Fellowship at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Dr Buchholz Harari specialises in upper gastrointestinal surgery, with a focus on oesophageal and gastric cancer treated through minimally invasive approaches, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and hiatus hernia, as well as complex swallowing disorders such as achalasia and gastroparesis. She also offer bariatric surgery.

In addition, Dr Buchholz Harari manages a broad range of general surgical conditions including gallbladder disease and abdominal wall and groin hernias, with a particular interest in robotic-assisted hernia repair.

Dr Buchholz Harari is committed to compassionate, patient-centred care, offering advanced laparoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques to reduce surgical impact and support faster recovery.

Dr Buchholz Harari consults and operates at Cabrini Malvern.