Dr. Michael Larsen is a gastroenterologist who cares for patients with diseases of the bile ducts, pancreas, esophagus, stomach or intestines, including cancerous conditions. He directs therapeutic endoscopy and bariatric endoscopy at UCSF. He specializes in minimally invasive therapeutic procedures, including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (using an endoscope to diagnose and treat conditions of the bile and pancreatic ducts), endoscopic ultrasound (using sound wave technology to image the digestive tract's interior), deep enteroscopy (to assess the small intestine) and endoscopic mucosal resection (removing abnormal tissues from the digestive tract). Additionally, he uses endoscopy in bariatric (weight-loss) surgery, performing such minimally invasive procedures as endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (reducing the stomach's size) and transoral outlet reduction (TORe) for patients who regain weight after a gastric bypass.
In research, Larsen's interests include bariatric endoscopy, new approaches to therapeutic endoscopy, and ways to improve outcomes for patients with conditions affecting the pancreas and bile ducts. His bariatric research aims to reduce postsurgical complications and to develop new endoscopic procedures for weight loss.
Larsen earned his medical degree at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Stanford Medicine, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology at UCSF and a fellowship in advanced endoscopy at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Larsen is a fellow of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and a member of several other professional societies. Outside of work, he enjoys watching baseball, running, traveling, and spending time with his family.
