Dr. Jason Samarasena is a UCI Health physician who specializes in treating gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal disease, pancreatic cysts, biliary tract disorders, gastric intestinal metaplasia and colorectal cancer.

His research interests include advanced endoscopic imaging, characterization and treatment of pancreatic cysts, confocal laser endomicroscopy, bowel preparation before colonoscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Samarasena received his medical degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, where he graduated on the Dean’s List. He completed both general gastroenterology and interventional endoscopy fellowships at UC Irvine. 

Press Ganey has named Samarasena as one of the top five physicians for patient satisfaction in the ambulatory surgery group at UCI Health. He was named the 2016 Teaching Attending of the Year by the UC Irvine Gastroenterology Fellowship. He is the current president of the Orange County GI Society.

Nickname: Dr. Sam

Services:

• Chao Digestive Health Institute
• Liver and Pancreas
• Cancer Care
• Pancreas Cancer
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease IBD
• Gastrointestinal Cancer Care
• Colorectal disease
• Interventional endoscopy
• Esophageal Disease Services

Clinical Interests:

cholangiopancreatography, colon cancer screening, confocal laser endomicroscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection of large polyps, gastric intestinal metaplasia, GERD and Barrett's esophagus, interventional endoscopic ultrasound, interventional endoscopy