The rise of MAC in GI procedures: A win for patients, a challenge for anesthesia, and a call for collaboration (Becker’s Healthcare)

Dr. Manoj Mehta traces the dramatic rise of monitored anesthesia care (MAC) in gastroenterology—from rare use in the 1990s to now being common in up to 60% of colonoscopies. Shifts in patient profiles, including widespread use of anxiety medications, cannabis, stimulants, and alcohol, have made traditional sedation less reliable, driving MAC’s expansion.