With demand for colonoscopy and IBD care climbing—and private equity accelerating practice acquisitions—gastroenterologists face a shifting medicolegal minefield. A new update in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology highlights how Stark Law, Anti-Kickback rules, ASC investments, and PE-driven structures can quietly threaten physician autonomy and expose practices to costly penalties. The message is clear: growth opportunities in ancillaries, ASCs, and PE deals are real, but only if contracts and compliance structures are airtight.
Author: Abhay Panchal
In a stunning first, German researchers report that a young woman with multidrug-resistant ulcerative colitis entered complete remission after receiving CD19 CAR T-cell therapy—a treatment once thought unsuitable for UC. Just weeks after infusion, her symptoms vanished, biomarkers normalized, and mucosal healing began. While the follow-up is short and evidence rests on a single case, the outcome raises a provocative question: could CAR T therapy, long reserved for B-cell cancers and select autoimmune diseases, rewrite the future of UC care?
The World Gastroenterology Organisation has introduced a new “Global Cascade Approach” to managing chronic constipation—one of the most common yet variable GI disorders worldwide. Rather than prescribing a rigid gold-standard, the guideline offers a tiered, resource-sensitive framework that adapts to diverse healthcare environments, from primary care to specialized GI practice. With prevalence rates affecting up to one in five people globally, this landmark update could reshape how clinicians diagnose and treat patients across different settings.
Albany Gastroenterology Consultants is notifying patients that a November 2024 cyberattack compromised sensitive data, including Social Security numbers—affecting almost 58,000 people. While no misuse has been confirmed, investigators verified files were accessed, prompting enhanced security steps and free identity protection services.
TIME, in partnership with Statista, has released its 2025 list of the world’s top health tech companies—spotlighting innovators transforming how care is delivered. AI & data analytics firms dominate the rankings, with companies like Qure AI pushing the frontiers of diagnostics, while prevention-focused players continue to lag. From selfie-based vital checks to voice-driven cognitive screening, the report reveals how digital health is reshaping diagnosis, treatment, and patient empowerment worldwide.
A new study in JAMA Psychiatry suggests soft drink consumption may alter the gut microbiome in ways that raise the risk of depression—especially in women. Researchers found changes in key bacteria like Eggerthella helped mediate this link, pointing to the gut as a surprising middleman between sugar, microbes, and mood. The findings highlight diet as a powerful—and overlooked—lever in mental health.
History was made at Mayo Clinic, Arizona, where Dr. Norio Fukami became the first gastroenterologist to perform a fully robotic endoscopic submucosal dissection as part of EndoQuest’s PARADIGM Trial. Using the company’s Endoluminal Surgical System, he successfully removed a complex 4-cm colorectal lesion—demonstrating how robotics may soon transform advanced therapeutic endoscopy. The pivotal trial spans five leading U.S. institutions and could open the door to broader FDA authorization.
Johnson & Johnson has decided to withdraw its Linx device for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) from certain international markets after reassessing demand. The magnetic implant — designed to reinforce the lower esophageal sphincter — will, however, remain available in the U.S. The company insists safety and efficacy are unchanged, framing the move as part of a broader portfolio realignment. Which countries are losing access, and what does this signal for the future of GERD innovation?
A sweeping survey has uncovered troubling signals for America’s already overstretched healthcare system: more than half of frontline workers plan to switch jobs in 2026. Burnout, understaffing, and feelings of being undervalued dominate the responses, while only a fraction believe their employers are investing in their future. With a looming shortage of nearly 700,000 physicians and nurses by 2037, the findings raise urgent questions about the sustainability of care delivery. Surprisingly, the survey also points to one factor that could help stem the exodus — and it isn’t just pay.
Ambulatory Surgery Centers have long dominated outpatient GI care, but a growing body of evidence is challenging that status quo. A new paper in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology highlights why office-based endoscopy may not just be a viable alternative — but, in some cases, the smarter option. From efficiency gains to safety comparisons and financial implications, the findings could reshape how gastroenterologists think about delivering care.