A new endoscopic breakthrough at UT Health San Antonio is changing how colorectal lesions are treated. The center’s Advanced Interventional Gastroenterology Program has begun offering endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) — a minimally invasive procedure that removes large or early-stage colorectal lesions without surgery. Led by Dr. Matheus Franco, the first patient treated achieved a fully curative resection and went home the next day. Unlike traditional surgery, ESD allows complete lesion removal through a flexible scope, preserving bowel function and reducing recovery time.
Author: Abhay Panchal
Gastro Health, a leading national medical group specializing in digestive and liver health, finalized a partnership with Miami Gastro. The deal closed on November 1, 2025. Miami Gastro is the clinical practice of Danny J. Avalos, MD, who is board-certified in both gastroenterology and internal medicine. Dr. Avalos is highly active in the medical community and research, with a portfolio of over 40 peer-reviewed articles focused on colon cancer prevention, hepatitis C eradication, inflammatory bowel diseases, and motility disorders. The office also offers advanced on-site imaging services, including capsule endoscopy and FibroScan.
A growing shortage of anesthesia professionals is forcing gastroenterologists to reconsider how sedation is delivered in endoscopy. At ACG 2025, a national survey revealed that while only 4% of GIs currently perform endoscopist-directed moderate sedation, most want more training—particularly in safely administering propofol. Experts, led by Dr. Dayna Early of Washington University, warned that limited fellowship exposure and overreliance on CRNAs could restrict procedure access, especially in rural areas. With 450,000 CRNA shortages projected this year and new agents like remimazolam showing promise as safer alternatives, many believe it’s time for gastroenterologists to reclaim sedation from anesthesia teams—but only with…
A randomized trial led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Health System has shown that simple behavioral nudges—such as text message reminders and mailed letters—significantly improve participation in mailed colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programs. The pragmatic study, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, enrolled 5,244 adults aged 50–74 who were overdue for CRC screening. Participants were mailed fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits and randomly assigned to different outreach strategies: Key Findings Why It Matters The findings underscore that low-cost, behaviorally informed communication—like text nudges and mailed letters—can drive meaningful improvements in preventive screening uptake.Fancy packaging, however, adds cost without…
Together with 20 physician specialty organizations, AGA sent a letter to the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight to increase oversight of health plans that are automatically “down-coding” evaluation and management (E/M) claims. Several insurers, including Aetna, Cigna, Anthem, and Humana, have adopted systems that automatically adjust E/M CPT code levels based on time and complexity.
A post-hoc analysis of the TITRATE study showed that personalised infliximab dosing was superior to standard dosing in patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (UC) when endoscopies were assessed using an artificial intelligence (AI)- assisted scoring tool. This effect was not observed in the primary analysis, where human readers evaluated endoscopies using the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS).
Scientists at Mass General Brigham and MIT have developed FIREFLI, a swallowable, light-emitting capsule that can detect intestinal inflammation noninvasively. Inspired by fireflies’ bioluminescence, the device lights up the gut and identifies areas of ischemia—where blood flow is restricted—by measuring changes in tissue luminance. In preclinical pig trials, FIREFLI achieved 98% sensitivity and 85% specificity in diagnosing acute mesenteric ischemia, a deadly yet often-missed condition. The innovation could one day help clinicians rapidly diagnose GI emergencies without imaging or invasive procedures.
A Medical Economics feature challenges the one-sided narrative that private equity (PE) harms healthcare. Experts like Jared Rhoads, MS, MPH, and Dr. Paul Berggreen of AIMPA argue that PE can sustain independent physician practices—allowing doctors to retain clinical control while gaining vital business resources. Dr. Paul Merrick and Dan Greenleaf of Duly Health and Care note that PE partnerships enable access to elite healthcare executives and scale without sacrificing care quality, citing 25% lower costs and fewer hospital admissions than health systems.
In an interview with MedTech Dive, Olympus CEO Bob White and Chief Strategy Officer Gabriela Kaynor discussed the company’s renewed focus on quality and innovation following a turbulent year that included an FDA import alert on some Japan-made devices. Despite setbacks, Olympus is investing heavily in AI-powered endoscopy tools and a GI-focused surgical robot through its new venture, Swan Endosurgical, formed with Revival Healthcare Capital. The firm’s recently launched Olysense AI suite includes real-time polyp detection and characterization tools for colonoscopy. White emphasized Olympus’ intent to balance AI, robotics, and single-use scopes while maintaining reusable platforms for specific specialties. Kaynor…
A point-of-care breath test in development can identify people with metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease or steatohepatitis with varying degrees of fibrosis as accurately as a biopsy or transient elastography evaluation, according to results from a pilot study. The test (DiaNose, NaNose Medical) overcomes a labor-intensive step with existing breath assays, the complicated process of measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath as biomarkers of hepatic metabolism. Instead, the new nanotechnology-based sensing device relies on a semi-selective chemiresistor sensor array and machine learning technologies to detect liver fibrosis, the investigators reported at the EASL Congress 2025 (abstract WED-469).