Few years ago, I made the connection between self-driving cars and colonoscopy. The key was the shift to digital. Here’s that article on KevinMD (Aug 2020): What does colon cancer screening have to do with self-driving cars?It was naturally exciting to find a company that’s actually built an AI inspired by self-driving technology. In this interview, Saurabh Jejurikar, Co-founder and CEO at EndoVisionAI asks the intriguing question: If you can drive autonomous cars on roads, can you drive endoscopes in patients?This interview is a must-watch for anyone interested in the cutting-edge advancements in digital health and gastroenterology.https://youtu.be/VjntmicQNTk?si=hrVkz05omnlWWOtH ▶ From Autonomous Cars to Endoscopes: Saurabh discusses the unique transition…
Author: Harshal Chaudhari
TOPLINE: Gastric bypass surgery for obesity is associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) similar to that in the general population for up to 6 years after surgery, but the risk increases again thereafter. METHODOLOGY: The study included 55,534 patients (age, 20-65 years) with a principal diagnosis of obesity between 2001 and 2013 from the National Swedish Patient Registry, of whom 23,099 had and 32,435 had not undergone gastric bypass surgery. Each patient was matched by age, sex, and geographic region with two control individuals from the general population without obesity diagnosis (ie, n = 44,735 and n = 62,522, respectively).…
Here are five physicians on the cutting edge of the gastroenterology field: If you would like to nominate a physician, please email pnewitt@beckershealthcare.com. Andrew Chan, MD Dr. Chan is the clinical research councillor for the American Gastroenterological Association and a professor of medicine at Boston-based Harvard Medical School. A leading investigator in cancer prevention, he also serves as a professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, chief of the clinical and translational epidemiology unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the director of epidemiology at the MGH Cancer Center. Khyati Mehta, MD …
The study, led by Emile Farah, M.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, compared robotic and laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) among 53,209 patients from 2015 to 2020. The findings revealed that robotic surgery significantly improved textbook outcomes for right colectomy (RC) and left colectomy (LC) compared to conventional laparoscopy, but not for low anterior resection (LAR). Key points from the study include: Robotic surgery was associated with a higher rate of textbook outcomes in RC (71% vs. 64%) and LC (75% vs. 68%) compared to laparoscopy. Major morbidity was higher in robotic LAR surgeries (7.1% vs.…
Key Findings: Personalized Information Impact: Older adults who received personalized information about the benefits and harms of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening were more likely to get screening orders that aligned with their individual benefit. This approach led to a reduction in the overall use of screening. Study Details: Conducted as an unmasked, randomized clinical trial, the study involved 431 older, average-risk adults at two U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. The intervention group received detailed, personalized information about screening benefits and harms, while the control group received general screening information. Screening Orders and Outcomes: The study found no significant difference…
The hype about technological development in healthcare should not blind us in terms of the probabilities and possibilities of today’s healthcare and the future of medicine. To remain objective and conscious but still optimistic, let’s look at the most overhyped technologies and keep in mind the realistic development opportunities in healing. You know the saying: the pessimist says the glass is half empty, the optimist says it is half full, and, well, the cynic asks who drank the other half? I’m truly an optimist – especially when it comes to the future of medicine and healthcare, but we need to…
Key Developments in Obesity Management in 2023: Recognition of Obesity’s Complexity: The American Academy of Pediatrics acknowledged the multifaceted nature of pediatric obesity and the need for a broad range of treatments. Introduction of New Medications: The year saw the introduction of the first-ever triple agonist and a high-potency oral GLP1 agonist, marking significant advancements in obesity treatment. Updated Clinical Practice Guidelines: The American Academy of Pediatrics released its first updated clinical practice guideline in 15 years, embracing a full range of treatment modalities for pediatric obesity, including lifestyle changes, pharmacotherapy, and metabolic and bariatric surgery. Innovations in GLP1 Agonism:…
A water-soluble, ginger-based solution that clears bubbles from the gastrointestinal tract during GI procedures allows endoscopists to fully visualize the GI tract during colonoscopies and esophagogastroduodenoscopies, according to a study. Although simethicone is the most common defoaming solution used to enhance GI tract visibility, primary investigator Teri S. Mallard, BSN, RN, noted that its use is not recommended because it prevents the evaporation of moisture, creating a haven for bacterial growth and biofilm formation. The findings show that options other than simethicone are viable, said Ms. Mallard, the nurse manager for perianesthesia and endoscopy at Providence Swedish Medical Center, in…
Key Takeaways: Patients with negative fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results, but with values in the upper range, are at a higher risk for advanced neoplasia, including colorectal cancer (CRC), compared to those with lower-range values. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine highlighted this increased risk. The study involved 7,398 participants aged 51 to 79 years, who underwent quantitative FIT testing before a colonoscopy. Most participants (90%) had fecal hemoglobin concentrations below the recommended FIT cutoff value of 17 µg/g. The prevalence of advanced neoplasia rose from 6% in participants with hemoglobin concentrations less than 1.7 µg/g to…
The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy has come out with its first-ever guidelines on endoscopic submucosal dissection of the upper gastrointestinal tract. GEN’s managing editor, Sarah Tilyou, sat down with lead author Mohammad Al-Haddad, MD, MSc, to discuss the new guidelines. Dr. Al-Haddad is the Naga P. Chalasani Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Indiana University, in Indianapolis. read more