Author: Praveen Suthrum

Data on patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and depression and their unaffected siblings could shed light on the gut-brain axis influence on the pathophysiology of IBD. A team, led by Bing Zhang, MD, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, identified the risk of depression among patients with IBD and their unaffected siblings, as well as the risk of IBD among patients with depression and their unaffected siblings.

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Virtual Incision Corp. announced FDA approval of an Investigational Device Exemption supplement for its final stage clinical study of the MIRA Platform for bowel resection procedures. According to a company press release, MIRA is the first-of-its-kind, miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) platform, which offers the benefits of RAS without the inefficiencies of traditional robotics. The platform received favorable interim trial safety profile reports.

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The FDA granted a 510(k) clearance to the SMART Medical Systems G-EYE Colonoscope for use in the U.S. market, based on the FDA-cleared PCF Colonoscope Series (Olympus), according to a press release. The G-EYE Colonoscope can now be used in conjunction with the most commonly used colonoscope models from brands such as Fujifilm, Olympus and Pentax Medical.

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday issued a draft guidance to industry on developing drugs or biologics to treat celiac disease (CeD) as a complement to a gluten-free diet.The guidance was developed by FDA’s Division of Gastroenterology in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). The document includes details on eligibility criteria, trial design, considerations for efficacy and safety, and clinical outcome assessments. It does not address the development of drugs intended to replace a gluten-free diet or for treating asymptomatic patients with minimal histologic inflammation.

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Three gastroenterologists joined Becker’s to discuss what’s drawing gastroenterologists to private practice. Editor’s note: These responses were edited lightly for brevity and clarity. Pankaj Vashi, MD. Chief of gastroenterology/nutrition department and vice chief of staff at CTCA Chicago: Gastroenterologist compensation impacts recruitment. Due to the significant shortage of well-trained gastroenterologists, the private practice groups are willing to pay much more than the academic or institutional hospital systems. New graduates are getting not only well compensated, but also offered a great work-life balance in private practice. That is why more gastroenterologists are driven to private practices.

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As clinicians, providing the best quality of care is paramount. But when it comes to procedure-intensive specialties, medical malpractice is a notable concern. So what do we need to know about the common malpractice claims in the GI field, and how can we mitigate the risk of those claims? To find out, Dr. Peter Buch is joined by Dr. Michael Weinstein, President and CEO of Capital Digestive Care.

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My perspective on gastroenterology is broad and deep – and not just because I once removed $420 from a patient’s stomach! As a practicing gastroenterologist, I specialize in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and related difficult-to-manage conditions. For a decade, I ran operations for a large gastroenterology practice. Academically, I focus on the broad forces shaping gastrointestinal (GI) care.

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