A year of firsts in the GI space: 12 updates

From novel procedures to practice openings, here are the firsts from the gastroenterology and endoscopy industry that happened in 2025, as reported by Becker’s. 

Note: This list is not exhaustive.

1. A team of providers from Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine became the first in the U.S. to treat a pancreatic lesion using endoscopic ultrasound-guided microwave ablation. 
2. Two physicians, Srinivas Seela, MD, and Harinath Sheela, MD, opened Florida’s first gastroenterology-focused urgent care center in Orlando.
3. The FDA approved linaclotide (Linzess) capsules for pediatric patients 7 years and older with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, the first treatment approved for this condition in pediatric patients.
4. Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health opened its first system-owned gastroenterology practice. 
5. Louisville, KY.-based Norton Audubon Hospital has become the first facility in Kentucky to offer endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for pancreatic cancer, a minimally invasive procedure that targets tumors with greater precision.
6. Norio Fukami, MD, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic, completed the first procedure in EndoQuest Robotics’ trial of its endoluminal surgical system.
7. Anniston-based Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in Alabama to perform a new gastroenterology biopsy procedure that enables physicians to collect larger, more intact tissue samples for more accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment.
8. Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health opened its first freestanding endoscopy center at Alta View Hospital in Sandy, Utah.
9. Morris (Ill.) Hospital & Healthcare Centers opened a new gastroenterology practice and welcomed its first specialist, Afreen Hyder, MD.
10. AdventHealth Tampa (Fla.) opened a Center for Interventional Endoscopy, the only interventional endoscopy center in the Tampa Bay region. 
11. Nanosonics received FDA De Novo clearance for its new Coris system, a technology designed to improve the cleaning of flexible endoscopes and reduce infection risk.
12. Prabhleen Chahal, MD, became the first practitioner in Texas to be named a master endoscopist by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.