GI & Endoscopy

3 Best Practices for GI Patient Safety From Dr. Bernard McDonnell

Bernard McDonnell, DO, a retired physician and current surveyor for Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program, says that while a vast majority of the GI facilities he surveys do a good job of adhering to standards that protect patient safety, the routine…

GI/Endoscopy Gross Charge and Revenue Statistics by Region

Here are the median gross charges and net revenue per GI/endoscopy case by region, according to VMG Health's 2009 Intellimarker.

Ethicon Endo-Surgery Announces Echelon Flex 45 Endopath Stapler

Ethicon Endo-Surgery has introduced a new Echelon Flex 45 Endopath Stapler, intended to provide surgeons with improved access and compression when deploying a 45-mm staple line, the most utilized endocutter length in the United States for laparoscopic surgery, according to…

CDC Study Finds Flaws in In-Office FOBT Screening Process for Colorectal Cancer

More than 75 percent of primary care physicians in the United States who order or perform the fecal occult blood test as a screening option for colorectal cancer perform an in-office test rather than relying on the home-based test, even…

Mayo Clinic Suggests Two-Tiered Approach to Crohn's Treatment and Remission

A study lead by researchers from Mayo Clinic suggests remission from Crohn's disease may be more likely if patients receive biologic therapy combined with immune-suppressing drugs first instead of immune-suppressing drugs alone, according to a Mayo news release.

Physicians from Utah's Mountain West Gastroenterology Lend Expertise to Colonoscopy Hotline

Edward Frech, MD, and Michael Sossenheimer, MD, of Mountain West Gastroenterology and Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City fielded questions on colonoscopy and colon cancer as part of a hotline on April 10, according to a report in the…

Modified Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Used to Remove Large Ileal Lipoma

A team from Juntendo University Nerima Hospital in Tokyo, Japan, used a modified endoscopic submucosal dissection technique to remove a large ileal lipoma from a 62 year-old man, according to an article published in the April 7 issue of the…

Study: Over-the-Scope Endoclips May Be Least Invasive Way to Close Small GI Perforations

Over-the-scope-clips, initially designed for hemostatis of gastrointestinal bleeding, may be the least invasive method to close chronic small fistulas, according to a study in the April 7, 2010, issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

AGA Joins Texas Medical Association's Petition to Fix the Sustainable Growth Rate

The American Gastroenterological Association recently signed a petition created by the Texas Medical Association, which calls on Congress to develop a "rational Medicare physician payment system," according to an AGA news release.

Kennedy University Hospital in New Jersey Names Medical Director for Bariatric Surgery Program

Kennedy University Hospital in Stratford, N.J., has named Marc Neff, MD, as the medical director of its bariatric surgery program, according to a report by the Star-Ledger.