Endoscopy

The explosive popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for diabetes and weight loss may have revolutionized obesity management, but their widespread use has also sparked concerns — and ignited a turf war — in the endoscopy suite.

As the launch of UnitedHealthcare’s Gold Card program approaches, the AGA continues to urge the insurer to reconsider implementation of a program that could affect various gastrointestinal procedures and “threaten patient health.”

The ACG and ASGE have released an updated quality indicators document, intended to serve as a framework to improve performance of endoscopic procedures.

Although glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist use prior to upper endoscopy was linked to a higher rate of retained gastric contents, evidence supports prolonged fasting as the “optimal approach” rather than routine discontinuation.

A model using both clinical and imaging data predicted the absence of high-risk varices in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and may help avoid unnecessary upper endoscopy in low-risk patients, research showed.

Autonomous AI exhibited “noninferior accuracy” for optical diagnosis of diminutive colorectal polyps vs. AI-assisted endoscopists, yet surpassed endoscopist accuracy in later pathology-based surveillance intervals, according to researchers.

Data from more than 3 million participants in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative revealed that SARS-CoV-2 reinfections have similar severity to initial infections.

A new forced-air system was more effective at drying and thus cleaning endoscopes than standard alcohol flush and air purge cycles, researchers found.

As part of its ongoing campaign against UnitedHealthcare and the insurer’s plans to implement the Gold Card program for gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures, AGA encourages all supporters to use the hashtag #StopUHC on social media.

WASHINGTON — The Primary Obesity Surgery Endoluminal 2.0 procedure is a “safe, effective and durable option” for weight loss and improvement in obesity-related conditions, according to a presenter.