Investigators say better techniques, equipment may be enhancing colonoscopies

WebMD (10/27, Doheny) reported that "colonoscopy is getting more accurate, thanks to better techniques and equipment." For example, Baylor investigators evaluated "a disposable device that is passed through the instrument channel of a standard colonoscope, called the Third Eye Retroscope (TER), which gives physicians a better look at the lesions they may miss with standard screening equipment." Daniel C. DeMarco, MD, explained the "new technique gave us a 13 percent improved diagnostic yield." Meanwhile, researchers at Indiana University "compared high-definition white light colonoscopy in 339 patients with 'chromocolonoscopy,' in which a dye is sprayed to help improve detection of lesions, in 321 patients," finding that "overall, the results of the dye technique were disappointing," because the "differences in lesion detection were small."

MedPage Today (10/27, Fiore) reported that Florida-based Mayo Clinic researchers say that "high-definition colonoscopy detects a significantly greater amount of adenomas than standard-definition screening." In fact, "high-definition screening picked up adenomas in 28.55 percent of patients, compared with 23.8 percent among those who had a procedure using standard definition." Notably, the "costs of the procedure, whether high- or standard-definition, are essentially the same." The "high-definition machines do cost more," but "it's not clear whether that's a function of technology or inflation." Nevertheless, one expert pointed out that "what's more important [than the technology] is the quality of the endoscopist," and not "just state-of-the-art equipment."