Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) has been increasingly popular in the last 5 years, and preliminary results have been promising; nevertheless, there is still a lack of agreement on how to do the treatment, how to train practitioners, or how to care for patients before and after the procedure. For a study, researchers aimed to learn more about the ESG preferences and trends among bariatric endoscopists. They surveyed 1,200 bariatric endoscopists worldwide who had been taught to digitally use the Apollo Overstitch suturing equipment by sending them a link to an electronic questionnaire (Apollo Endosurgery). There were 221 total replies used for this study. About 61 respondents (36.4% of the total) needed between 1 and 10 procedures to reach competence in ESG, while another 37 (26.4%) needed between 11 and 20 operations. Around 96 (68.6%) said that patients’ body mass index cutoffs should be lower. There was no agreement on the optimal number of sutures, with 42% suggesting 4–6, 30% suggesting 5–6, 25% suggesting 6–8, 7% suggesting 7–9, and 2.9% suggesting 8–12. Inability to develop a cash payment model (77, 95.1%); lack of institutional support (61, 75.3%); and difficulties in creating an ambulatory surgery centre/hospital to conduct ESG (73, 90.1%) were the key challenges to establishing an endobariatric program. When it comes to pre- and post-procedure care, as well as the types of patients whom they see, ESG practitioners’ preferences continue to vary. This study will help lay the groundwork for developing sector-specific ESG norms, which are needed.
Source: journals.lww.com/jcge/Abstract/2022/10000/The_Attitude_of_Practitioners_Towards_Endoscopic.7.aspx
