Rajesh N. Keswani, MD, MS reviewing Crinò SF, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023 Mar 3.

Despite the low malignant risk of sporadic pancreatic insulinomas (PIs), debilitating symptoms of hypoglycemia have traditionally necessitated surgery, but the types of surgery used for sporadic PIs are associated with significant adverse events. Previous small studies have suggested that radiofrequency ablation via endoscopic ultrasound is safe and effective, but until now, this intervention has not been robustly compared to surgery.

Douglas K. Rex, MD, MASGE reviewing Bi D, et al. Gastrointest Endosc 2023 Mar 6.

X-Tack is a through-the-scope suturing device that can be an alternative to through-the-scope clips. No controlled trial of X-Tack versus clips has been reported. In an uncontrolled observational study, patients in 13 U.S. centers were treated with X-Tack to determine its efficacy for the closure of colonic and endoscopic mucosal resection defects.

Douglas K. Rex, MD, MASGE reviewing van Toledo DEFWM, et al. Endoscopy 2023 Feb 24.

Some previous work has suggested that the prevalence of advanced lesions in the appendix is high enough to warrant routine appendectomy in patients with serrated polyposis (SPS). In this study, patients with SPS who underwent right hemicolectomy for other reasons, such as cancer and polyp burden, had their appendix evaluated for serrated lesions.

Prateek Sharma, MD, FASGE reviewing Kadiyala J, et al. Gastrointest Endosc 2023 Feb 3.

Some studies suggest that prior treatment may increase the difficulty and success of tunneling during peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), but recent studies have demonstrated similar outcomes between treatment-naïve patients and those with treatment failure undergoing POEM. The current study evaluated whether prior treatment with Botox, pneumatic dilation, or laparoscopic heller myotomy affected patient outcomes in POEM for achalasia or spastic esophageal pathologies.

Marietta Iacucci, MD, PhD, FASGE reviewing Wong ECL, et al. J Crohns Colitis 2023 Feb 23.

The role of combined histologic and endoscopic mucosal improvement (HEMI) has been proposed in clinical trials. This post hoc analysis of the VARSITY trial, in which postinduction histologic improvement predicted a one-year outcome, evaluated the prognostic role of HEMI compared to endoscopic improvement alone and considered clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, and inflammatory markers of patients achieving postinduction and postmaintenance HEMI.