Role of GI in Baraitics... a TOGA party?

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FreeWeezy

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While they are still somewhat experimental (although approved in Canada and elsewhere), transoral gastroplasty (TOGA), balloons, and similar endoscope based alternatives to bariatric surgery seem promising. While no one has a crystal ball, does anyone have any perspective on how widely they might be used 10 years out? Also, all these procedures are now done under general anesthesia by bariatric surgeons as part of "endoscope surgery." I surprised to learn this since I always thought GI had a monopoly on scopes. How likely is it that these procedures would become done by GI docs? If that happens, would there still be a role for surgeons, a turf battle, or really enough obese patients to go around for both fields?

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While they are still somewhat experimental (although approved in Canada and elsewhere), transoral gastroplasty (TOGA), balloons, and similar endoscope based alternatives to bariatric surgery seem promising. While no one has a crystal ball, does anyone have any perspective on how widely they might be used 10 years out? Also, all these procedures are now done under general anesthesia by bariatric surgeons as part of "endoscope surgery." I surprised to learn this since I always thought GI had a monopoly on scopes. How likely is it that these procedures would become done by GI docs? If that happens, would there still be a role for surgeons, a turf battle, or really enough obese patients to go around for both fields?

10 years? I can't predict what's coming next month.

NOTES and all of the similar procedures will probably (and should IMHO) remain the domain of physicians who can open the abd and fix a mistake.

Its possible that some of the endoscopic bariatric and antireflux techniques will filter into GI but our track record with this has been poor.
 
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