Granting of privilege for gastrointestinal endoscopy : This privilege guideline was reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), September 2007. It was prepared by the SAGES Guidelines Committee

In-training gastrointestinal endoscopy competency assessment tools: Types of tools, validation and impact

The ability to perform endoscopy procedures safely, effectively and efficiently is a core element of gastroenterology practice. Training programs strive to ensure learners demonstrate sufficient competence to deliver high quality endoscopic care independently at completion of training. In-training assessments are an essential component of gastrointestinal endoscopy education, required to support training and optimize learner's capabilities. There are several approaches to in-training endoscopy assessment from direct observation of procedural skills to monitoring of surrogate measures of endoscopy skills such as procedural volume and quality metrics. This review outlines the current state of evidence as it pertains to in-training assessment of competency in performing gastrointestinal endoscopy as part of an overall endoscopy quality and skills training program.

The role of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in treating postoperative complications in bariatric surgery

There are an estimated 500 million obese individuals worldwide. Currently, bariatric surgery has been shown to result in clinically significant weight loss. With increasing demand for bariatric surgery, endoscopic techniques used intra and postoperatively continue to evolve. Endoscopic evaluation of anastomotic integrity following RYGB allows for early detection of anastomotic leaks. Furthermore, endoscopy is a valuable tool to diagnose and treat RYGB postoperative surgical complications such as anastomotic leakage, hemorrhage and stricture formation. Early evidence suggests that endoscopic management of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage following RYGB is effective. In addition, endoscopic balloon dilatation is able to effectively treat obstruction in the setting of gastrojejunal anastomotic strictures. With successful endoscopic management of these complications, bariatric patients may avoid more invasive surgical procedures.