A Novel Dynamic Rigidizing Overtube Significantly Eases Difficult Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is a common procedure for colorectal cancer screening and evaluation of large intestinal pathology such as inflammatory bowel disease and lower gastrointestinal bleeding 1 Kasper DL Fauci AS Hauser SL et al. Harrison's principles of internal medicine 19/E (Vol.1 & Vol.2). 19th ed. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2015 Google Scholar . Colonoscopy allows both viewing of the large intestine up to the cecum and performance of procedures such as polypectomy and control of GI bleeding. 2 Haycock A Cohen J Saunders BP et al. Cotton and Williams’ practical gastrointestinal endoscopy: the fundamentals. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2014 Google Scholar A successful screening colonoscopy involves viewing the entire colon including the cecum and being able to safely perform therapeutic procedures such as polypectomy and control of bleeding. 3 Rees CJ Bevan R Zimmermann-Fraedrich K et al. Expert opinions and scientific evidence for colonoscopy key performance indicators. Gut. 2016; 65: 2045-2060 Google Scholar There are various barriers to successfully completing a colonoscopy including colon looping, poor bowel prep, and patient intolerance of the procedure. 4 Wong JYY Ho KY. Robotics for advanced therapeutic colonoscopy. Clin Endosc. 2018; 51: 552-557 Google Scholar , 5 Serper M Gawron AJ Smith SG et al. Patient factors that affect quality of colonoscopy preparation. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2014; 12: 451-457 Google Scholar For the practicing endoscopist, looping of the colon can be a significant barrier to successful completion of colonoscopy. This often leads to suboptimal outcomes including prolonged anesthesia, limited examination and therapy, and overall diminished patient care.