Colonoscopy: why are general surgeons being excluded?

BACKGROUND: The role of surgeons as endoscopists has been extensively debated in the literature, with conflicting studies published regarding the safety and efficacy of surgeons performing colonoscopies. A multitude of medical federations and societies have set various standards for granting endoscopy privileges, many with a bias against general surgeons [1, 3]. We reviewed the colonoscopy experience at our institution to evaluate differences between gastroenterologists (GI) and general (GS) and colorectal surgeons (CRS) in procedure times and complication and cecal intubation rates.
METHODS: Between January 2000 and July 2002, 5237 colonoscopies were performed at our institution. The data for procedure times, completion, and complication rates were collected in a prospective database. Complications were defined as perforation, bleeding, and postpolypectomy syndrome. Incomplete colonoscopies due to colitis, poor bowel preparation, or tumor obstruction were excluded. Chi-squared test was used to compare complication and cecal intubation rates between the three groups. Median procedure times were compared using the Kruskall-Wallis and Dunn's pairwise tests. A significant p-value was defined as <0.05.
RESULTS: No differences in the complication rate was noted between the three groups: GI (0.12%), CRS (0.15%), and GS (0.11%) ( p = 0.99). There was a trend toward a lower incomplete colonoscopy rate in the GS group compared to CRS and GI: 0.32% vs 0.84% and 0.36%, respectively ( p = 0.07). The median colonoscopy times for GS (29 min), however, were shorter than for GI (34 min, p < 0.001) or CRS (31 min, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: General surgeons perform colonoscopies expeditiously, with as low a morbidity rate and as high a completion rate as their gastroenterology or colorectal surgery colleagues. As the results of this study confirm, general surgeons should not be excluded from endoscopy suites.