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Background and study aims  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and measures taken to mitigate its impact, have profoundly affected the clinical care of gastroenterology patients and the work of endoscopy units. We aimed to describe the clinical care delivered by gastroenterologists and the type of procedures performed during the early to peak period of the pandemic. Methods  Endoscopy leaders in the New York region were invited to participate in an electronic survey describing operations and clinical service. Surveys were distributed on April 7, 2020 and responses were collected over the following week. A follow-up survey was distributed on April 20, 2020. Participants were asked to report procedure volumes and patient characteristics, as well protocols for staffing and testing for COVID-19. Results  Eleven large academic endoscopy units in the New York City region responded to the survey, representing every major hospital system. COVID patients occupied an average of 54.5 % (18 - 84 %) of hospital beds at the time of survey completion, with 14.5 % (2 %-23 %) of COVID patients requiring intensive care. Endoscopy procedure volume and the number of physicians performing procedures declined by 90 % (66 %-98 %) and 84.5 % (50 %-97 %) respectively following introduction of restricted practice. During this period the most common procedures were EGDs (7.9/unit/week; 88 % for bleeding; the remainder for foreign body and feeding tube placement); ERCPs (5/unit/week; for cholangitis in 67 % and obstructive jaundice in 20 %); Colonoscopies (4/unit/week for bleeding in 77 % or colitis in 23 %) and least common were EUS (3/unit/week for tumor biopsies). Of the sites, 44 % performed pre-procedure COVID testing and the proportion of COVID-positive patients undergoing procedures was 4.6 % in the first 2 weeks and up to 19.6 % in the subsequent 2 weeks. The majority of COVID-positive patients undergoing procedures underwent EGD (30.6 % COVID +) and ERCP (10.2 % COVID +). Conclusions  COVID-19 has profoundly impacted the operation of endoscopy units in the New York region. Our data show the impact of a restricted emergency practice on endoscopy volumes and the proportion of expected COVID positive cases during the peak time of the pandemic., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Background and study aims  After stone removal in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), an occlusion cholangiogram (OC) is performed to confirm bile duct clearance. OC can miss residual stones that can lead to recurrent biliary symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess if digital peroral cholangioscopy (POC) increased the diagnostic yield of residual biliary stones that are missed with OC. Patients and methods  Patients having ERCP performed for choledocholithiasis were enrolled into the study only if they had one of the following criteria: dilated bile duct ≥ 12 mm and/or if lithotripsy was being performed. An OC was performed to confirm duct clearance after removal of stones followed by POC, based on inclusion criteria. The incremental yield of biliary stones missed by OC but confirmed by POC was then measured. A total of 96 POC procedures were performed on 93 patients in two tertiary care centers. Results  Residual biliary stones were found in 34 % of cases. The average bile duct size in cases with residual stones was 15.1 mm ± 0.7 mm. One- to three-mm stones were found in 41 % of cases, 4- to 7-mm stones in 45 % of cases, and ≥ 8-mm stones in 14 % of cases. Lithotripsy was performed in 13 % of cases and was significantly associated with residual stones (30 % vs. 3 %, P  < 0.001). Conclusions  Occlusion cholangiogram can miss residual stones in patients with dilated bile ducts and those receiving lithotripsy. Digital POC can increase the yield of residual stone detection in these patients and should be considered to confirm clearance of stones. (ClinicalTrials.gov-NCT03482375).

Background and Study Aims:  Current endoscopic therapies for gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD) are limited by technical complexity, and/or cost. We sought to evaluate the success of a novel resection and plication (RAP) anti-reflux procedure., Patients and Methods:  RAP was performed on 10 patients with GERD refractory to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. RAP consists of semi-circumferential mucosectomy along with full-thickness plication of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and cardia. We assessed the technical success and safety as well as followed GERD-Health Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL) scores and medication usage., Results: All patients underwent RAP without adverse events and were discharged on the same day. Only half of the patients required general anesthesia. Follow-up ranged from 5 to 24 months (median 9 months) and all patients had a significant improvement in their GERD-HRQL scores ( P  < 0.0001, 95 % CI 19.3 - 25.3). 8 of 10 eliminated their daily PPI dependence., Conclusions:  The RAP method has potential as an effective anti-reflux option. Its main advantages include a short procedure time, simple approach using readily available equipment, and possible avoidance of general anesthesia.

Background and Aims: The ability to safely and effectively obtain sufficient tissue for pathologic evaluation by using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guidance remains a challenge. Novel designs in EUS needles may provide for improved ability to obtain such core biopsies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of core biopsy specimens obtained using a novel EUS needle specifically designed to obtain core biopsies., Patients and Methods: Multicenter retrospective review of all EUS-guided fine-needle biopsies obtained using a novel biopsy needle (SharkCore FNB needle, Medtronic, Dublin, Ireland). Data regarding patient demographics, lesion type/location, technical parameters, and diagnostic yield was obtained., Results: A total of 250 lesions were biopsied in 226 patients (Median age 66 years; 113 (50 %) male). Median size of all lesions (mm): 26 (2 - 150). Overall, a cytologic diagnosis was rendered in 81 % specimens with a median number of 3 passes. When rapid onsite cytologic evaluation (ROSE) was used, cytologic diagnostic yield was 126/149 (85 %) with a median number of 3 passes; without ROSE, cytologic diagnostic yield was 31/45 (69 %, P = 0.03) with a median number of 3 passes. Overall, a pathologic diagnosis was rendered in 130/147 (88 %) specimens with a median number of 2 passes. Pathologic diagnostic yield for specific lesion types: pancreas 70/81 (86 %), subepithelial lesion 13/15 (87 %), lymph node 26/28 (93 %). Ten patients (10/226, 4 %) experienced adverse events: 4 acute pancreatitis, 5 pain, 1 fever/cholangitis., Conclusions: Initial experience with a novel EUS core biopsy needle demonstrates excellent pathologic diagnostic yield with a minimum number of passes.