Small-caliber endoscopes are more fragile than conventional endoscopes

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Device Engineering
• Health Economics

Background:

• Repair costs for gastrointestinal endoscopes represent a substantial portion of endoscopy unit budgets.
• Evaluating the cost-effectiveness and durability of different endoscope types is crucial for resource management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the repair costs and damage incidence between small-caliber endoscopes and conventional endoscopes.
• To assess the economic implications of using small-caliber endoscopes in esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of endoscope damage and repair costs from April 2012 to May 2019.
• Comparison of data from small-caliber (GIF-XP260N, GIF-XP290N) and conventional (GIF-H260, GIF-HQ290, GIF-H290Z) endoscopes used for EGD.

Main Results:

• Small-caliber endoscopes showed a significantly higher damage incidence compared to conventional endoscopes (P = 0.014).
• Repair costs per procedure were over double for small-caliber endoscopes ($\$5.95 ± \$132) versus conventional endoscopes ($\$2.41 ± \$115).

Conclusions:

• Small-caliber endoscopes are demonstrably more fragile than conventional endoscopes.
• The increased fragility and repair costs of small-caliber endoscopes have significant economic consequences for endoscopy units.