Dear AuntMinnie Member,
One of virtual colonoscopy's main selling points is its noninvasiveness compared to colon screening's gold standard, optical colonoscopy. But is the technique really as safe as everyone thinks it is?
It just might be, according to two studies presented this week at the International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy in Boston, where staff writer Eric Barnes is on hand to report for our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community.
One study, by U.K. researchers, found a low rate of serious complications occurring during VC studies, less than one per 1,313 patients. But some complications did occur, including some patients who experienced luminal perforations during the procedure.
Another study, by a multicenter group from the U.S. and Europe, had an even lower rate of serious complications, with only four incidents out of nearly 22,000 exams and only two perforations occurring in the entire patient population.
The studies also examine some of the reasons why serious complications occur, and how careful patient screening and the use of newer exam techniques can reduce complication rates even further. Read all about it by clicking here, or visit our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community at vc.auntminnie.com.
You'll also find in the community an article on a recent journal publication finding that while optical colonoscopy is good at detecting cancer, it's not so good at localizing it. This could lead to unnecessarily long surgical procedures and higher rates of morbidity. Get the rest of the story by clicking here.
