Somnia Anesthesia: 3rd Study Confirms Anesthesia Improves Cancer Detection In Colonoscopies

Main Category: Colorectal Cancer
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 22 Jun 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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More pre-cancerous polyps were found in colonoscopies performed with deep sedation primarily using Propofol than with milder sedation in which patients remained conscious, according to a recent study conducted by Katherine Hoda, M.D. of Oregon Health and Science University. This improvement in cancer detection will save lives and reduce the number of patients requiring surgery and chemotherapy.

The retrospective review of nearly 105,000 procedures shows doctors found polyps larger than 9mm or suspected colorectal tumors at a 25% higher rate in patients under deep sedation. This research bolsters the findings of studies completed by the University of Pennsylvania and State University of New York. Those studies tracked facilities that switched from having the GI doctor perform the colonoscopy and also deliver the sedatives, to having an Anesthesiologist administer Propofol. The findings revealed the number and percentage of patients who had a polyp detected improved up to 43%.

Despite the improved results evident from these studies, occasional insurance companies have resisted payment for anesthesia and anesthesiologists for colonoscopies.

"25% and 43% improvements in cancer detection can't be ignored," says Dr. Marc E. Koch, founder and CEO of Somnia Anesthesia. "Propofol can help improve outcomes, but only if it is administered correctly. For safety reasons, and now for clinical outcome reasons, a sleep this deep must be administered and supervised by an Anesthesiologist or CRNA." Propofol's label states it should be administered by a person trained in general anesthesia - who is not performing the surgical procedure.

"Catching cancer sooner clearly saves lives, but what is often overlooked is the benefit to the healthcare system," says Dr. Stanford Plavin, Vice Chairman of PreventingColorectalCancer.org. "The cost of having an Anesthesiologist or CRNA administer Propofol is dwarfed by what patients and the healthcare system save when cancer is averted or detected so early."

For more information visit: http://www.somniainc.com and http://www.preventingcolorectalcancer.org.

Source
Somnia Anesthesia