While procedural efficiency has always been a priority for hospital organisations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left many facing a large backlog of endoscopic procedures, creating a clear need for more efficient techniques.

By eliminating the need for sedation, transnasal endoscopy may remove the need for supporting nursing staff to monitor patient vitals, meaning that the procedure can be performed in smaller rooms that may be unsuitable for conventional oral gastroscopy. This not only increases the operational flexibility for hospitals, but may also free up resources for more complex therapeutic and diagnostic work – potentially increasing patient throughput and efficiency.

Patient preparation could be conducted outside of the procedure room prior to transnasal endoscopy, allowing for more efficient use of the working space compared to traditional oral gastroscopy, which may increase the number of endoscopies performed per day.

As well as providing a more rapid procedure, progress in imaging technology means that the latest ultra-thin gastroscopes may also improve diagnostic capability. For example, the GIF-H190N and the GIF-XP290N advanced, ultra-thin gastroscopes from Olympus use the latest Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) technology. Gastroscopes with NBI technology may provide a higher diagnostic sensitivity and increased procedural efficiency in procedures such as Barret’s Surveillance ⁴ , ⁵ . Targeted biopsies may reduce the amount of tissue that needs to be taken by endoscopists, providing a safer option for patients as well as histology savings for hospital organisations.

Maintaining patient comfort during endoscopic procedures is a key consideration for hospitals. Medical device manufactures now offer advanced gastroscopes that combine ultra-slim design and advanced imaging capabilities such as high-definition imaging. These ultra-thin gastroscopes enable endoscopists to perform transnasal endoscopy, a technique with several key advantages over conventional oral gastroscopy, which may enhance patient experience ¹ .

Physiological differences between the nasal and oral cavities mean that performing gastroscopy via the transnasal route may reduce gagging and retching, making the procedure far more tolerable for patients. Whilst a conventional oral gastroscopy may restrict tongue movement, intubating via the nasal cavity allows patients to talk to their endoscopist throughout their procedure – making the whole process potentially less stressful.

Another major benefit of transnasal endoscopy is that patients may not require sedation, meaning a safer endoscopic procedure. This is especially important for high-risk patients that may experience breathing difficulties during sedation, such as those with Motor Neurone Disease ¹ . With no sedation, patients do not require an extended stay to recover, meaning they are free to carry on with their daily routine.

To ensure that patients continue to receive the highest quality of care in periods of high endoscopy demand, new technologies and techniques must increase procedural efficiency while ensuring that patient comfort is maximised.

By providing more flexibility of where procedures can be performed and decreasing the number of supporting staff required, transnasal endoscopy enables hospitals to redirect resources to other areas, which may help endoscopists to reduce waiting time backlogs during periods of high patient numbers. For example, the introduction of a transnasal endoscopy service at the James Cook University Hospital in the UK, transformed a small and previously under-utilised room into a treatment room for performing this diagnostic procedure, helping to increase department efficiency ¹ .

Transnasal gastroscopy with advanced gastroscopes from Olympus can provide a safer and more tolerable procedure that may be preferred by patients ¹ . By providing flexibility in where procedures can be performed and increasing hospital efficiency, transnasal endoscopy offers an attractive alternative to support both endoscopists’ and patients’ needs.