Demand for Cost-Effective, Minimally Invasive Procedures Drives Endoscopy Devices Market

The new report from Research and Markets, "Endoscopy Devices Market to 2018," documents the growing popularity of minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) and how they are leading to an increased adoption of endoscopy devices, according to healthcare experts GBI Research.

The new report attributes the growing number of MIS procedures to a lower incidence of post-operative complications, minimal scarring, and shorter hospital stays, which collectively act to improve surgery experiences both for hospitals and for the patient.

Recent retrospective data analysis carried out by Covidien claims that compared to open surgeries, laparoscopic surgeries were associated with reduced risks of surgical site infection and a reduced need of blood transfusions. This supports the belief that laparoscopic surgeries result in safer outcomes, and are more economical than open surgeries across a number of different surgical procedures. On average, an open surgery is $3,556 more expensive per case than a laparoscopic procedure, and adds 2.25 days to the patient's duration of hospitalization. MIS procedures are being increasingly adopted as a result.

Endoscopy devices are also used for diagnostic purposes in preference over traditional diagnostic procedures for the identification of gastrointestinal tract (GI) disorders. Capsule endoscope systems are now considered superior to conventional diagnostic procedures such as Small Bowel Follow-Through (SBFT), computed tomography enterography (CET) and ileoscopy. A number of clinical studies have shown that capsule endoscopy is associated with a better diagnostic yield, and reduces associated medical costs by allowing early detection, and in turn improving treatment outcomes.