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Endoscopy in gastrointestinal disease. Procedures that offer an alternative to surgery.

Today, endoscopic procedures are available to treat many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that just a few years ago would have required surgery. These procedures have proved to be safe and effective and are well accepted by patients. When considering such a procedure, the primary care physician needs to be aware of its advantages and limitations and the nearest center where it can be obtained. Many new endoscopic surgical procedures are undergoing evaluation, and undoubtedly some will soon be incorporated into the armamentarium of the gastroenterologist. Until more data on their efficacy and safety are available, however, these procedures should remain within the realm of the clinical investigator.