Advanced skills for general surgeons and carving out a niche: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in regional Australia.

Background: The provision of high-quality healthcare in rural Australian hospitals has necessitated general surgeons to take up the challenge and expand their expertise to advanced endoscopy techniques including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This study examines the utility of ERCP in a regional setting especially in decreasing patient transfers and associated costs while achieving exceptional safety by measuring key indicators of safety and efficacy.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective cross-sectional cohort review in a rural Queensland hospital of patients who underwent ERCP (emergent and elective) from January 2019 until July 2022.

Upper GI bleeding in rural Australia: general surgery still alive and well!

Background: The complex and critically unwell upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) patient is a common emergency presentation in Australia. Managed medically and endoscopically by rural general surgeons in rural and remote Australian hospitals which lack a gastroenterology service, this can be ameliorated by clear evidence-based guidelines.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective review of adult patients who underwent emergency gastroscopy for UGIB at the Mackay Base Hospital, January 2019 to January 2022.