The endoscopy team at UC Davis Health in Sacramento have completed the world's first endoscopic, ultrasound-guided core biopsy of a pancreatic tumor with a new device.
The procedure was performed by Antonio Mendoza-Ladd, MD, UC Davis' medical director of gastrointestinal endoscopy, according to a Feb. 13 report from the health system. The team used the EndoDrill GI to biopsy two pancreatic tumors and a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
The two pancreatic tumor biopsies were the first cases in the world performed with the new instrument, with all three cases — including the gastrointestinal stromal tumor biopsy — being the first completed in the United States.
According to the release, the EndoDrill GI obtains superior tissue samples because it has better access to deep tissues in the upper gastrointestinal tract than regular needles.