Austin Gastro and HyGIeaCare® to Open HyGIeaCare Center Offering Convenient, Same-day Colonoscopy Prep
-HyGIeaCare System may reduce the need for lengthy prep, time off from work
-Colonoscopy success linked closely to pre-procedure bowel prep
AUSTIN, Texas, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Austin Gastroenterology, in partnership with HyGIeaCare, Inc., today announced the development of the Austin HyGIeaCare Center, where patients can experience simple, easy bowel prep on the same day as their scheduled colonoscopy. The Center features the HyGIeaCare Prep System, cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to effectively clean the bowel using a gentle infusion of warm, gravity-flow filtered water. The use of this proprietary method means patients may forgo many of the elements that make traditional bowel prep inconvenient and uncomfortable.
"For many people, the prep involved with having a colonoscopy can be daunting. While the procedure itself will take less than an hour in most cases, prepping the bowel typically begins days before and includes burdensome dietary restrictions, the consumption of large quantities of water, and the need to have a bathroom close at hand," said Bruce Levy, MD, JD, CEO of Austin Gastroenterology. "With HyGIeaCare Prep, many of our patients can now be appropriately prepped on the same day as their procedure in a safe, private and hygienic environment at the HyGIeaCare Center."
Good bowel cleansing is the key to a successful colonoscopy, early cancer prevention
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States.1 It typically begins as abnormal growths called polyps, which can be detected and removed during a colonoscopy, dramatically lowering the risk of death from the disease by more than half.2 Unfortunately, up to one-quarter of all colonoscopies are reported to have inadequate bowel preparation, which can hinder these efforts.3
The reasons for inadequate prep varies, including poor compliance with preparation instructions; having a medical condition, like diabetes, that makes drinking large quantities of water difficult; and physical impairments that can prevent a person from getting to a bathroom quickly. A bowel that is not adequately cleansed can result in a missed polyp, a longer procedure time, or even a repeat colonoscopy.3
"There is a clear need for an improved method to prep prior to colonoscopy, one that provides gastroenterologists with consistently clean colons, allowing them to provide better health outcomes," said Gabi Meron, Chairman and CEO of HyGIeaCare, Inc. "We are pleased to be opening our flagship center with a partner that is committed to providing meaningful advances in patient care."
The convenience of simple, same-day prep
At the Austin HyGIeaCare Center, the prep is performed in a clean and comfortable environment. A trained prep-tech will lead the patient to a private room where he or she will be seated on an ergonomic basin. The prep-tech will walk the patient through the procedure, which routinely takes less than one hour. A small, sterile, disposable nozzle is easily inserted into the rectum and a gentle stream of warm water flows into the bowel, loosening stool and causing the intestine to contract allowing for the comfortable and discreet evacuation of the colon. Water will continue to gently flow until the prep-tech determines the colon has been sufficiently cleansed.
The HyGIeaCare Prep replaces traditional prep for colonoscopy and is performed on the same day as the colonoscopy, prior to the scheduled procedure. Patients who have experienced this prep have reported that it is simple, comfortable and convenient.
For more information about the HyGIeaCare Prep and the Austin Center, go to www.hygieacare.com.
About Austin Gastroenterology
Austin Gastroenterology (AG) is Central Texas' largest group of physicians specializing in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. From its team of experienced physicians and staff to its patient-focused care, AG is dedicated to helping patients find lasting internal health solutions.
Digestive health has a fundamental impact on a person's quality of life. That's why AG makes treatment, comfort and convenience its top priorities. From the design and operation of its facilities to appointments, procedures and follow-ups, Austin Gastroenterology puts the patient at the center of its practice.
About HyGIeaCare, Inc.
Chairman and CEO Gavriel (Gabi) Meron -- the founder and former CEO of Given Imaging, the Company that successfully brought the PillCam to the world -- partnered with Texas-based Lifestream Purification Systems to form HyGIeaCare, Inc. to bring the HyGIeaCare FDA-cleared Prep System and procedure exclusively to the GI world.
The goal of HyGIeaCare is to provide unique services and solutions to gastroenterologists to deliver better GI outcomes for their patients and their practice through a chain of HyGIeaCare Centers to be established in the US and throughout the world.
1 National Cancer Institute, General Information about Colorectal Cancer. Accessed online on March 18, 2015 at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/colorectal/Patient/page2
2 Zuaber AG et al, Colonoscopic polypectomy and long-term prevention of colorectal-cancer deaths. NEJM 2012 Feb 23;366(8):687-96. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1100370. Accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322371/
3 Johnson et al, Optimizing Adequacy of Bowel Cleansing for Colonoscopy: Recommendations From the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer. Am J Gastroenterology advance online publication, 16 September 2014; doi: 10.1038/ajg.2014.272. Accessed at: http://gi.org/guideline/optimizing-adequacy-of-bowel-cleansing-for-colonoscopy-recommendations-from-the-us-multi-society-task-force-on-colorectal-cancer/
SOURCE HyGIeaCare, Inc.
Share this article