Patients at Austin Gastroenterology will now have access to new AI-assisted colonoscopies. The new procedure will serve as a tool to help specialists detect growths in the colon, without patients feeling any physical change in their colonoscopy experience, according to a news release.

The overview

During a colonoscopy, a thin, flexible camera is inserted into the colon, or large intestine, in order to scan and detect growths or polyps.

At Austin Gastroenterology, this procedure will now include additional equipment which will use AI to scan image databases to more accurately compare and detect polyps, said Dr. Sanjana Luther, a board-certified gastroenterologist practicing at Austin Gastroenterology.

“It’s kind of like an added layer, an extra set of eyes, to essentially help us detect polyps—specifically those that might be a little bit harder to detect,” Luther said.

The details

The AI technology, referred to as the Medtronic GI Genius module, was introduced at the practice in early April, and is available at all four of the business’ Austin Endoscopy Center locations, including North Austin, South Austin, Bee Cave and Leander.

A key indicator of colonoscopy quality is adenoma detection rate, or ADR, according to the practice’s news release, which is the rate of detection of polyps in patients. Prior to the new technology’s introduction, Austin Gastroenterology’s average ADR was 61.2% in men and 47.5% for women in 2024. The practice is aiming to improve these numbers with the new GI Genius module.

“We're obviously analyzing our data a little bit more [now] to see how our rates are improving,” Luther said. “But before we bought all the equipment, we tried it on a trial period and it actually showed that the rates were improving during that time”

Some studies, including one published in Gastroenterology, the journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, have shown that the AI module may reduce the miss rate of adenomas by 45.8%, the news release states.

What else?

Luther said that colon cancer cases are on the rise, and that those at risk should be sure to stay on top of scheduling their colonoscopies.

“The rates of [colon cancer] are rising so that's why we stress colon cancer screening. Screening typically begins at age 45.” Luther said. “If you have certain conditions like inflammatory bowel disease or a family history, then you might need earlier screening for this.”

In terms of what can be done to reduce colon cancer risk, Luther said that staying active, reducing red meat consumption, avoiding smoking and drinking, and increasing fiber intake are a few steps that can be taken.

Gut health experts like Elizabeth Klingbeil, who works as an assistant professor in UT Austin’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, agree that fiber intake is critical for colon health.

Fiber can improve colon health in three different ways, Klingbeil said. Firstly by bulking up stool in the intestine and keeping it moving through the intestinal tract, and secondly by feeding bacteria in the intestines.

The third way fiber can help is by binding to cholesterol in the form of bile and removing it from the body, Klingbeil said.

“[Fiber] helps keep and lower our cholesterol,” Klingbeil said. “It's one of the reasons you see, like on Cheerios, that it can help lower cholesterol. It's because Cheerios has some fiber in it that can bind up those bits.”

Klingbeil said that maintaining a healthy diet overall is important, and that ideally individuals should get vitamins and minerals from whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, rather than supplements.

“Any powdered vegetable supplement that's really been on the market lately, they're quite big,” Klingbeil said. “And yes, you're getting some of the minerals and the vitamins, but you're missing a lot of the other components. And when we see people take a powder supplement versus actually eating those vegetables in their diet, they don't get as much health benefit from it.”

Mental health may also have an impact on gut health, Klingbeil said, meaning that reducing stress, ensuring adequate sleep and staying active may also have benefits for gut health.