Positive correlation between endoscopist radiofrequency ablation volume and response rates in Barrett's esophagus

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become an accepted form of endoscopic treatment for Barrett's esophagus (BE), yet reported response rates are variable. There are no accepted quality measures for performing RFA, and provider-level characteristics may influence RFA outcomes. Objective: To determine whether endoscopist RFA volume is associated with rates of complete remission of intestinal metaplasia (CRIM) after RFA in patients with BE. Design: Retrospective analysis of longitudinal data. Setting: Three tertiary-care medical centers. Patients: Patients with BE treated with RFA. Intervention: RFA. Main Outcome Measurements: For each endoscopist, we recorded RFA volume, defined as the number of unique patients treated as well as corresponding CRIM rates. We calculated a Spearman correlation coefficient relating these 2 measures. Results: We identified 417 patients with BE treated with RFA who had at least 1 post-RFA endoscopy with biopsies. A total of 73% of the cases had pretreatment histology of high-grade dysplasia or adenocarcinoma. The procedures were performed by 7 endoscopists, who had a median RFA volume of 62 patients (range 20-188). The overall CRIM rate was 75.3% (provider range 62%-88%). The correlation between endoscopist RFA volume and CRIM rate was strong and significant (rho = 0.85; P = .014). In multivariable analysis, higher RFA volume was significantly associated with CRIM (P for trend .04). Limitations: Referral setting may limit generalizability. Limited number of endoscopists analyzed. Conclusion: Endoscopist RFA volume correlates with rates of successful BE eradication. Further studies are required to confirm these findings and to determine whether RFA volume is a valid predictor of treatment outcomes in BE.