Grading the complexity of endoscopic procedures: results of an ASGE working party

Background: Working parties of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Quality Committee recently published a proposed new lexicon for adverse events and a separate extensive review of risk factors. The complexity of procedures also affects outcomes. Objective: To establish a system for grading the complexity of endoscopic procedures. Design: Voting on levels 1 (easiest) to 4 (most difficult) on a list of possible procedures and contexts. Setting: Community and academic gastroenterologists in the United States, Canada, and Britain. Main Outcome Measurements: Median scores of votes cast. Results: Consensus list of levels 1 through 4 contexts and procedures. Limitations: Eminence rather than evidence based. Conclusions: A consensus list was developed for comments and testing to complement the proposed lexicons for adverse events and risk factors. (Gastrointest Endosc 2011;73:868-74.)