Does minimally invasive also stand for minimal patient risk? Lessons from an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

A 70-year-old man with recent myocardial infarction was referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of persistent anaemia and iron insufficiency. The procedure was poorly tolerated by the patient, which revealed Barrett’'s oesophagus and gastroduodenal angiodysplasia, and since then he started referring hoarseness and dysphagia. Few weeks later, the patient was readmitted with heart failure and elevated inflammatory parameters, without an identifiable focus of infection. Chest radiograph (figure 1) showed a widened superior mediastinum not previously present, and blood …