Advanced EUS: Future Applications

Since its development in the 1970s, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has transformed the diagnostic armamentarium available to benefit patients with pancreaticobiliary diseases. Steadily advancing techniques, new equipment, and widespread adoption have enabled more accurate diagnostic approaches to patients undergoing evaluation for major surgical intervention. Newer advancements, and those in development presently, continue to enhance the care of patients with pancreaticobiliary disease, and proposed interventions will extend the benefits of this minimally invasive approach to more patients facing a broader disease burden. The future of EUS is likely to be hallmarked by increased therapeutic use to provide the most minimally invasive approaches to benign and malignant diseases for those with gastrointestinal and biliary obstructions, altered surgical anatomy, and complex clinical scenarios. New treatments for non-malignant processes, like obesity, are at the forefront of the latest developments in EUS-based therapies. Advances in the diagnostic capabilities of EUS will continue to identify treatment options for patients and provide the necessary information for their providers to select optimal treatment options for them.