A modern history of the surgeon-endoscopist

For millennia, physicians have endeavored to view the interior of the gastrointestinal tract to diagnose and treat diseases. It was not until the mid-20th century, with the development of flexible fiberoptic technology that the revolution of gastrointestinal endoscopy began. Throughout this process, surgeons have played a central role in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to manage the diseases they encountered on a daily basis. Here, we provide an overview of the modern history of flexible gastrointestinal endoscopy emphasizing the role of the surgeon-endoscopist (frequently in multidisciplinary collaboration) in the development of the techniques outlined in the subsequent manuscripts.