Snare combined with endoclips in endoscopic submucosal dissection with mucosal traction for gastroesophageal neoplasia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mucosal traction as a "second hand" in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is very helpful for ESD operators. The efficacy of using a snare combined with endoclips to assist in ESD (SC-ESD) was evaluated whether it could achieve peroral external traction (PET) and internal traction (PIT) and real-time adjustment of mucosal traction position. This study aimed to preliminarily evaluate its feasibility.

METHODS: A snare was fixed using endoclips to the incised mucosal flap that was intended for dissection. Subsequently, the snare was adjusted to achieve mucosal traction. This study included 54 gastroesophageal neoplasias in 54 consecutive patients who underwent SC-ESD. The operative and clinical data were retrospectively collected.

RESULTS: PETs were performed for 22 esophageal neoplasias, and PETs and PITs were performed for 32 gastric neoplasias. The median (interquartile range, IQR) sizes of lesions were 4.3(2.5) and 4.2(2.1) cm, operation times were 73.4(43.8) and 60.0(45.2) min, and submucosal dissection times were 27.0(32.0) and 31.0(34.5) min in the esophagus and stomach, respectively. Mucosal traction position could be effectively adjusted by fixing the snare to the incised mucosal flap intended for dissection during SC-ESD. All lesions in the esophagus and stomach were completely resected, with R0 resection rates of 100%. Besides postoperative bleeding in a patient with gastric neoplasia, no intraoperative and postoperative perforations occurred.

CONCLUSIONS: SC-ESD seems to be feasible for resecting gastroesophageal neoplasia, and two types of mucosal tractions (PET and PIT) could be effectively achieved during SC-ESD. Further prospective comparative study with a large sample is warranted.