Clinical experience of using a novel self-help inflatable balloon to prevent esophageal stricture after circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Although endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is gradually becoming a first-line treatment for superficial esophageal neoplasms (SENs), strictures occur in almost 100% of cases after circumferential ESD. A standard method has not been established. Thus, we propose a novel self-help inflatable balloon to prevent stricture. The new balloon was used by the patients themselves at home (4-5 times a day, each time lasted about 15-20 minutes), and would be removed when the defects were almost healed. From January 2018 to September 2018, 8 patients who received circumferential ESD for SENs and underwent a novel self-help inflatable balloon to prevent stricture were enrolled. The median size of the mucosal defects was 76.3 mm (range: 50 to 90 mm). The median time point for removing the self-help inflatable balloon was 94.6 days (range, 71-119 days). Only 1 (12.5%) patient experienced stricture, and three EBD sessions were performed. All patients were well tolerated the balloon, and none of them experienced perforation or delayed bleeding. The self-help inflatable balloon seems show a high preventive effect against stricture in patients whose mucosal defect was no longer than 100 mm in length after esophageal circumferential ESD. This method is economic, feasible, and safe. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.