Initial experience of visualized biliary cannulation during ERCP.

BACKGROUND : Selective biliary cannulation is the most challenging step in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) because only indirect radiographic images can be obtained. Therefore, we developed a novel endoscopic retrograde direct cholangioscopy (ERDC) technology to facilitate visible biliary cannulation. METHODS : In this case series, we used ERDC to treat 21 patients with common bile duct stones who were enrolled consecutively between July 2022 and December 2022. The procedure details and complications were recorded, and all patients were followed up for 3 months after the procedure. The learning curve effect was analyzed by comparing the early and later cases. RESULTS : Biliary cannulation was successful in all patients, and the stones were removed completely. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) time for cholangioscopy-guided biliary cannulation was 240.0 (10.0-430.0) seconds, and the median (IQR) number of cannulation procedures was 2 (1-5). Despite there being one episode of post-ERCP pancreatitis, one of cholangitis, and three patients developing asymptomatic hyperamylasemia, all of the patients recovered after symptomatic treatment, being discharged and with no serious adverse events occurring during the 3-month follow-up period. Compared with the early cases, the number of intubations and the use of guidewire guidance decreased in later cases. CONCLUSION : Our research confirms that ERDC is a feasible technology for biliary cannulation under direct vision.

Novel endoscopic tangential sawing technique in treatment of giant gastric bezoars: a retrospective single-center study (with video).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The current methods for treatment of giant gastric bezoars mainly include chemical dissolution, endoscopic fragmentation, and surgical removal, which often have limited curative effects or generate multiple adverse events. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new methods to overcome such a dilemma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of a novel guidewire-based tangential sawing fragmentation (GTSF) technique to treat giant gastric bezoars. METHODS: This retrospective single-center study was performed in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital. Ten patients with giant bezoars were consecutively enrolled from December 8, 2019 to April 8, 2021. We treated the 10 patients with the GTSF technique, recorded the GTSF procedure, and followed the patients with gastroscopy 2 weeks after the procedure. RESULTS: All patients were successfully treated by the GTSF technique, and the giant bezoar was broken into small pieces (<2 cm in diameter). The average operation time was 21.73 minutes, and the average fragmentation time was 8.06 minutes. Ten patients treated with the GTSF technique attained satisfactory treatment results, with no acute adverse events or alimentary canal injury during the procedure, and no bezoar residue remained as shown by gastroscopy 2 weeks after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The GTSF technique is a safe, effective, and feasible method for removing giant bezoars and can be considered as an alternative treatment of this disease.

Comparison of the clinical value of multi-band mucosectomy versus endoscopic mucosal resection for the treatment of patients with early-stage esophageal cancer.

The present study aimed to compare the clinical value of multi-band mucosectomy (MBM) versus endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for the treatment of patients with early-stage esophageal cancer. Between January 2011 and December 2012, 68 patients with early-stage esophageal cancer who underwent MBM and EMR were enrolled into the present study. The curative resection rate, duration of surgery, complications and follow-up records were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 68 patients included, 33 were treated with MBM and 35 with EMR. There was no significant difference in the rate of complete resection between the MBM and EMR groups (P>0.05). The mean duration of surgery in the MBM group was statistically lower than that in the EMR group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative and post-operative complications between the MBM and EMR groups (P>0.05). Esophageal cancer reoccurred in 2 patients treated with MBM and 1 patient treated with EMR during the follow-up period (range, 3-24 months). Overall, MBM can be considered a better surgical option for the management of patients with early-stage esophageal cancer, as it offers higher histological curative resection rates and improved safety. However, further studies and a larger follow-up period are required to confirm the long-term curative effect.