ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination of sufficient argon plasma coagulation(APC) cauterization and clipping in the treatment of colonic diverticular bleeding.Methods:From June 2018 to April 2022, the clinical data of patients were retrospectively analyzed, who visited Department of Gastroenterology of Air Force Medical Center due to overt gastrointestinal bleeding, and were confirmed or suspected to have colonic diverticular bleeding and received combination of sufficient APC cauterization and clipping treatment. The deadline for follow-up was September 30, 2022. During the follow-up after endoscopic treatment, the re-bleeding rate, hemoglobin level difference between the last follow-up and before treatment, wound healing under colonoscopy as well as the intraoperative and postoperative complications of patients were statistically analyzed. Descriptive analysis was used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 15 patients were enrolled, including 13 males and 2 females, aged (60.8±14.8) years old. The course of the disease was 1 day to 13 years. A total of 145 colonic diverticula of 15 patients were treated under endoscopy. The median follow-up time was 14.5 months (5.3 to 49.5 months) months. Among the 15 patients, 12 patients received endoscopic therapy once and no bleeding occurred till the end of follow-up. Three patients suspected with diverticular bleeding received a second endoscopic treatment because of bleeding at the 12 days, 3 months and 8 months after the first treatment, respectively.No rebleeding occurred after the second endoscopic therapy till the end of follow-up. The re-bleeding rate of the first treatment was 3/15 and the re-bleeding rate of re-treatment was 0. At the end of follow-up, the hemoglobin concentration increased (35.9±26.3) g/L compared with that before the treatment. Two patients had perforation during operation and were closed with multiple titanium clips. There was no abdominal pain or other symptoms after operation. And the patients were discharged 3 and 4 days after treatment, respectively. Two patients suffered short-term postoperative wound bleeding and successful hemostasis was achieved after endoscopic treatment. One patient developed postoperative infection and the symptoms disappeared after anti-infection treatment.Conclusions:Combination of sufficient APC cauterization and titanium clipping is safe and effective in the treatment of colonic diverticular bleeding. For patients with dominant diverticular hemorrhage, or patients with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, if other etiology are excluded and colonic diverticular bleeding is highly suspected, the combination of sufficient APC cauterization and titanium clipping under endoscopy is feasible.