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Embolization as treatment of choice for bleeding peptic ulcers in high-risk patients
Raoul van Vugt1, Koop Bosscha, Ivo P van Munster
1Department of Surgery, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, Location Groot Ziekengasthuis, Nieuwstraat 34, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. raoul.vanvugt@gmail.com
Insights
Embolization effectively treated bleeding peptic ulcers in high-risk patients when endoscopic methods failed. This minimally invasive procedure offered a successful alternative to surgery, improving outcomes for patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Area of Science:
- Interventional Radiology
- Gastroenterology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Peptic ulcers are a leading cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Many patients with bleeding peptic ulcers are unsuitable for surgery.
- Endoscopic treatment failure necessitates alternative interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of embolization for bleeding peptic ulcers in high-risk patients.
- To assess embolization as a treatment of choice after endoscopic failure.
- To describe the clinical course and outcomes of embolization in this patient group.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective descriptive study of 16 patients undergoing selective arterial embolization (superior mesenteric and/or gastroduodenal arteries).
- Analysis of risk factors for surgery and mortality.
- Evaluation of primary technical success and clinical success rates.
- Assessment of 30-day mortality.
Main Results:
- Clinical success rate was 81% (13/16 patients).
- Primary technical success (bleeding control) was 88% (14/16 patients).
- 30-day mortality was 37.5% (6/16 patients), primarily due to non-embolization-related complications.
Conclusions:
- Embolization is a successful, minimally invasive alternative to surgery for bleeding peptic ulcers in high-risk patients.
- It provides an effective treatment option when endoscopic interventions fail.
- The procedure demonstrates significant efficacy in controlling acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Background/Aim:
Peptic ulcers are the most common cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleedings in the digestive tract. Most patients are poor surgical candidates. The aim was to describe the efficacy of embolization as the treatment of choice for bleeding peptic ulcers in high-risk patients when endoscopic treatment failed.
Methods:
All patients who underwent a selective embolization of branches of the superior mesenteric artery and/or branches of the gastroduodenal artery for a bleeding peptic ulcer in the period January 2004 until December 2007 were included in this retrospective descriptive study. We examined the known risk factors for surgery and mortality in upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to peptic ulcers and describe the clinical course and outcome. Primary endpoints were the primary technical success and the clinical success rates. The secondary endpoint was the 30-day mortality.
Results:
16 patients were included. All patients had at least two risk factors for surgery and mortality. The clinical success rate was 81% (13/16). The first embolization failed in 3 patients, 1 was successful re-embolized and 2 were operated upon without re-embolization. The primary technical success rate, i.e. bleedings controlled by radiologic intervention, was 88% (14/16). 6 patients died due to non-embolization-related problems; 5 of them developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding during a stay in the hospital.
Conclusion:
Embolization was a successful, minimal invasive alternative for surgical intervention in high-risk patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding after failure of endoscopic treatment.
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