Use of hemostatic forceps as a preoperative rescue therapy for bleeding peptic ulcers

Standard endoscopic management of bleeding peptic ulcers includes injection, thermal coagulation, or mechanical clipping. The use of hemostatic forceps has increased with the widespread use of endoscopic submucosal dissection to control bleeding. However, there are few reports on the use of hemostatic forceps to control bleeding peptic ulcers. From January to October 2010, four hundred twenty-seven patients received endoscopic therapy at our institution for bleeding peptic ulcers. In 5 patients hemostasis was achieved with hemostatic forceps as a rescue therapy after standard endoscopic therapy had failed. In 4 patients successful hemostasis was achieved, whereas 1 patient had to undergo emergency surgery. We found that hemostatic forceps are a useful alternative for the control of bleeding peptic ulcers after standard endoscopic treatment has failed. This treatment may help in avoiding the necessity of surgery. Further large-scale studies are required to confirm our observations.