Current research status of endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasms

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been applied to, and gradually standardized for, early gastric cancers; however, it has not yet been widely used for treatment of colorectal neoplasms. Compared with gastric ESD, the thinner colorectal wall and winding nature of the colon make colorectal ESD a much more difficult operative technique. Despite greater risks of postoperative complications, particularly perforation of the colon, more and more endoscopists are making an effort to study this new technique in terms of its capability of larger neoplastic resection, higher en bloc resection rate and lower local recurrence rate of neoplasms in comparison with other endoscopic treatments. Thus, colorectal ESD may become the standard treatment for early colorectal neoplasms in the future. This review article discusses the current research on endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasms. Please see supplementary files for the accompanying video ESD with snare.