Dental Floss Traction Assists in Treating Gastrointestinal Mucosal Tumors by Endoscopy

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a relatively new but widely used medical technique that has been used to remove gastrointestinal mucosal tumors. This study aimed to identify the usefulness of ESD-assisted dental floss traction for the removal of gastrointestinal tumors.

This was a retrospective study performed at a single institution. From April 2014 to August 2014, 20 consecutive patients presenting with gastrointestinal mucosal tumors at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, were enrolled. The tumor characteristics, en bloc resection rates, treatments, and follow-up care practices were evaluated for all patients.

Of the lesions presenting in the 20 patients, 10 were located in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and the remainder were located in the lower gastrointestinal tract. All the resected tumors were removed completely without interrupting the tumor capsule. No bleeding or perforation occurred, and no recurrences were identified at the time of follow-up.

The dental floss traction method benefits the ESD procedure during the treatment of gastrointestinal mucosal tumors.