Cap-Assisted Technique versus Conventional Methods for Esophageal Food Bolus Extraction: A Comparative Study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Endoscopy
• Esophageal Diseases

Background:

• Food bolus impaction is the most common esophageal foreign body in adults.
• Current guidelines suggest push or retrieval techniques, but these have limitations.
• The push technique risks injury, and conventional retrieval is time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and safety of cap-assisted endoscopic extraction versus conventional methods for food bolus impaction.
• To evaluate en bloc removal rates, procedure duration, and adverse events.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational multicenter study.
• Compared cap-assisted extraction with conventional retrieval methods in 303 patients.
• Assessed success rates, en bloc removal, procedure time, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• Cap-assisted extraction (106 patients) showed higher en bloc removal rates (80.2% vs. 15%, p<0.01) than conventional methods (110 patients).
• Procedure time was significantly shorter with cap-assisted extraction (6.9 min vs. 15.7 min, p<0.001).
• No adverse events were reported with cap-assisted extraction, compared to 9 events with conventional methods (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• Cap-assisted endoscopic extraction is a highly effective technique for food bolus impaction.
• This method offers superior en bloc removal rates and reduced procedure times.
• Cap-assisted extraction demonstrates a significantly improved safety profile with no adverse events observed.