Bipolar electrocoagulation versus Nd-YAG laser photocoagulation for upper gastrointestinal bleeding lesions

Nd-YAG laser photocoagulation and bipolar electrocoagulation may be useful for controlling upper gastrointestinal bleeding or preventing rebleeding from ulcers with visible vessels. To determine if one of these methods is superior to the other, data from a small randomized trial and from a nonrandomized experience were evaluated. Altogether, 33 patients underwent 37 coagulation sessions; 19 of the patients were randomized (8 laser and 11 bipolar). In the randomized group, 47.4% had no rebleeding after therapy (laser = 37.5% and bipolar = 54.5%, P greater than 0.1). In the nonrandomized group 56.8% had no further bleeding. Eleven (33%) of the patients required surgery. No patients died of bleeding or complications related to the study. From these data and those in the literature, it is concluded that the Nd-YAG laser and the bipolar coagulator are equally effective for the treatment of solitary upper gastrointestinal bleeding lesions. Since the bipolar unit is cheaper and more easily transported than the laser unit, it may be the method of choice for cauterizing upper gastrointestinal sources until a more effective method is developed.