Dedicated Echoendoscope for Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound: Comparison with a Conventional Echoendoscope

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Devices
• Interventional Endoscopy

Background:

• Interventional endoscopic ultrasound (I-EUS) procedures face challenges due to limited dedicated equipment.
• Existing endoscopes may have limitations in puncture range and visualization, increasing procedural difficulty and risks.
• A novel EUS scope has been developed and modified to enhance I-EUS capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical usefulness and safety of a new EUS scope compared to a conventional EUS scope for I-EUS procedures.
• To assess the impact of the new scope on procedure time, fluoroscopy time, technical success, and adverse events.
• To identify specific benefits of the new scope in procedures like EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 143 I-EUS procedures performed between April 2020 and April 2022.
• Comparison of procedure time, fluoroscopy time, technical success rates, and adverse event rates between the new and conventional EUS scopes.
• Statistical analysis, including multivariate analysis, to determine factors influencing procedural outcomes.

Main Results:

• The new EUS scope significantly reduced overall procedure time for I-EUS.
• For EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD), the new scope significantly decreased both procedure time and fluoroscopy time.
• No significant difference in technical success or adverse event rates was observed, but the new scope prevented stent deviation during placement.

Conclusions:

• The new EUS scope offers improved efficiency for total I-EUS procedures by reducing procedure time.
• The enhanced design of the new scope leads to reduced fluoroscopy time specifically for EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD).
• The new EUS scope demonstrates comparable safety to conventional scopes while offering advantages in specific applications and reducing procedural complexities.