Conventional Clips vs Over-the-Scope Clips for Mucosal Defects Closure After Duodenal Endoscopic Submucosal...

Over-the-scope clips (OTSCs) are used for treating gastrointestinal perforations, postoperative anastomotic leakages, and mucosal defect closure after endoscopic resections. However, OTSCs are expensive and associated with fatal complications; therefore, proper OTSC usage is necessary. Criteria of OTSC use for mucosal defect closure after duodenal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) are scarce. We examined closure outcomes with OTSCs and conventional clips in patients undergoing duodenal ESD, analyzed the resected specimen area, estimated the preoperative size of tumors treated with each method, and attempted to clarify the criteria for the use of OTSCs vs conventional clips.

Endoscopic resection was performed for 133 superficial duodenal epithelial tumors from April 2017 to February 2022. Complete closure of mucosal defects after duodenal ESD was attempted for 82 superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors, divided into OTSC and control (conventional clips used) groups. Closure outcomes were analyzed.

The overall rate of complete mucosal defect closure in both groups was 98.8%. Significant between-group differences existed in the median estimated tumor size and median resected specimen area.

Conventional clips work well for mucosal defects ≤18 mm after duodenal ESD, but for those >18 mm, a combination of OTSCs may be considered.