Transparent Cap-Assisted Blunt Endoscopic Dissection of Gastric Submucosal Tumours Smaller than 2cm

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transparent cap-assisted blunt dissection (TCABD) in the endoscopic resection of gastric submucosal tumours (G-SMT) smaller than 2cm, as compared with conventional electronic knife dissection.

Randomised controlled analysis. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, The First Hospital of Putian City, Putian, China, from July 2020 to 2022.

Fifty-eight patients having G-SMT smaller than 2cm were included. They were randomly divided into two groups; undergoing transparent cap-assisted blunt dissection (BD group) and conventional endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE group). The pathology, lesion size in long diameter (mm), operation time, the number of clips used to close the wounds, the number of snare used to resect the tumour, hospital days, hospitalisation expense, en bloc resection rate, and the complications including perforation, postoperative bleeding, and postoperative infection were compared between the two groups.

The mean long diameter in the BD group was 9.6 ± 3.6mm, while the conventional ESE group was 10.7 ± 4.5mm. As compared with the conventional ESE group, the operation time, the number of clips used to close the wounds, the number of snare used to resect the tumours, the hospital days, and the hospitalisation expense were all significantly decreased (p <0.05). The perforation rate was lower in the BD group (p <0.05).

TCABD was effective and safe in the endoscopic resection of G-SMT smaller than 2cm. TCABD could help to reduce the perforation rate, shorten the operation time and hospital days, and decrease the hospitalisation expense in the endoscopic resection of G-SMT.

Endoscopic submucosal excavation, Endoscopic full-thickness resection, Endoscopic resection, Submucosal tumour, Transparent cap-assisted blunt dissection.