Endoscopic closure devices: A review of technique and application for hemostasis

• Main Authors: Jennifer Wellington, Andrew Canakis, Raymond Kim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Society of Gastrointestinal Intervention 2019-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Gastrointestinal Intervention
• Subjects: Endoscopic hemostasis; Gastrointestinal endoscopy; Gastrointestinal hemorrhage
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.18528/ijgii190012

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common, yet challenging, and potentially problematic medical emergency for clinicians to manage. Given its significantly high health care associated costs and increased morbidity and mortality rate, new endoscopic techniques for managing gastrointestinal bleeding has gained considerable attention. While conventional methods (i.e., injection, cautery, and hemostatic clips) have been widely used, their efficacy and reliability for initial hemostasis has been hindered by high rebleeding and variable success rates. Thus, this review sets out to characterize recent advancements with the clinical application of endoscopic closure devices as the alternatives in achieving hemostasis. Such devices include hemostatic clips, also known as through-the-scope clips, over-the-scope-clips, endoscopic detachable snare ligation devices, and endoscopic suturing system.