Novel endoscopic management for small gastric submucosal tumors: A single-center experience (with video).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To explore the novel treatment of small gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) originating from the muscularis propria layer (SMT-MPs), we utilized endoscopic band ligation (EBL) with a precut of the covering mucosa.

METHODS

From Jan. 2012 to Dec. 2019, 111 patients with 124 gastric SMT-MPs were treated by precutting EBL. The clinical characteristics, operation duration, postoperative adverse events, and follow-up profiles were retrospectively collected.

RESULTS

A total of 124 tumors from 111 patients were successfully treated by precutting EBL. No adverse events, including perforation and major bleeding, were observed. Furthermore, 93 patients (83.8%) underwent endoscopic surveillance postoperatively, and during the follow-up period, no local recurrence was detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Precutting EBL appears to be a safe and simple method for removing gastric SMT-MPs < 16 mm (mainly indicated for potentially malignant GISTs), but further studies with longer follow-up are needed to assess the radicality of this intervention.