Thermal ablative therapies in the gastrointestinal tract.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Thermal ablatives therapies have seen an expanding role in gastrointestinal endoscopy during the last years. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the currently available techniques.

RECENT FINDINGS: In the upper gastrointestinal tract, mainly in early Barrett's neoplasia, endoscopic ablation strategies ranging from RFA to Hybrid-APC are, together with resection strategies, the main part of the armamentarium. In the small intestine, argon plasma coagulation (APC) can be effectively used for the treatment of angiodysplasias. In the lower gastrointestinal tract, APC and RFA are mainly used. In tumour obstruction, thermal ablation is used to reopen the lumen. The selection of available techniques is still increasing.

SUMMARY: The variety of ablation techniques enables the endoscopist to choose the appropriate ablation tool for each individual patient.