Prospective Assessment of the Gravity Assisted Technique for Esophageal Endoscopic

Early precancerous esophageal lesions and esophageal cancer, are a threatening illnesses with high mortality rate, so the early intervention is critical during the course of treatment, statistically, every year an estimated 17,290 adults in the United States will be diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer death among men (1, 2). Giving the aggressive nature and fatality of esophageal cancer, the early management using the Endoscopic submucosal dissection is very essential (3).

Esophageal ESD is a technique that grants the en-block resection of lesions, with less morbidity and mortality when compared to surgery, and more efficient than other endoscopic techniques like endoscopic mucosal resection as ESD associated with higher curative resection rates and lower recurrence rates (4). ESD require experience and excellent training due to technique difficulties, longer procedure times and possible serious adverse events.

The esophageal Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) is gaining momentum in United States. Although a great deal of training is focused on teaching how to utilize the equipment for performing the procedure, the strategy of where to start the incision and how to proceed with dissection is not yet standardized. The investigators standardized a technique for performing esophageal ESD utilizing gravity as traction to expedite the procedure.

Currently, the investigators are performing this technique for esophageal ESD at Baylor St. Luke's Medical center.

The aim of the study is to assess the mean time needed to perform esophageal ESD using this technique. Our quality metrics are a dissection rate of 9cm2 per hour as suggested by Japanese experts.