Efficacy of polyglycolic acid sheeting with fibrin glue for perforations related to gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

Objectives Gastrointestinal (GI) perforations are one of the major adverse events of endoscopic procedures. Polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets with fibrin glue have been reported to close GI perforations. However, its clinical outcome has not yet been fully investigated; thus, we conducted a multicenter retrospective observational study to assess the efficacy of PGA sheeting for GI perforation. Methods The medical records of patients who underwent PGA sheeting for endoscopic GI perforations between April 2013 and March 2018 in 18 Japanese institutions were retrospectively analyzed. PGA sheeting was applied when the clip closure was challenging or failed to use. Perforations were filled with one or several pieces of PGA sheets followed by fibrin glue application through an endoscopic catheter. Nasal or percutaneous drainage and endoscopic clipping were applied as appropriate. Clinical outcomes after PGA sheeting for intraoperative or delayed perforations were separately evaluated. Results There were 66 intraoperative and 24 delayed perforation cases. In intraoperative cases, successful closure was attained in 60 cases (91%). The median period from the first sheeting to diet resumption was 6 days (interquartile range [IQR], 4–8.8 days). Large perforation size (≥ 10 mm) and duodenal location showed marginal significant relationship to higher closure failure of intraoperative perforations. In delayed perforation cases, all cases had successful closure. The median period from the first sheeting to diet resumption was 10 days (IQR, 6–37.8 days). No adverse events related to PGA sheeting occurred. Conclusion Endoscopic PGA sheeting could be a therapeutic option for GI perforations related to GI endoscopic procedures.