An evaluation of the use of double-curved endoscopes for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Background Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) is a standard treatment method for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (gGISTs). Evidence of the safety and efficacy of a double-curved endoscope (DCE) in EFTR of gGISTs is limited. We aimed to compare the operative outcomes of DCE versus single-curved endoscopes (SCE) in EFTR of gGISTs.Material and methods This retrospective observational study was conducted at four Chinese tertiary institutes. From January 2019 to November 2021, 104 patients who underwent EFTR by SCE (n = 57) or DCE (n = 47) were enrolled. One-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) was performed between the two groups to compare the demographics and operative outcomes.Results All gGISTs were resected successfully with no recurrence during follow-up. The median (range) tumor size was 1.2 (0.5, 3.5) cm in DCE and 2.0 (0.6, 4.8) cm in SCE (p < .001), and the procedure time was shorter in the DCE group than in the SCE group (50.0 min vs. 62.0 min, p < .05). After PSM, 41 pairs were selected, and no difference was noted in demographics. The procedure time was also shorter in the DCE group than in the SCE group (50.0 min vs. 55.0 min, p < .05). Subgroup analysis showed that the DCE group had a shorter procedure time in the gastric fundus than the SCE group (47.0 min vs. 55.0 min, p < .05). In multiple linear regression analysis, significant factors related to prolonged procedure time were the type of endoscope of SCE and larger tumor size (p < .05).Conclusions EFTR of gGISTs using DCE is safe and effective. Compared with SCE, DCE had an advantage in terms of operative time, especially in the gastric fundus.