Interventional endoscopy.
OBJECTIVE
This review is an update of key issues in gastric interventional endoscopy. It focuses on the areas of patient preparation, endoscopic mucosal resection, gastroduodenal stenting, and endoscopic placement of enteric feeding tubes.


RESULTS
Clopidogel (Plavix), a newer antiplatelet agent, can increase the risk of bleeding. Therefore, in selected cases, it should be held for 7-10 days prior to interventional procedures. In experienced hands, endoscopic mucosal resection (success rate, 76-100%; complication rate, 4-28%) and gastroduodenal stenting (success rate, 81-92%; complication rate, 1-17%) seem to be safe and effective techniques.


CONCLUSIONS
The field of interventional endoscopy continues to advance and to conquer new frontiers. These advances create new problems that need to be addressed and studied by researchers, however. It is only through these types of reviews that our state of knowledge can be updated to help provide the latest information for clinicians in the field and to challenge researchers with future problems that need to be studied.
Wassef
Wahid
W
University of Massachusetts Medical School, UMass Memorial Health Care, Worcester, 01655, USA. wassefw@ummhc.org
Rullan
Ramon
R
D016292:Procedural Sedation; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D015607:Stents