Feasibility and safety of endoscopic transesophageal access and closure using a Maryland dissector and a self-expanding metal stent.
BACKGROUND
Secure access and reliable closure is paramount in the setting of transesophageal mediastinal endoscopic surgery. The purpose of this study was to develop a secure transesophageal access technique and to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel covered, self-expanding, retractable stent for closure of 15-mm esophageal defects.


METHODS
Fifteen-millimeter esophagotomies were created in 18 domestic pigs using needle knife puncture and balloon dilatation or a blunt dissection technique. Six animals were randomly assigned to open surgical repair and six animals to endoscopic closure using a self-expanding, covered, nitinol stent (Danis SX-ELLA stent, ELLA-CS) in a nonsurvival setting. Pressurized leak tests were performed on all closures. Six animals underwent transesophageal endoscopic mediastinal interventions and survived for 17 days. Stents were extracted at day 10.


RESULTS
Nonsurvival experiments revealed two bleeding complications associated with the needle-knife access technique, while blunt-dissection mediastinal access was not associated with any complications. Leak test results were not different for stent compared to surgical closures. All survival animals were found to have complete closure and adequate healing of the esophagotomies. No leakage or infectious complication occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
Blunt dissection achieves safe access into the mediastinum. Stent closure achieves similar leak test results compared to surgical closure and results in adequate sealing and wound healing of 15-mm esophageal defects.
Department of Gastroenterology, Medizinische Klinik I, Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Ludwigsburg, Germany. renteln@gmx.net
Daniel
D
von Renteln
Melina C
MC
Vassiliou
Karel
K
Caca
Arthur
A
Schmidt
Richard I
RI
Rothstein
D000497:Alloys; D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004867:Equipment Design; D004935:Esophageal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004945:Esophagoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000601:surgery; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D010994:Pleura / Q000601:surgery; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D011897:Random Allocation; D015607:Stents; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013552:Swine
D000497:Alloys; C013616:nitinol