Miniprobe Endoscopic Ultrasonography for the Gastrointestinal Tract Assessment: A Cumulative Experience of 1000 Procedures - Abstract
Background: Utilization of conventional endoscopic ultrasonography has allowed precise diagnostics without disturbances occurring at the conventional ultrasound imaging. Miniprobes can be easily introduced through the biopsy channel of the endoscope and the use of Miniprobe Endoscopic Ultrasonography has many benefits compared to conventional endoscopic ultrasonography. In spite that is well known that has precise indications for use in the endoscopic digestive tract study, such as the study of stenosis, cancer staging, or the non-tumoral condition assessment, among other utilities, still needs to be more widely spreaded among physicians and commonly used by most endoscopists. The objective of this study is to use our cumulative experience using Miniprobes, to present with examples and statistics, the applicability and usefulness of this technology in the daily activity of an endoscopy department.
Methods: A multicenter retrospective review of a database of 1000 patients that underwent Endoscopic Ultrasonography-guided by Miniprobe of different brand and model, performed in three hospitals from November 1996 to July 2007.
Results: from our experience, the indications of Miniprobes utilization, are: cancer staging 35%, subepithelial lesions 30%, others 35%. In any of the procedures there were no major adverse events; the most frequent was abdominal pain (5%) induced by the endoscopy.
Conclusions: Miniprobe Endoscopic Ultrasonography appears to be a feasible, safe, and effective procedure for endoscopic assessments, with no major adverse events, that increase the quality of procedures with a high degree of resolution and the ability to perform real time imaging during diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.