Background: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has become the standard endoscopic treatment for gastric neoplasms because of its safety and high rate of curability; however, it is not easy for novice operators to learn the technique of ESD. In this study, predictive factors of gastric neoplasms in which novices could not finish ESD by self-completion were evaluated.
Methods: Eighty consecutive ESD procedures performed by four novice operators were retrospectively analyzed. Standard ESD procedures were performed using an insulation-tipped (IT) knife under supervision. Self-completion rates, procedure time, and complete resection rates were evaluated, and predictive factors for "not self-completion" were assessed.
Results: The overall self-completion rate and en bloc plus R0 resection rate were 87.5% (70/80) and 95.7 % (67/70), respectively. In "not self-completion" cases (n = 10), the procedure time was longer and resected specimens were larger than those in self-completion cases (83.7 ± 47.3 min vs. 189.5 ± 106.8 min, p < 0.05; 641.2 ± 487.8 vs. 1,116 ± 480.4 mm(2), p < 0.01). Predictive factors of "not self-completion" were tumor location in the middle or upper third of the stomach or in the greater curvature and size of resected specimens larger than 900 mm(2). The self-completion rate of ESD was decreased in cases with more than two predictive factors.
Conclusions: For novice operators, tumor location and resected areas are predictive factors for failure to finish gastric ESD by self-completion. Selection of cancer lesions could be a key factor for effectiveness of ESD training.