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Research Article: Efficacy and safety of traction-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial gastric neoplasms: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Date Published: 2026-05-29

Abstract:
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remains technically demanding for superficial gastric neoplasms, particularly during submucosal layer dissection which is often time-consuming and associated with procedural risks. While traction-assisted ESD has been proposed to enhance visualization and facilitate safer dissection, current evidence regarding its efficacy and safety remains inconsistent. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing traction-assisted versus conventional ESD for superficial gastric neoplasms. Primary outcome was procedure time, with secondary outcomes were resection completeness ( en bloc and R0 rates). Safety outcomes focused on adverse events (perforation and delayed bleeding). Subgroup analyses were performed by lesion size, lesion location, operator experience level and study design. Seven RCTs involving 1476 patients were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated that traction-assisted ESD significantly reduced procedure time compared to conventional ESD (SMD: -0.23, 95% CI: -0.44 to -0.02; P = 0.034), with particularly pronounced benefits for lesions ?20mm (SMD: -0.39, 95% CI: -0.69 to -0.09, P = 0.011) and those located at the greater curvature of the upper/middle stomach (SMD: -0.58, 95% CI: -0.98 to -0.19; P = 0.004). However, the benefit was operator-dependent: traction-assisted ESD significantly reduced procedure time in beginners (SMD: -0.22, 95% CI: -0.40 to -0.04; P = 0.019) but not in experts (SMD: -0.08, 95% CI: -0.22 to 0.06; P = 0.250). Resection quality remained comparable between groups, with similar en bloc (RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01; P = 1.00) and R0 resection rates (RR: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.99-1.03; P = 0.156). Importantly, traction-assisted ESD showed a 73% reduction in perforation risk (RR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.08-0.91; P = 0.034) while maintaining equivalent delayed bleeding rate (RR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.59-1.60; P = 0.920). Traction-assisted ESD appears to be an efficient and safe technique for superficial gastric neoplasms, particularly for small lesions (?20 mm) and those in technically challenging locations. Notably, the procedure time benefit was significant only among less experienced operators, suggesting that traction may be most valuable for lowering the technical threshold in non-expert hands. However, given the observed sensitivity to individual studies, current evidence should be interpreted with caution. Further large-scale, multi-center RCTs are warranted to confirm these findings.

Introduction:
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remains technically demanding for superficial gastric neoplasms, particularly during submucosal layer dissection which is often time-consuming and associated with procedural risks. While traction-assisted ESD has been proposed to enhance visualization and facilitate safer dissection, current evidence regarding its efficacy and safety remains inconsistent.

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