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DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1215053
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York
Meta-analysis of endoscopic submucosal dissection versus endoscopic mucosal resection for tumors of the gastrointestinal tract
Publication History
submitted 3 March 2009
accepted after revision 7 July 2009
Publication Date:
19 August 2009 (online)


Background and study aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been developed to overcome the limitations of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). We aimed to compare the outcomes of these two methods.
Methods: Databases, including Pubmed, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library, were searched to identify studies comparing ESD with EMR for premalignant and malignant lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. In a meta-analysis, primary end points were the en bloc resection rate and the curative resection rate; secondary end points were operation time, and rates of bleeding, perforation, and local recurrence.
Results: 15 nonrandomized studies (seven full-text and eight abstracts) were identified. Meta-analysis showed higher en bloc and curative resection rates (odds ratio [OR] 13.87, 95 %CI 10.12 – 18.99; OR 3.53, 95 %CI 2.57 – 4.84) irrespective of lesion size. Subgroup analysis showed higher en bloc and curative resection rates with ESD for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal neoplasms, and for lesions of size < 10 mm, 10 mm < 20 mm, and > 20 mm. Local recurrence was lower with ESD (OR 0.09, 95 %CI 0.04 – 0.18). But ESD was more time-consuming than EMR (weighted mean difference [WMD] 1.76; 95 %CI 0.60 – 2.92), and showed high procedure-related bleeding and perforation rates (OR 2.20, 95 %CI 1.58 – 3.07; OR 4.09, 95 %CI 2.47 – 6.80).
Conclusions: ESD showed better en bloc and curative resection rates and local recurrence compared with EMR, but was more time-consuming and had higher rates of bleeding and perforation complications. These results need to be confirmed by high quality trials and further studies in the west.