TY  - JOUR
T1  - Applications of endoscopic vacuum therapy in the upper gastrointestinal tract
LA  - English
AU  - Kouladouros, Konstantinos
AB  - Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) is an increasingly popular treatment option for wall defects in the upper gastrointestinal tract. After its initial description for the treatment of anastomotic leaks after esophageal and gastric surgery, it was also implemented for a wide range of defects, including acute perforations, duodenal lesions, and postbariatric complications. Apart from the initially proposed handmade sponge inserted using the "piggyback" technique, further devices were used, such as the commercially available EsoSponge and VAC-Stent as well as open-pore film drainage. The reported pressure settings and intervals between the subsequent endoscopic procedures vary greatly, but all available evidence highlights the efficacy of EVT, with high success rates and low morbidity and mortality, so that in many centers it is considered to be a first-line treatment, especially for anastomotic leaks.
DO  - 10.4253/wjge.v15.i6.420
IS  - 6
PY  - 2023
SN  - 1948-5190
SP  - 420
EP  - 433
PM  - 37397978
JF  - World journal of gastrointestinal endoscopy
ER  -