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This Randomized, Single-center Trial Aims to Evaluate the Advantages of Underwater ESD (U-ESD) in Comparison to the Conventional ESD (C-ESD).

Water-Assisted Versus Standard ESD for Large Nonpedunculated Colorectal Polyps: a Prospective Randomized Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07040020
Acronym
Wave-ESD
Enrollment
122
Registered
2025-06-26
Start date
2025-03-31
Completion date
2026-03-26
Last updated
2026-04-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Precancerous Lesions

Keywords

esd, large nonpedunculated colorectal polyps

Brief summary

Large nonpedunculated colorectal lesions are increasingly detected thanks to screening programs worldwide. ESD is the technique which provides a high-quality resection of these large polyps. Nevertheless, colorectal ESD is burdened by technical difficulties and several adverse events affecting its outcomes. The adverse events could be life-threatening, call for or prolong the hospitalization, require blood transfusion, additional endoscopic or surgical procedures and increase costs. Failure of endoscopic resection requiring surgery for benign lesions could affect patients' quality of life and increase healthcare systems' costs. Thus, improving colorectal ESD outcomes is an important clinical and medico-economic objective. The underwater setting with saline has been already established as a better option than conventional CO2 insufflation for EMR of large colonic polyps. Moreover, use of the underwater approach for colorectal ESD has been increasingly reported with good results in the last few years. However, a randomized comparative trial between conventional and underwater colorectal ESD clarifying which should be the preferred approach is lacking. Expected benefits are a decrease of adverse events and an increase of successful R0 resection rate of colorectal ESD.

Detailed description

The procedure in this study involves the application of underwater ESD for the resection of large nonpedunculated colorectal polyps. Underwater ESD is a technique wherein the polyp is removed in an en bloc fashion. The procedure initiates with the identification and delineation of the polyp borders through careful endoscopic examination. Subsequently, after filling the lumen with saline and sucking all the air, initial submucosal injection of saline and methylene blue is performed to lift the lesion. After that, subsequent mucosal incision with ESD knife all around the lesion and submucosal dissection deep in the submucosal layer leading to an en bloc resection will be performed. The clinical practice and technique of underwater ESD and conventional ESD performed during the course of the trial, will not be modified from standard clinical practice.

Interventions

PROCEDUREUnderwater ESD (U-ESD)

Underwater ESD (U-ESD): after filling the lumen with saline and sucking all the air, initial submucosal injection of saline and methylene blue is performed; subsequent mucosal incision with ESD knife all around the lesion and submucosal dissection deep in the submucosal layer leading to an en bloc resection is carried out

OTHERConventional ESD (C-ESD)

Conventional ESD (C-ESD): under CO2 insufflation, initial submucosal injection of saline and methylene blue is performed; subsequent mucosal incision with ESD knife all around the lesion and submucosal dissection deep in the submucosal layer leading to an en bloc resection is carried out.

Sponsors

Istituto Clinico Humanitas
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* all patients ≥ 18 years of age with indication of ESD for large (\>20mm) nonpedunculated colorectal polyps * patients who were able to give informed written consent

Exclusion criteria

* Suspicion of deep submucosal cancer by analysis of pit pattern (KUDO Vn) * Suspicion of serrated/hyperplastic polyps by analysis of pit pattern (Kudo IIo) * Polyp involving the appendix deeply (type 2 or 3 according to Toyonaga classification) * Polyp involving the anal verge * Polyp inside the ileo-cecal valvula

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
R0 resection24 hoursRate of successful and safe endoscopic resection defined as an R0 resection with no major adverse events (defined as any major procedure-related complication, such as delayed bleeding, intraprocedural and delayed perforation or post-electrocoagulation syndrome)

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Compareat 24 hoursCompare the: * mean procedural time; * rate of en bloc resection; * rate of R0 resection; * rate of curative resection; * length of hospitalization; * rate of intraprocedural perforation; * rate of intraprocedural bleeding.
delayed perforationat 1 monthsTo compare the proportion of delayed perforation between the two groups
proportion of post-electrocoagulation syndromeat Day 7To compare the proportion of post-electrocoagulation syndrome between the two groups

Countries

Italy

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Apr 22, 2026