Safety and performance of the HYBRIDknife flex in a porcine model of esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection: A pilot study

Background and Aim

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is considered the best modality for achieving en bloc resection of larger neoplastic mucosal lesions in the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Multiple devices are available for ESD, and refinements continue to be made to develop devices that improve the safety and efficiency of performing ESD. Submucosal injection with viscous fluids like glycerol, which prolong submucosal expansion, could facilitate the procedure. We aimed to evaluate the safety and performance of the new Erbe HYBRIDknife® flex, which combines electrosurgical dissection with waterjet-assisted injection in a slim and flexible form factor.

Methods

In a prospective animal study with six pigs, four endoscopists, each with 10–20 years of experience in ESD, performed 28 esophageal ESDs. One half was performed with physiological saline injectate, the other half with fructose-added glycerol. Various performance aspects were evaluated on a five-point scale [5 = best], including dissection properties, handling, and usability.

Results

No perforations or major bleeding occurred. All resections were performed en bloc, with one technical failure (3.6%, 1 of 28). Performance scores were similar for saline and glycerol (4.5 ± 0.31 vs. 4.5 ± 0.32, P = 0.36), as was dissection speed (13 ± 6.2 mm²/min vs. 15 ± 6.1 mm²/min, P = 0.22).

Conclusions

We demonstrated that esophageal ESD can be performed safely and rapidly using HYBRIDknife flex, with excellent performance evaluation by the endoscopists. Combining this device with glycerol or saline is precise and effective for ESD, although experience could compensate for the theoretical disadvantage of using normal saline.