Endoscopic band ligation in the treatment of gastric antral vascular ectasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Aims: Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is typically treated by endoscopic thermal therapies. Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) has been reported in the treatment of GAVE with encouraging results. However, EBL is not widely used to this end. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of several databases (inception to May 2021) to identify studies reporting on the use of EBL in the treatment of GAVE. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled rates; I² values and 95% prediction intervals were calculated to assess the heterogeneity. Results: Ten studies (194 patients) were included in the final analysis. The pooled rate of treatment responders with EBL in GAVE was 81% (95% confidence interval [CI], 62.2-91.7), and GAVE recurrence was 15.4% (95% CI, 4.5-41.3). The pooled mean number of treatment sessions required was 2.4 (95% CI, 2.2-2.7), and the number of bands used to achieve eradication per patient was 15.1 (95% CI, 10.7-19.4). The pooled mean difference of pre- to post-treatment hemoglobin was 1.5 (95% CI,.9-2.2; P =.001), pre- to post-treatment units of packed red blood cells transfused was 1.1 (95% CI,.4-1.9; P =.002), and pre- to post-treatment hospital length of stay was.5 days (95% CI,.1-.9; P =.01). The pooled rate of overall adverse events was 15.9% (95% CI, 10.4-23.7). Conclusions: EBL demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of GAVE with minimal adverse events. Multicenter randomized controlled trials comparing EBL and other modalities as initial therapy are warranted.