Safety and efficacy of multiband mucosectomy for Barrett's esophagus: a systematic review with pooled analysis

Background According to guidelines, all visible lesions in Barrett's esophagus (BE) should be endoscopically resected. Available methods of endoscopic resection include the cap-assisted technique and, more recently, multiband mucosectomy (MBM). Data on the efficacy and safety of MBM have yet to be systematically reviewed. We performed the first systematic review with pooled analysis to evaluate the outcomes of MBM in patients with BE. Methods Electronic databases (Medline, Scopus, EMBASE) were searched up to August 2019. Studies including patients with BE who underwent MBM were eligible. The primary outcome was the adverse events rate. Secondary outcomes were the proportions of complete resections and R0 resections. Outcomes were assessed by pooling data using a random or fixed-effect model, according to the degree of heterogeneity, to obtain a proportion with a 95% confidence interval. Results Fourteen studies were eligible (1334 procedures, 986 patients). The adverse event rate was 5.3%. Immediate and post-procedural bleeding, perforations and strictures occurred in 0.2%, 0.7%, 0.3% and 3.9% of procedures, respectively. Focal lesions were resected at a complete rate of 97.6% with an R0 resection rate of 94.1%. Conclusion MBM is a safe and effective technique for treating visible lesions in BE.