Background and aims: EUS-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) is a minimally invasive technique for gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). EUS-guided balloon-occluded gastrojejunostomy bypass (EPASS) aims to improve stent deployment and minimize migration in EUS-GE. In this study, we evaluated the long-term outcomes of EPASS.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 37 patients (mean age, 71 years; 21 men) with symptomatic, nonrefractory GOO who had undergone EPASS.
Results: EPASS achieved a 94.6% technical success rate (35/37), including 2 cases of stent misdeployment. The mean procedure time was 27.3 minutes, with a double-balloon tube insertion time of 10.4 minutes. Initial GOO scores improved from .43 to 2.14 and 2.60 at 7 and 28 days after EPASS, respectively. The clinical success rate was 89.2%. The rate of adverse events, including fever and abdominal pain, was 16.2%. The mean overall survival after EPASS was 193.5 days, with no stent occlusion or migration (100% patency).
Conclusions: EPASS demonstrated safety and reliability in EUS-GE, offering a viable option for symptomatic malignant GOO treatment. (Clinical trial registration number: UMIN000011608.).
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