RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR GASTRIC ANTRAL VASCULAR ECTASIA
Research type
Research Study
Full title
RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR GASTRIC ANTRAL VASCULAR ECTASIA
IRAS ID
183819
Contact name
Rehan Haidry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London Hospital NHS trust
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The aim of this study is to assess the impact on quality of life of a new treatment for gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding using radio frequency ablation. The diagnosis of this condition is made at endoscopy with the appearance of red stripes giving the condition the alternative name "watermelon stomach". Current treatment options include iron replacement, red-blood cell (RBC) transfusions, and treatment of underlying conditions (including cirrhosis, diabetes, scleroderma, and chronic renal diseases). Subacute and chronic bleeding from GAVE represents a considerable economic burden due to repeated hospitalization and transfusion requirements.
Drug treatments currently have no definitive place in the treatment strategy and surgery is considered the only cure, but has up to a 2% mortality rate and a significant associated morbidity.
Endoscopic therapy mostly uses thermal techniques, aiming to eradication the superficial blood vessels in the stomach. Treatment of these blood vessels in GAVE have included heater probes, laser therapy and argon plasma coagulation. Currently, argon plasma coagulation (APC) is the preferred endoscopic treatment for GAVE on account of being easy to use, relatively safe, at an acceptable cost. However, it requires multiple sessions, and only one third of patients will be able to discontinue blood or iron transfusions.
An emerging alternative to the established approach of APC is radio-frequency ablation. RFA has strong assets, when it comes to achieving ablation of these broad but superficial stomach vessels. RFA is now the standard of care at UCLH for the management of patients with transfusion dependent GAVE.
REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0149
Date of REC Opinion
3 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion