Endoscopic full-thickness resection of upper gastrointestinal tract: a review on closure techniques

Endoscopic full-thickness resection has become more and more popular. One of the most important parts of this procedure is the closure of these full-thickness defects. Apart from conventional through-the-scope (TTS) clips, several different methods and devices have emerged as safe and efficacious in recent years. New clips include the anchor pronged TTS clips, dual-action tissue clips, and over-the-scope-clips. There are also new line or loop-assisted closure methods such as clip loop method, reopenable clip over line method, loop 9 method, and the internal-traction-assisted suspended closure method. New devices include the helical tacking system and endoscopic suturing device. This review article will discuss in details the usage of these different methods and available literature on comparison between the different closure methods.