EFFECTIVE SINGLE-SESSION GREEN LASER HEMOSTASIS OF REFRACTORY BLEEDING FROM GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA

Radiotherapy is used to control bleeding from gastric malignancy, but it’s inconvenient for frail patients. Neodymium-YAG(“green”) lasers are widely available in Urology. An 89-yo woman with unresectable gastric adenocarcinoma experienced bleeding requiring frequent blood transfusions. Gastroscopy showed large antral ulceration with exposed vessels. Sclerotherapy failed to control bleeding. Patient performance status was otherwise good. A transpyloric duodenal SEMS was placed to treat impending outlet obstruction and a green laser probe was used to ablate visible vessels/bleeding spots within large ulcerated area. The patient did not experience any subsequent bleeding throughout the 5-months she survived on palliative care.

Publication History

Article published online:
14 April 2022