Esomeprazole Plus Sucralfate for Post-ESD Ulcer Healing

Summary

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an established treatment for early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions. Post-ESD artificial ulcers may lead to complications including delayed bleeding (3-15%) and prolonged healing. Current guidelines recommend high-dose proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), but evidence for additional mucosal protective agents remains limited. This study aims to evaluate whether combining sucralfate suspension with standard intravenous esomeprazole therapy improves ulcer healing and reduces complications after gastric ESD compared to esomeprazole alone. This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, outcome-assessor-blinded trial. A total of 120 patients undergoing gastric ESD will be randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either: * Intervention group: Intravenous esomeprazole 40mg twice daily (3 days) followed by oral esomeprazole 40mg once daily PLUS sucralfate suspension 1g twice daily for 8 weeks * Control group: Intravenous esomeprazole 40mg twice daily (3 days) followed by oral esomeprazole 40mg once daily for 8 weeks The primary outcome is ulcer reduction rate at 4 weeks post-ESD, assessed by endoscopy. Secondary outcomes include complete ulcer healing rate at 8 weeks, delayed bleeding rate, symptom scores, and safety parameters. This study will provide high-quality evidence regarding the role of sucralfate as an adjunctive therapy for post-ESD ulcer management and may inform future clinical guidelines.

Timeline

Start

2026-04-20

Primary completion

2026-12-20

Completion

2026-12-30

Publications

• Background Takeuchi T, Ota K, Harada S, Edogawa S, Kojima Y, Tokioka S, Umegaki E, Higuchi K. The postoperative bleeding rate and its risk factors in patients on antithrombotic therapy who undergo gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection. BMC Gastroenterol. 2013 Sep 6;13:136. doi: 10.1186/1471-230X-13-136.
• Background Tanaka S, Terasaki M, Kanao H, Oka S, Chayama K. Current status and future perspectives of endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal tumors. Dig Endosc. 2012 May;24 Suppl 1:73-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1443-1661.2012.01252.x.
• Background Pimentel-Nunes P, Libanio D, Bastiaansen BAJ, Bhandari P, Bisschops R, Bourke MJ, Esposito G, Lemmers A, Maselli R, Messmann H, Pech O, Pioche M, Vieth M, Weusten BLAM, van Hooft JE, Deprez PH, Dinis-Ribeiro M. Endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial gastrointestinal lesions: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline - Update 2022. Endoscopy. 2022 Jun;54(6):591-622. doi: 10.1055/a-1811-7025. Epub 2022 May 6.

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Indications