Esophageal ESD: technique and prevention of complications.

The advantage of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the ability to achieve high R0 resection, providing low local recurrence rate. Esophageal ESD is technically more difficult than gastric ESD due to the narrower space of the esophagus for endoscopic maneuvers. Also, the risk of perforation is higher because of the thin muscle layer of the esophageal wall. Blind dissection should be avoided to prevent perforation. A clip with line method is useful to keep a good endoscopic view with countertraction. Only an operator who has adequate skill should perform esophageal ESD.