The incidence of
esophageal stricture without
stricture prophylaxis measures after whole circumferential endoscopic resection is almost 100%, which substantially decreases the patients' quality of life and requires multiple sessions of endoscopic balloon dilation. To date, there are many reports concerning the prevention of
esophageal stricture after whole circumferential endoscopic resection. Oral
steroid may be effective for preventing
esophageal stricture after whole circumferential endoscopic resection. However, exposure to a high dose of
steroid raises concerns with regard to adverse events. Intralesional
triamcinolone acetonide injection and preventive endoscopic balloon dilation did not appear to reduce the frequency of
stricture formation after whole circumferential endoscopic resection. Esophageal
stent appeared to be a possible prophylactic treatment, but adverse events should be of great concern.
Polyglycolic acid sheets seemed promising, because they can not only act as protective barriers but can also be
drug carriers to prevent
esophageal stricture. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine such as oral mucosal epithelial cell sheets cultured in vitro have been used in patients to prevent
esophageal stricture, but it is technically and financially burdensome. Autologous
tissue transplantation showed a promising preventive effect for
esophageal stricture and it is relatively easy to carry out in clinical practice, and this technique needs further improvements to prevent
esophageal stricture after whole circumferential endoscopic resection.