Mucosal resection in the upper gastrointestinal tract

The last decade has seen major advances in endoscopic therapy for mucosal neoplasia. Improvements in imaging, early lesion recognition and characterization and resection techniques have translated into substantial clinical gains. Endoscopic resection should now be seen as the primary means of treatment for early mucosal neoplasia in the digestive tract. This review will discuss the technical aspects and endoscopic approach for the most commonly used endoscopic resection techniques and highlight their clinical utility, major advantages and shortfalls as they are currently employed. A specific discussion of the technical aspects for two of the more commonly encountered problems in the western world, Barrett's oesophagus and duodenal polyps is presented.