What endoscopic therapy is available to control variceal bleeding?
- Variceal endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and sclerotherapy are the main methods for endoscopic control of variceal bleeding, and control bleeding in approximately 90% of cases.
- EBL is the preferred method based on lower rebleeding (26% vs. 44%), mortality (24% vs. 31%) and complication rates (11% vs. 25%) when compared with sclerotherapy.
- In general, gastric varices are not amenable to band ligation.
