Early rebleeding rate following endoscopic treatment of colonic diverticular bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Various endoscopic treatment options are available for managing colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of these endoscopic interventions in achieving hemostasis in patients with CDB, focusing on early rebleeding rate (ERR) within 30 days.

Methods: A systematic literature search of the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases was performed for articles published between January 2008 and December 2023. Studies evaluating endoscopic clipping, with or without epinephrine injection, endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and endoscopic snare ligation (EDSL) in the treatment of CDB were included. The primary outcome was the overall pooled ERR following successful hemostasis. Secondary outcomes addressed ERRs associated with various hemostatic endoscopic techniques, and pooled ERRs for both direct and indirect clipping methods. Results are presented as pooled rates and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: Sixteen studies were included, comprising 1435 patients with definite CDB of whom 1273 received endoscopic hemostatic treatment. Overall pooled ERR was 14.73% (95%CI 9.33-20.14%). Pooled ERRs were 9.83% (95%CI 7.41-12.26%) in the EBL/EDSL group and 22.32% (95%CI 12.48-32.16%) in the endoscopic clipping group (P=0.02). A subgroup analysis of the clipping group showed a significant difference between the pooled ERRs favoring direct clipping: 12.04% (95%CI 3.06-21.02%) vs. 27.74% (95%CI 18.34-37.14%), P=0.02. The measured effect favors direct over indirect clipping in reducing early rebleeding episodes: OR 0.45, 95%CI 0.24-0.85; P=0.01.

Conclusion: In the management of patients presenting with CDB, EBL/EDSL and direct clipping showed significantly lower ERRs compared to indirect clipping.