Area Editoriale
The endoclip was one of the earliest accessories developed for GI endotherapy.1,2 After extensive use in Japan and Europe over the past 2 to 3 decades, endoclips recently have become available in the United States. They are used primarily for the control of GI bleeding and for the closure of perforations, fistulas, and anastomotic leaks. In addition, they have been used to anchor catheters, feeding tubes, and stents to the GI wall to prevent their migration. Being metallic, endoclips also serve as excellent markers for fluoroscopic-guided therapy (Fig. 1).A MEDLINE search of English language publications was performed from 1966 to February 2003, by using the keywords “endoclip” and “hemoclip.” In addition, a manual search of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and of Endoscopy from 1994 to June 2003 for published manuscripts on endoclips was performed. Reference lists from relevant manuscripts also were inspected to identify additional applicable articles missed with the above search strategy. An overall quality assessment of the available publications was done according to “evidence-based gastroenterology and hepatology” (see Appendix).3 Recommendation grades appear within the text as follows: [R Grade A] or [R Grade B] depending on the quality of evidence.