News Archive

MUSC Performs First Gastric Variceal Gluing

March 11, 2011 – On March 9, Drs. David Koch (Hepatology) and Joseph Romagnuolo (Therapeutic Endoscopy) performed the first gastric variceal gluing case not only at MUSC, but in all of South Carolina. Glue is injected with an endoscope into dilated veins in the stomach that have bled, causing them to freeze in a cast so that they do not rebleed.

In Canada, Asia, and many other areas of the world, gastric variceal gluing is a standard alternative to a Transhepatic Intrajugular Portosystemic Shunt (or TIPS) for bleeding gastric varices and is known to have a comparable safety profile when compared to TIPS. However, in the United States, it is currently limited to very few sites. Dr. Romagnuolo is familiar with the technique from his prior endoscopy practice in Canada.

MUSC is proud to offer this new therapeutic alternative for our liver disease and portal hypertension patients.

For more information, you may email Dr. David Koch.