In recent years, there have been more people receiving colorectal cancer screening; as a result, this has improved the rates of early diagnosis. In addition to conventional surgeries, early-stage patients now have one more option: endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The ESD procedure can completely remove lesions of more than two centimeters in size and have the advantage of low relapse rate.
During the procedure, the doctor inserts the colonoscope into the patient to confirm the location and size of a lesion. Then, a hyaluronic acid solution is injected beneath the lesion into the submucosa to lift the lesion. Next, an endoscopic knife is used to cut the tissues around the lesion and keep dissecting until the lesion and the submucosal tissues are completely removed.
