Endoscopic Full Thickness Resection

What is endoscopic full-thickness resection?

Endoscopic full-thickness resection, or EFTR, is a minimally invasive procedure to remove (resect) benign or cancerous tumors from the gastrointestinal tract using an endoscope, a flexible, tube-like instrument. “Full thickness” refers to how much of the gastrointestinal wall is removed.

Gastrointestinal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a procedure to remove precancerous, early-stage cancer or other abnormal tissues (lesions) from the digestive tract. Endoscopic mucosal resection is performed with a long, narrow tube equipped with a light, video camera, and other instruments.