Endoscopic Retrograde Appendicitis Therapy

Endoscopic Retrograde Appendicitis Therapy

With the development of the times, modern medicine has a new understanding of appendix, some anatomical research pointed out that the appendix contains massive lymphatic tissue, which can participate in cell and humoral immunity, and therefore appendix could be classified into the central immune organ. In addition, other studies have pointed out that appendix also contains a large number of secretory cells, which can secret growth hormone and digestive enzymes, and participate in endocrine and brain-gut axis functions.

Moreover, the open surgery operation of appendicitis has been prevailed for 100 years, until presently minimally invasive surgical procedures for appendicitis come into being. It includes laparoscopic appendectomy and natural orifice appendectomy (NOTES surgery).

Professor Liu Bingrong from the first affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University, proposed a new approach regarding the treatment of appendicitis by the inspiration of endoscopic treatment of suppurative cholangitis. This operation, he named it endoscopic retrograde appendix therapy (ERAT). In this operation, the physician does not open the abdomen, or cut the appendix. Appendicitis is treated by solving the cause of the acute appendicitis based on etiology. This method retained the appendix and its function completely.

Professor Liu Bingrong and his team believe that ERAT is an effective minimally invasive treatment for acute appendicitis, which avoids surgery and surgical-related complications, retains the appendix and its functions, and has a low recurrence rate. This technology is still in its infancy phase, requiring long-term and large-sample studies and multi-center randomized controlled trials to further verify its effectiveness and safety.

Professor Liu Bingrong 

Doctor of medicine, Postdoctoral, Chief physician, professor, doctoral supervisor

Director of the digestive hospital in the first affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University

Outstanding talents of scientific and technological innovation in Henan Province

Chairman of digestive endoscopy branch of Henan Medical Association

Member of minimally invasive intervention group, Chinese society of gastroenterology

1. Endoscopic treatment of retrograde appendicitis (ERAT); 2. 2. LiuPOEM; 3. Transgastric NOTES ectopic pregnancy surgery and 4. 5. Endoscopic gastric windowing for the treatment of pancreatic pseudocyst; 6. Pure NOTES gallbladder-preserving lithotomy and cholecystectomy with polypectomy through rectal approach; 7. Retrograde cecal appendectomy (ETCA) under endoscope; 8. Endoscopic gastric mucosa exfoliation (weight loss) (EGMA) and other internationally pioneering techniques.

Presided over more than 10 scientific research projects, including 2 projects under the national natural science foundation of China;

As the first author or corresponding author, I have published 35 SCI papers, 4 of which have an impact factor of 10 or more, with a cumulative impact factor of 144.146.

It has won 8 first prizes of new medical technology, utility model patents and 9 national invention patents.