1986 Volume 28 Issue 7 Pages 1537-1545
Various hemostatic measures are available today, and their usefulness has been so far established. The heat probe method was originated by Protell et al. (1978) as one of the hemostatic measures for upper GI bleeding ; the bleeding vessels are coagulated by electric heat. Recently, a heat probe unit (HPU, Olympus) was devised by application of his theory ; its clinical utility was evaluated in this article. The heat probe method was employed in 19 cases of upper GI bleeding during the past one year, including 11 cases of gastric ulcer, 5 cases of duodenal ulcer, and 3 cases of stomal ulcer. The bleeding was effectively stopped in 18 cases (94.7%) ; follow-up revealed that permanent hemostasis was obtained in 16 cases (84.2%), and temporary hemostasis in 2 cases (10.5%). Electric heat energy required for hemostasis ranged from 15 to 150 J. No complications were encountered. These data confirmed that the heat probe method is equal or superior to other various methods of endoscopic hemostasis in its reliability, operability, safety, and portability.
