EUS-guided coil plus glue injection has emerged as a safe and effective modality for gastric varices (GVs). Very few studies have compared EUS embolization with the direct endoscopic glue injection (EGI) technique for its safety and effectiveness. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we compared the outcomes of EUS-guided coil plus glue injection versus EGI.

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for studies that compared EUS and EGI for GVs, and 1454 articles were screened following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Endpoints were pulmonary embolism, recurrent bleeding rate, reintervention rate, technical success, abdominal pain, and mortality rate. A restricted maximum likelihood random-effects model with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used for binary endpoints. Heterogeneity was evaluated through Cochrane’s Q statistic and Higgins and Thompson’s I² statistic. Significance was defined as P < .05.

We included 6 studies with 445 patients treated for GVs. Mean patient age was 49 years, and 43% were women. EUS was associated with a reduction in recurrent bleeding rate (OR, .22; 95% CI, .11-.45; P < .001; I² = 0) and reintervention rate (OR, .29; 95% CI, .09-.89; P = .03; I² = 49%) compared with EGI. There were no differences between groups in pulmonary embolism (OR, .34; 95% CI, .10-1.18; P = .09; I² = 0%), mortality rate (OR, .78; 95% CI, .28-2.13; P = .63; I² = 0%), technical success (OR, 3.50; 95% CI, .60-20.49; P = .16; I² = 0%), fever (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, .42-5.21 days; P = .5; I² = 0%), and abdominal pain (OR, .96; 95% CI, .31-2.95; P = .94; I² = 32%).

In patients with GVs, EUS-guided coil plus glue injection is associated with lower recurrent bleeding and reintervention rates than EGI with no difference in pulmonary embolization rate, abdominal pain, technical success, and mortality rate.