Abstract:Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of endoscopic radial incision (ERI) for refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture.Methods The medical records of 14 patients with benign upper digestive tract stricture who underwent radial incision from November 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical information of the patients was recorded, including duration of stricture preoperatively and treatments received preoperatively, symptoms of dysphagia preoperatively and postoperatively, improvement of anastomotic diameter, and intraoperative and postoperative complications, and the efficacy was evaluated.Results All the 14 patients completed the ERI, the average operation time was (13.21 ± 4.26) min, and the incision site was (2.17 ± 0.58). All the patients did not develop complications such as perforation and bleeding. The average dysphagia score was (3.08 ± 0.52) before operation and decreased to(1.14 ± 0.35)the second day after operation. The preoperative and postoperative differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The scores of dysphagia at 3 and 6 months after surgery were (1.23 ± 0.58) points and (1.39 ± 0.66) points, compared with the second day after operation, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The diameters of the stenosis before operation, immediately after operation, and 3 months after operation were (0.28 ± 0.04) cm, (1.23 ± 0.02) cm and (1.11 ± 0.03) cm, respectively. The preoperative and postoperative differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the time after operation and 3 months after operation (P > 0.05).Conclusion Endoscopic radial incision is safe, effective and feasible for refractory benign upper digestive tract stricture.