Abstract:Objective To evaluate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of sequential painless gastroscopy following the removal of a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube under intravenous general anesthesia in patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EVB) after successful tamponade.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 56 patients with acute EVB successfully controlled by a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube between January 2020 and December 2024. Based on whether tube removal and gastroscopy was performed under intravenous general anesthesia, patients were divided into two groups: the anesthesia extubation gastroscopy group (painless group, n = 27) and the awake extubation gastroscopy group (waking group, n = 29). Safety outcomes, efficacy outcomes, and impact-related outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results The incidence of aspiration pneumonia post-treatment was 3.70% (1/27) in the painless group and 3.45% (1/29) in the waking group, showing no significant difference (P = 0.944). The incidence of hepatic encephalopathy post-treatment was 7.41% (2/27, all stage Ⅰ) in the painless group and 0.00% in the waking group, with no statistically significant difference (P = 0.228). The immediate rebleeding rate after tube removal was lower in the painless group (11.11%, 3/27) compared to the waking group (20.69%, 6/29), though the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.472). Among them, the bleeding rate during endoscopy after extubation in the painless group was 3.70% (1/27), which was lower than 13.79% (4/29) in the waking group, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.353). Short-term rebleeding rate after sequential endoscopic therapy was 3.70% (1/27) in the painless group and 6.90% (2/29) in the waking group, with no significant difference (P = 0.596). The incidence of tube removal-induced stress reactions was 0.00% (0/27) in the painless group and 65.52% (19/29) in the waking group, demonstrating a statistically significant difference (P = 0.000). The interference rate with gastroscopic treatment was 7.41% (2/27) in the painless group and 44.83% (13/29) in the waking group, showing a statistically significant difference (P = 0.002).Conclusion Tube removal under anesthesia followed by sequential painless gastroscopy does not increase anesthesia-related adverse events, reduces the incidence of tube removal-induced stress reactions and interference with gastroscopic treatment, and may further decrease the immediate and short-term rebleeding rates after Sengstaken-Blakemore tube removal.