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Advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy: ESD / EFTR / POEMTreat the lesion while preserving as much of the digestive tract as possible.
Explore a smaller resection in Shanghai.

If you want treatment for a gastrointestinal lesion while preserving the organ, Shanghai Zhongshan's team can select a more limited endoscopic resection for suitable lesions. Patients with achalasia may instead seek improved swallowing through POEM, a different procedure requiring confirmation of the diagnosis first.

Explore my organ-preserving options See the specific advantages

Free initial service consultation · Understand your options and budget before you travel

Shanghai Zhongshan: aiming to preserve the digestive tract
Suitable lesions can be assessed for endoscopic resection
ESD treats superficial lesions; EFTR is for selected deeper masses, not every tumour
Complex lesions may warrant combined endoscopy and laparoscopy
The hospital announced a combined approach in 2026; completion entirely by endoscopy is not promised

The early 2011 EFTR study included 26 gastric muscularis propria tumours, averaging 2.8cm (range 1.2–4.5cm). A small sample and technical report cannot establish long-term cure rates. View the evidence

ESD, EFTR and POEM treat different conditions. Staging and pathology determine whether additional surgery is needed. No standard international package price is available; request a fully self-funded quote. View sources

Aim to limit treatment to the area of the lesion

Shanghai Zhongshan's advanced endoscopy team can select a pathway based on lesion depth, closure feasibility and surgical backup. Organ preservation requires that the lesion be suitable for endoscopic treatment.

Superficial lesions: seek organ preservation

ESD can remove suitable superficial lesions in one piece for pathology, then determine whether further surgery is needed.

Selected deeper masses: limit resection extent

EFTR removes selected deeper gastric wall masses through the full wall thickness and closes the defect. Complex cases may warrant combined endoscopy and laparoscopy.

Achalasia: focus on improving swallowing

POEM cuts muscle to reduce outflow resistance and requires confirmed achalasia. Its goal differs from tumour resection.

View approval, research and price sources for this page

Build a budget around your lesion and procedure

ESD, EFTR and POEM differ in tests, consumables and subsequent care and need separate quotes. No verifiable standard international patient package is currently available. Foreign patients should request fully self-funded pricing without Chinese insurance or assistance.

ESD
Preoperative assessment, resection, haemostasis consumables and pathology: quote needed
EFTR
Full-thickness resection, closure devices and possible combined surgery: quote needed
POEM
Manometry, anaesthesia, myotomy, admission and follow-up: quote needed

Request separate costs for complication management, further surgery, follow-up and accommodation. Routine diagnostic endoscopy prices cannot substitute for these procedures.

Explore my complete treatment budget

View approval, research and price sources for this page

Finding treatment that fits you
starts with the reports you already have.

Clarifying your disease type and previous treatment helps establish whether this option could form part of a plan for you.

  • ESD pathwaySome early oesophageal or gastric tumours and complex colorectal lesions; assess invasion and lymph node risk.
  • EFTR pathwaySelected masses arising from the muscularis propria, assessed by endoscopic ultrasound, location and oncological risk.
  • POEM pathwayConfirm achalasia using high-resolution manometry and other tests, excluding tumour-related pseudoachalasia.

Whether the organ can be preserved also depends on post-resection pathology

ESGE guidance uses margins, invasion depth and lymphovascular invasion to guide further treatment. Complete resection does not necessarily remove the need for surgery. After POEM, monitor reflux and swallowing changes.

High-risk pathology
May require additional surgery or other treatment
Follow-up issues after POEM
Monitor reflux and recurrence of swallowing symptoms
Scope of the early EFTR study
Shanghai Zhongshan, 2011: 26 gastric muscularis propria tumours, mean 2.8cm, range 1.2–4.5cm; not a basis for calculating long-term cure rates

ESD may cause bleeding, perforation or stricture; EFTR may cause leakage, infection or conversion to surgery; POEM may cause reflux, bleeding or mucosal injury.

View approval, research and price sources for this page

In Shanghai, let specialist experience
help inform your next step.

Explore Shanghai teams whose research and clinical focus relate to your condition and may warrant further discussion.

Campus photograph of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

Campus photograph of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

Zhou Pinghong and the endoscopy centre team

Advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy assessment

Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University

Zhou Pinghong and the endoscopy centre team at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, perform advanced techniques including full-thickness resection and POEM. Organ preservation and surgical backup can be discussed according to the lesion. Official Fudan information and the hospital's original 2011 EFTR study document relevant experience. The specific procedure still depends on examination results.

Learn about this Shanghai team

Published research and clinical information can inform hospital selection; specific doctors, drug availability, international clinic charges and appointment dates are subject to confirmation by the hospital.

You do not need to book flights first.
Clarify treatment and costs before you travel.

Tell us your diagnosis, previous treatments and main concerns. We help you communicate about Shanghai consultation requirements, budgets and travel arrangements.

  • Provide complete endoscopy images, videos and reports to define lesion location and extent
  • Prepare pathology slides or blocks and reports to assess resection and further treatment requirements
  • Add relevant endoscopic ultrasound, CT or oesophageal manometry records to distinguish suitable pathways
  • List previous treatment, anticoagulants and anaesthetic risks to plan the procedure and backup options

Start the first conversation with the records you already have.

You do not need to arrange new tests yourself for an initial consultation.

Download the records checklist

Get answers to the questions that matter to you
before you travel.

Costs, potential benefit and further treatment deserve specific answers before departure.

How can I tell whether only the lesion can be removed while preserving the organ?

Endoscopy, imaging and pathology must assess invasion depth and lymph node risk. Not every early cancer is suitable for endoscopy. Deep invasion, lymphovascular invasion or lymph node metastatic risk may require surgery.

Is the same endoscopic procedure used for difficulty swallowing?

No. POEM mainly treats impaired emptying from achalasia; its goal differs from lesion removal by ESD or EFTR. Manometry and other tests must establish the diagnosis and exclude tumour-related pseudoachalasia.

Which tests or medicines may be needed afterwards?

After tumour resection, endoscopic follow-up remains necessary, with further treatment determined by pathology. After POEM, acid-suppressing medicines and reflux testing may be needed, along with monitoring for recurrent swallowing symptoms.

Match the goal of organ preservation to the appropriate procedure.

Starting with your condition and budget, we help communicate about consultations and treatment arrangements in Shanghai.

The initial service consultation is free; the treating doctor assesses your specific medical plan.

Explore my organ-preserving options patient.services@eastmedgo.com
Sources and image credits

Information is compiled from public approval documents, studies and prices and does not replace an individual medical assessment. Research and cost figures each have a defined scope; published prices are not personal international patient quotes. Costs are discussed on a self-funded basis without Chinese health insurance or free-drug assistance.

  1. Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University: Zhou Pinghong and Zhongshan's endoscopic techniques · 2025-04-30
  2. Fudan University: Zhongshan Hospital combined endoscopic–laparoscopic approach · 2026-05-22
  3. Surgical Endoscopy: Zhongshan study of full-thickness resection in 26 gastric muscularis propria tumours · 2011-03-18
  4. ESGE: ESD guideline for superficial gastrointestinal lesions · 2022
  5. ASGE: guideline on achalasia management · 2020-02

Portraits and hospital images come from the cited public sources or existing project assets. Public accessibility does not constitute a commercial image licence.

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