Abstract: Objective To study on the value of regular endoscopy as a follow-up treatment after successful primary hemostasis of esophageal variceal (EV) hemorrhage in liver cirrhotic patients. Methods From January 2016 to December 2017, 146 patients with EV hemorrhage due to liver cirrhosis who were successfully treated by endoscopy for the first time in Pingdingshan First People's Hospital were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into two groups with 73 cases in each group. The follow-up treatment plan for the observation group was regular endoscopic treatment, while the control group was followed-up with conservative treatment. The remission of varicose vein under regular endoscopic treatment in the observation group were investigated. The recurrence, rebleeding, death due to EV, the occurrence of gastric varicose vein bleeding and related complications in the control and obseration groups were compared. Results The remission rate of EV in the observation group was 100.0% after 2 to 3 times treatment by regular endoscopy, which was significantly higher than 45.2% after the first treatment (P<0.05); There was no significant difference in the elimination rate of gastric varices between the observation group and the control group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in recurrence rate, rebleeding rate and mortality rate of EV between the two groups within 1 month (P>0.05); During 12 and 20 months of follow-up, EV recurrence rates in the observation group were 15.1% and 20.5%, respectively, which were significantly lower than 41.1% and 72.6% in the control group (P<0.05); rebleeding rates in the observation group were 4.1% and 13.7%, respectively, which were significantly lower than 32.9% and 56.2% in the control group (P<0.05); mortality rates were 0 and 4.1%, respectively, which were significantly lower than 8.2% and 20.5% in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of gastric varicose bleeding in the observation group was 0, which is significantly lower than 19.2% in the control group (P<0.05); There was no significant difference between these two groups as for the incidences of upper abdominal discomfort, gastrointestinal ulcer, fever and post-sternal pain (P>0.05). Conclusion Regular endoscopy has an important application value in the follow-up of the EV bleeding patients after successful primary endoscopic treatment, which effectively reduces EV degree, eliminates gastric varicose veins, reduces rebleeding rate and mortality with good security.

Key words: Endoscopy, Liver cirrhosis, Esophageal varices, Hemorrhage