Bleeding due to slippage of elastic band during variceal ligation: successful use of Ankaferd blood stopper

Abstract

Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a hemostatic agent that induces clot formation by a special protein network which mainly causes powerful erythrocyte aggregation. The use of topical ABS as a hemostatic agent has been approved in Turkey for the management of dermal, external post-surgical and post-dental surgery bleeding. ABS has been successfully used in Dieulafoy lesion and bleeding from gastrointestinal neoplasms. We present a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis who developed severe bleeding during an elective endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) session due to immediate band slippage, in whom endoscopic topical application of ABS was associated with cessation of bleeding. The major advantages of ABS appear to be ease of use and lack of side effect.