Objective  To investigate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization using hemostatic clips as the guidance in the patients with peptic ulcer bleeding after endoscopic treatment failure.

  Methods  From February 2009 to October 2018, 33 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding who were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization after endoscopic treatment failure were included in the study. Clinical success rate, 30-d mortality rate and complication rate were observed.

  Results  According to Forrest grading of ulcer bleeding on endoscopy, 8 patients (24.2%) were defined as Ⅰa, 14 patients (42.5%) Ⅰb, 4 patients (12.1%) Ⅱa, and 7 patients (21.2%) Ⅱb. There were 8 patients not given endoscopic treatment due to poor vision. In 25 patients who received endoscopic treatment, 7 patients did not achieve primary endoscopic hemostasis and 18 patients had re-bleeding despite successful primary hemostasis. The mean interval time from endoscopic treatment failure to transcatheter arterial embolization was (35.42±67.54) h. All patients underwent arterial angiography, and 18 patients with positive angiographic findings were treated with embolization. Among the 15 patients with negative angiographic findings, hemostatic clip could be observed fluoroscopically in 8 patients and used as guidance for embolization. Prophylactic embolization was performed in 4 out of 7 patients without visualization of clip fluoroscopically. The clinical success rates in negative angiographic findings patients with and without clip guidance were 75.0% and 28.6% respectively. The clinical success rate with positive angiographic findings was 66.7%. The overall clinical success rate and 30-d mortality rate were 60.0% and 20.0% respectively. No complication related to embolization was observed.

  Conclusion  The preliminary clinical study demonstrates that transcatheter arterial embolization with the guidance of clips is effective and safe for patients with peptic ulcer bleeding after endoscopic treatment failure.