Review for 10.1186/s12876-020-01260-9 (2020)

Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: FEASIBILITY OF USING AN LED -PROBE IN THIRD -SPACE ENDOSCOPY: A  
CLINICAL STUDY  
 
Version: 2 Date: 14 Feb 2020  
 
Reviewer: Mingyan Cai  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I read your manuscript with great interest. This led -probe assisted third -space endoscopy 
technique may or may not be inspired by double -scope POEM technique. （Double -scope per 
oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM): a prospective rand omized controlled trial.Grimes KL, Inoue 
H, Onimaru M, Ikeda H, Tansawet A, Bechara R, Tanaka S  
Surg Endosc. 2016 Apr; 30(4):1344 -51.） 
The merits of double -scope POEM technique are similar to your LED -PROBE assisted technique 
and what's more, the tip of th e scope is controllable. However double -scope POEM technique 
adds the procedure fee.  
 
Here are my some minor concerns:  
1. Please add how much time you spent on hand -making this Led -probe. From the video, 
the black tape may not be sterile to make such a pr obe. 
2. For POEM technique, the majority of your treated patients are naïve （76.2%）. These 
procedures are not technically changeling to perform and to identify the EGJ.  The led -probe 
assisted technique might be useful for beginners, however it's of limite d clinical essence for ALL 
cases. For example, I assume it's very hard to insert a probe in a sigmoid type case, because the 
tip of the probe could not be navigated simply by inserting from ex vivo. Please discuss its 
limitation in the discussion part.  
3. I also concerned about the mucosa injury either by inserting a probe into the tunnel 
during the procedure of POEM, or by inserting a probe into the duodenal blub because before the 
myotomy , the pyloric ring is very tight. Any mucosa injury occurred among  these cases?  
 
Thank you for allow me involved in the reviewing process.  
 
 
Are the method s appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to asses s 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additiona l statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this  manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied f or patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests.  
 
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