Background:Medical treatment and surgery are the two main therapeutic approaches for esophageal variceal bleeding ( EVB),but studies showed that the efficacy of medical treatment was poor,and surgery was invasive and could lead to serious complications. Aims:To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic variceal ligation combined with sclerotherapy for treatment of EVB. Methods:A total of 150 cirrhotic patients with EVB admitted from May 2011 to May 2012 at Wenling Oriental Hospital were enrolled and assigned into observation group and control group by random digital table. Patients in observation group were treated with endoscopic variceal ligation combined with sclerotherapy,and patients in control group were treated with somatostatin and pantoprazole. Overall clinical efficacy,recurrence and adverse effect were compared between the two groups. Results:In observation group,the overall clinical efficacy was 94. 7%(72/76), the recurrence rate was 3. 9%(3/76),and the adverse effect rate was 13. 2%(10/76);in control group,the overall clinical efficacy was 79. 7%(59/74),the recurrence rate was 14. 9%(11/74),and the adverse effect rate was 28. 4%(21/74). Overall clinical efficacy in observation group was significantly higher than that in control group(P<0. 05), while recurrence rate and adverse effect rate were significantly lower than those in control group( P all < 0. 05 ). Conclusions:Compared with medical treatment,endoscopic variceal ligation combined with sclerotherapy is effective in improving the clinical efficacy and reducing the recurrence and adverse effect for treatment of EVB. It is worthy of being used in clinical practice.