Prospective evaluation of the long-term outcomes after deep small-bowel spiral enteroscopy in patients with obscure GI bleeding.

Background: Spiral enteroscopy can be safe and effective in the short term for evaluation of obscure GI bleeding, but long-term data are lacking.

Objective: To assess the long-term clinical outcomes after deep small-bowel spiral enteroscopy performed for obscure GI bleeding.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Diagnostic yield of spiral enteroscopy when performed for the evaluation of abnormal capsule endoscopy findings.

Background: Spiral enteroscopy (SE) has emerged as a new alternative for deep intubation of the small intestine. SE is most often used to evaluate abnormal findings on capsule endoscopy (CE).

Objective: Investigate the ability of SE to reproduce abnormal findings detected on preceding CE.

Spiral enteroscopy is safe and effective for an elderly United States population of patients with numerous comorbidities.

Background & Aims: Preliminary studies performed outside of the United States demonstrated that spiral enteroscopy is safe and effective when performed in young, healthy patients. However, spiral enteroscopy has not been evaluated in a US population of patients with numerous comorbidities. We evaluated the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of spiral enteroscopy in a US population of older patients with multiple comorbidities and a high prevalence of pathologic findings.

Intraductal biliary and pancreatic endoscopy: an expanding scope of possibility.

Intraductal endoscopy describes the use of an endoscope to directly visualize the biliary and pancreatic ducts. For many years, technological challenges have made performing these procedures difficult. The "mother-baby" system and other various miniscopes have been developed, but routine use has been hampered due to complex setup, scope fragility and the time consuming, technically demanding nature of the procedure.

Endoscopic therapy of benign biliary strictures.

Benign biliary strictures are being increasingly treated with endoscopic techniques. The benign nature of the stricture should be first confirmed in order to ensure appropriate therapy. Surgery has been the traditional treatment, but there is increasing desire for minimally invasive endoscopic therapy.