Utility of the short double-balloon enteroscope to perform pancreaticobiliary interventions in patients with surgically altered anatomy in a US multicenter study.

Objective: Double-balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (DBE-ERCP) is an effective method for interventions in the pancreaticobiliary system in the post-surgical patient. However, use of currently available endoscopic accessories during this procedure is limited due of the length of the conventional instrument (200 cm). The aim of this study was to explore the utility of the short DBE (152 cm) for the management of pancreaticobiliary disorders in patients with surgically altered anatomies.

Small bowel cancers diagnosed by device-assisted enteroscopy at a U.S. referral center: a five-year experience.

Background: Primary malignant neoplasms of the small bowel comprise only 1-3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. Small bowel cancers pose a significant diagnostic challenge. The recent development of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) have greatly facilitated evaluation of the small bowel.

Current status of advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy training fellowships in the United States.

Rapid growth in the field of advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy has led to an increase in specialized therapeutic endoscopy fellowships. The cornerstones of these programs are training in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound. These procedures are more complex and challenging to master than routine colonoscopy and upper endoscopy, and in the case of ERCP, higher risk.

Double-balloon enteroscopy in the elderly: safety, findings, and diagnostic and therapeutic success.

Background: Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is an important tool in the evaluation and management of small-bowel disease. Limited data are available on the safety, findings, and outcomes of DBE in elderly patients.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of DBE in elderly patients.

Lithogenesis and bile metabolism.

Gallstone disease exacts a considerable financial and social burden worldwide leading to frequent physician visits and hospitalizations. Based on their composition, gallstones are categorized as cholesterol, black pigment, and brown pigment, with each category having a unique structural, epidemiologic, and risk factor profile. Cholesterol crystal formation requires the presence of one or more of the following: (a) cholesterol supersaturation, (b) accelerated nucleation, or (c) gallbladder hypomotility/bile stasis.

High-resolution chromoendoscopy for classifying colonic polyps: a multicenter study.

Background: Chromoendoscopy may reliably separate adenomatous from nonadenomatous polyps. The aim of this multicenter trial was to determine the accuracy of high-resolution chromoendoscopy for the determination of colonic polyp histology.

Methods: This multicenter trial included 4 academic centers and a primary care practice.