[Double balloon enteroscopy. First surgical experience].

Introduction: In Germany double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) has been used for about 4 years in diagnostics of the small intestine. Testing for the first time its value in daily surgical practice, we analyzed retrospectively the results of all DBE examinations from December 2004 to September 2006.

Material And Methods: During the study period 106 enteroscopies were performed on 75 patients (42 males, 33 females, age 16-84 years). The approach was oral in 75 cases and anal in 31. Most indications were recurrent middle gastrointestinal bleeding.

Results: Complete small intestine inspection could be performed completely orally in seven of 106 examinations; and in most cases a combined oral/anal approach was required. Total endoscopy was completed in 21.3% of the patients studied. Pathologies were detected in 41 examinations (54.7%). These included 11 patients with angiodysplasias (14.7%) successfully treated with argon plasma coagulation (APC) and seven patients with small intestinal polyps (9.3%) that could be removed endoscopically. Further findings included diverticulum (6.7%), changes related to Crohn's disease (4.0%), small intestinal tumors (4.0%), extraluminar disorders (2.6%), stenoses (1.3%), and others (8.0%). Secondary diagnoses included colonic/rectal lesions in 5.3% of cases and pathologies of the stomach or esophagus in 4.0%. One patient had severe complications from a perforation following polypectomy. Therapies followed in 40.0% of all patients examined. Surgical interventions were indicated in six of 75 patients (8.0%), specifically five small intestinal resections and one bypass operation due to an infiltrating pancreas carcinoma. Endoscopic interventions were used in 25.3% of patients and medical treatment in 10.7%.

Conclusion: With adequate indication, DBE shows very high diagnostic value. Immediate endoscopic therapy is possible in most cases, a considerable advantage over previous methods. Surgery was indicated for 8.0% of those examined in our study group, whereas the literature until now describes surgical indication rates of up to 22%.