[Rol of double-balloon enteroscopy in the management of small intestine diseases: experience in the National Hospital Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, Lima, Peru].

Objective: Evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic utility, safeness, efficacy and complications of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE).

Material And Methods: This prospective, descriptive study of DBE took place between July 2010 and June 2015 at the service of Gastroenterology of Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen- Lima Peru. 129 DBE were performed in 121 patients with the Fujinon EN-450T5 double balloon enteroscope, with conscious sedation and with previous bowel preparation. All of them signed an informed consent.

Results: The mean age was 56.6 years. Capsule endoscopy intestinal study was performed previously in 77 patients (63.6%). The most frequent indication for DBE was bleeding of middle intestine (61.2%). The approach used was more antegrade (69%). The maximum distance reached was 570 cm in antegrade method. The average duration for both routes is 117.45 minutes. Vascular ecstasies (56.1%) were the most frequent causes of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. The diagnostic yield was 83.7%, higher than other series. The most widely used therapeutic procedure was argón plasma thermo coagulation. Like other studies, patients had good tolerance to the procedure and no major complications.

Conclusions: In our patients studied the EDB has proven to be a secure, useful and efficient technique for the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases of the small intestine, especially in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.