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Device assisted enteroscopy (DAE) like the double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) are postulated to ease small bowel examination and performance of therapy. However, studies comparing the effectiveness of these 2 modalities have yielded varying results. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of SBE and DBE. We retrospectively reviewed records of patients who underwent DBE (n = 82) or SBE (n = 45) for small bowel exam in our unit from January 2014 to January 2022. Our primary outcomes were to compare the technical success and diagnostic success rates between DBE and SBE. Our secondary outcomes were to compare the therapeutic success, and complication rates. The main indications were suspected GI bleeding (DBE 41.5% vs SBE 48.9%), iron deficiency anemia (DBE 9.8% vs SBE 4.4%) and small bowel lesions (DBE 28.0% vs SBE 44.4%) detected either from prior capsule endoscopy or radiological imaging. Majority of the enteroscopy exam was by antegrade approach (DBE 67.1% vs SBE 77.8%). We found no significant difference in the technical success (DBE 95.1% vs SBE 97.8%, P = .46), diagnostic success (DBE 69.5% vs SBE 77.8%, P = .36) and the therapeutic success rate (DBE 63.2% vs SBE 54.3%, P = .09) between the groups. Complications occurred in 1 case from each group (mucosal tear). None of the complications were major. In patients who underwent enteroscopy, the diagnostic and therapeutic performance of SBE is similar to DBE. Both procedures were safe with low complication rates., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: Recent studies have shown that motorised spiral enteroscopy (MSE) enables deeper and total small bowel evaluation compared with single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) in suspected Crohn's disease (CD) when analysed per procedure. However, no randomised controlled study has compared bidirectional MSE with bidirectional SBE in suspected CD., Design: Patients with suspected CD requiring small bowel enteroscopy were randomly assigned to either SBE or MSE between May 2022 and September 2022 in a high volume tertiary centre. Bidirectional enteroscopy was done if intended lesion could not be reached on unidirectional study. Comparison was made with regard to technical success (ability to reach lesion), diagnostic yield, depth of maximal insertion (DMI), procedure time and total enteroscopy rates. Depth:time ratio was calculated to avoid confounding for the location of lesion., Results: Among 125 suspected patients with CD (28% female, 18-65 years, median 41 years), 62 and 63 underwent MSE and SBE, respectively. The overall technical success (98.4 %: MSE, 90.5 %: SBE; p=0.11), diagnostic yield (95.2%: MSE; 87.3%: SBE, p=0.2) and procedure time were not significantly different. However, MSE appeared to have higher technical success (96.8% vs 80.7%, p=0.08) in deeper small bowel (distal jejunum/proximal ileum) with higher DMI, higher depth:time ratio and total enteroscopy rates when attempted (77.8% vs 11.1%, p=0.0007). Both the modalities were safe although minor adverse events were more common with MSE., Conclusion: MSE and SBE have comparable technical success and diagnostic yield for small bowel evaluation in suspected CD. MSE scores over SBE with regard to deeper small bowel evaluation with complete small bowel coverage and higher depth of insertion in a shorter time., Trial Registration Number: NCT05363930., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE), balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) in particular, has become a routine endoscopic procedure which has revolutionized our approach to small-bowel disease. Evidence demonstrating the efficacy and safety of BAE spans over 22-years of experience, making it an established pillar of minimally invasive care. The robust evidence for BAE's safety and efficacy has now been incorporated into international clinical guidelines, technical reviews, benchmarking performance measures and curricula. The more recently introduced motorized spiral enteroscopy (MSE) which had replaced the previous manual version, abruptly ended its 7-year stint in clinical practice, when it was withdrawn and recalled from the market by its manufacturing company in July 2023, due to several associated serious adverse events (including fatalities). This article, written by the original developer of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and other recognized international experts and pioneers in this field, focuses mainly on the technical aspects, evolving indications, and equipment-related technological advances. Despite the very recent withdrawal of MSE from clinical practice, for completeness, this technology and its technique is still briefly covered here, albeit importantly, along with a short description of reported, associated, serious adverse events which have contributed to its withdrawal/recall from the market and clinical practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Author HY has patents for the double-balloon endoscopy system produced by Fujifilm Corporation and has a consultant relationship with the company. He has also received honoraria, grants, and royalties from the company. He has also received consultancy fees from Olympus. Author BGS received speaker honoraria from Olympus, Medtronic and Norgine. Author EJD has received speaker and consultant honoraria from Fujifilm, Aquilant Endoscopy, Olympus, 3-D Matrix, Ambu, Acino, Boston Scientific and unrestricted educational grants from Pentax Medical, Fujifilm, Aquilant Endoscopy, Olympus, Boston Scientific, GI Supply, Cook Medical, Diagmed Healthcare, Norgine, Takeda, Abbvie, Cantel Medical, Ardmore Medical, Apollo Endosurgery, ERBE, APR Medical, Ankon and Medtronic. None of the other authors has any conflicts of interest related to this article/work to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Both single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) and the novel motorized spiral enteroscopy (NMSE) are effective techniques for device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE). To date, no study has prospectively compared both modalities in suspected Crohn's disease (CD)., Methods: Patients with suspected CD undergoing either SBE or NMSE between March 2021 and December 2021 in a high-volume tertiary center were prospectively compared for technical success (ability to reach the lesion), diagnostic yield, depth of maximal insertion (DMI), procedure time, and total enteroscopy rates., Results: One hundred seventy-seven patients (37.2% female; aged 7-75 years) with suspected CD underwent 201 DAEs. Technical success was 83% (SBE 81.5% vs NMSE 87.3%, P = .61) and impacted subsequent management in 92% (SBE 88.5% vs NMSE 97.8%, P = .2). Technical success with antegrade NMSE was significantly higher (81.4%) than antegrade SBE (33.3%, P = .007) for lesions in the proximal ileum and beyond. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic yield (SBE 80.8% vs NMSE 83.6%, P = .65). Median procedure time was significantly lower in both antegrade (NMSE, 40 minutes [range, 10-75]; SBE, 60 minutes [range, 20-180]; P < .0001) and retrograde (NMSE, 25 minutes [range, 20-60]; SBE, 60 minutes [range, 20-180]; P < .0001) NMSE. Median DMI was higher with antegrade NMSE (NMSE, 400 cm [range, 70-600]; SBE, 180 cm [range, 60-430]; P < .0001). The total enteroscopy rate was higher with NMSE (37% vs .7% with SBE, P < .0001). All adverse events were mild., Conclusions: Both NMSE and SBE are safe and effective for small-bowel evaluation in suspected CD. NMSE is superior to SBE with regard to deeper small-bowel evaluation with complete small-bowel coverage and shorter procedure time., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Motorized spiral enteroscopy (MSE) has been postulated to ease the complexities of the standard-of-care double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE). However, there are no comparative studies between MSE and DBE. This study aimed to compare the therapeutic outcomes and safety between MSE and DBE., Methods: In this case-matched study, patients were matched 1:2 (MSE/DBE) by age, sex, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiology scores. Thirty-one patients who underwent MSE were compared with 62 patients who underwent DBE from 2014 to 2022. Our primary outcomes were to compare the technical and diagnostic success rates between DBE and MSE. Our secondary outcomes were to compare the therapeutic success and adverse event rates., Results: The main indications for enteroscopy were suspected GI bleeding and positive radiologic findings. Prior abdominal surgery was reported in 35.5% and 22.6% of DBE and MSE patients, respectively. Most were antegrade enteroscopy (71%). We found no significant difference in the technical success (DBE 98.4% vs MSE 96.8%, P = .62), diagnostic success (DBE 66.1% vs MSE 54.8%, P = .25), and therapeutic success rates (DBE 62.8% vs MSE 52.9%, P = .62) between the groups. Adverse events occurred in 1 DBE and 11 MSE patients. Most were minor (n = 10, 25.6%). Two patients (5.1%) in the MSE group sustained deep lacerations in the proximal esophagus requiring hospitalization. One developed ileal perforation after MSE needing surgical repair., Conclusions: In patients requiring enteroscopy, the diagnostic and therapeutic performance of MSE is similar to DBE. An increased frequency of adverse events was observed with MSE. There are some restrictions in the indication because of the design of MSE., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Small intestinal lipomas are rare, but may cause obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. The endoscopic unroofing technique excises only the upper third of the lipoma and allows both histological confirmation and complete treatment with minimal risk of perforation. We present a rare case of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a jejunal lipoma. A 75-year-old man on antiplatelet therapy presented to our department with melena and anemia. Computed tomography revealed he had a 45-mm jejunal submucosal tumor with fat attenuation. Endoscopic resection using an endoscopic unroofing technique with double balloon enteroscopy was successfully performed. The tumor was confirmed to be a lipoma., (© 2022. Japanese Society of Gastroenterology.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare syndrome characterized by venous malformations in the skin and gastrointestinal tract, especially in the small intestine. Patients with BRBNS have increased risks of gastrointestinal hemorrhage and anemia. This is the first report in the English literature on BRBNS with hemangiomas in the small intestine that were treated successfully by endoscopic clipping using double-balloon endoscopy. A 25-year-old Japanese man presented to a local clinic with dyspnea, fatigue, and a hemoglobin level < 5 g/dL. The diagnosis was iron deficiency anemia. Since childhood, he had had a hemangioma in the shoulder joint and hemangiomas in the skin on the left arm. However, neither upper nor lower gastrointestinal endoscopy showed any lesions and he was referred to us for further evaluation and treatment of the anemia. Small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) revealed hemangiomas in the small intestine, one of which was bleeding. Transanal DBE revealed a 10-mm bluish-purple hemangioma with erosion on the surface, which became smaller after application of five clips. Follow-up SBCE on day 50 showed that the hemangioma had completely disappeared. Clipping may be a safe and effective treatment for small bowel hemangioma in BRBNS., (© 2022. Japanese Society of Gastroenterology.)

Background and Study Aims: Small intestine diverticula are the most common cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage, but prompt diagnosis remains challenging. Thus, this study aimed to identify strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular hemorrhage., Patients and Methods: Patients who presented with gastrointestinal tract bleeding to Guangzhou First People's Hospital between 2008 and 2014 were retrospectively examined. Gastrorrhagia and colonic hemorrhage were excluded based on the gastroscopy and colonoscopy findings, and the bleeding sites were in the small intestine. Data regarding patient characteristics, methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis were collected., Results: Eighty-five patients met the study criteria, and 45 patients were diagnosed with diverticular hemorrhage using double balloon enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy, computed tomography (CT), or digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Among these patients, 10 presented with massive bleeding and hemodynamic instability. All 45 patients underwent surgery and recovered with no complications, and all patients were followed-up for over 3 years, with no cases of recurrent hemorrhage., Conclusion: Diverticular hemorrhage is the most common cause of small intestine bleeding. Double balloon enteroscopy, capsule endoscopy, CT, and DSA are effective methods for diagnosing small intestine diverticular hemorrhage. Surgical resection of the involved region is necessary and may achieve complete cure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Pan-Arab Association of Gastroenterology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of achieving total enteroscopy by consecutive bidirectional double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) procedures., Methods: The demographic data, indication, initial insertion route, examination time for each insertion and the entire procedure, total enteroscopy rate, diagnostic yield and adverse events of patients who attempted to achieve total enteroscopy by consecutive bidirectional DBE procedures from January 2014 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed., Results: A total of 189 patients were included, and the total enteroscopy rate was 87.3%. Initiating the DBE procedure via the retrograde approach as the initial insertion route achieved a higher total enterosocpy rate (90.9% vs. 78.9%, P=0.023), with shorter overall examination time (134.2±36.2 vs. 156.9±47.6 min, P=0.017) and shorter examination time for the opposite insertion route (23.8±19.9 vs. 53.1±27.6 min, P=0.000) compared with anteograde approach as the initial insertion route. The overall diagnostic yield was 37.6%. The diagnostic yield for successfully achieving total enteroscopy was higher, when compared to the yield for not successfully achieving total enteroscopy (39.4% vs. 25%, P=0.029). The overall rate of adverse events was 2.1% (4/189). There was no significant difference in adverse event rate between the overall examination time ≥2 h group and <2 h group (2.1% vs. 2.0%, P=0.593)., Conclusion: Consecutive bidirectional DBE procedure is an effective and safe strategy for achieving total enteroscopy with a considerable success rate. This may be a promising option and alternative to traditional methods, and helpful to more promptly establish a definite diagnosis. The retrograde approach, as the initial insertion route, is preferred in clinical practice., (© 2022. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

Objective: To illustrate the efficacy and safety profile of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE)-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) using a short enteroscope in patients with surgically altered anatomy., Methods: A retrospective study was performed to review the endoscopic outcomes of patients undergoing DBE-assisted ERCP for biliary diseases in Tuen Mun and Pok Oi hospitals in Hong Kong SAR, China from December 2015 to December 2020., Results: Altogether 46 DBE-assisted ERCP procedures were performed in 37 patients. The enteroscopic success rate, defined as reaching the papilla or bilioenteric anastomosis, was 95.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 85.2%-99.5%), which was significantly lower in patients with intact stomach than in those who had a previous gastrectomy (67% vs 100%, P = 0.014). The diagnostic ERCP success rate, defined as performance in an informative cholangiogram, was 84.1% (95% CI 69.9%-93.4%) in cases where it was attempted. Intended biliary therapeutic interventions were successfully performed in 76.1% (95% CI 61.2%-87.4%) of all procedures. Adverse events were reported in six (13.0%) procedures (95% CI 4.9%-26.3%), including the micro-perforation of the intestine in two (4.3%) patients with prior Roux-en-Y gastrectomy, three (6.5%) of acute cholangitis and one (2.2%) of acute pancreatitis. All adverse events were managed successfully using conservative methods except in one case of micro-perforation, which required a laparotomy., Conclusions: DBE-assisted ERCP using a short enteroscope is a promising technique for managing biliary diseases in patients with surgically altered anatomy. It must be performed to avoid perforation, particularly in patients with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction., (© 2021 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: This study aimed to compare the markers of potential pancreatic injury during antegrade double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) using the newly developed ultrathin EN-580XP system and the conventional EN-580T system., Methods: Patients who were scheduled for antegrade DBE during daily clinical practice were enrolled. Clinical background, adverse events, and laboratory data of patients were compared between those who underwent endoscopy using the EN-580XP system and those in whom the EN-580T system was used. The primary end points were pancreatic hyperamylasemia and hyperlipasemia after DBE., Results: A total of 295 cases were registered. Pancreatic hyperamylasemia occurred in 2 of 92 patients (2.2 %) in the EN-580XP group and in 28 of 147 patients (19.1 %) in the EN-580 T diagnosis group ( P  < 0.001). Hyperlipasemia was significantly different between the two groups (1.1 % [EN-580XP] vs. 13.6 % [EN-580 T diagnosis]; P  < 0.001). Acute pancreatitis occurred in four patients (7.1 %) in the EN-580 T therapy group. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the endoscope type EN-580 T was significantly associated with pancreatic hyperamylasemia (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 8.63, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.97 - 37.70; P  < 0.01) and hyperlipasemia (adjusted OR 13.10, 95 %CI 1.70 - 100.70; P  = 0.01)., Conclusions: The EN-580XP system seemed less harmful to the pancreas during antegrade DBE., Competing Interests: Dr. Yano is affiliated with the Department of Medicine at Jichi Medical University and the Department of Endoscopic Research and International Education, which is funded by FUJIFILM Medical. Dr. Fujishiro is a paid speaker for FUJIFILM Corporation. Dr. Yamamoto is a consultant for and receives honoraria, grants, and royalties from FUJIFILM Corporation. All other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) provides both diagnosis and treatment in overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the rebleeding rate after DBE., Methods: This retrospective review was conducted between January 2006 and July 2018, 166 patients with overt OGIB who underwent DBE were enrolled. Therapeutic intervention was defined as endoscopic treatment, embolization, or surgery. Primary outcome was rebleeding rate after DBE. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on their DBE; (1) positive DBE requiring therapeutic intervention (G1), (2) positive DBE without therapeutic intervention required (G2) and (3) negative DBE (G3). Cumulative incidence of rebleeding was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression was used to assess the association of DBE with rebleeding risk. This study was approved by our Institutional Review Board., Results: Sixty-eight patients (41%) were categorized in G1, 34 patients (20%) in G2 and 64 patients (39%) in G3. Overall rebleeding occurred in 24 patients (15%). The cumulative incidence of rebleeding for G1 was the lowest. The 1-year and 2-year cumulative probability of developing rebleeding after DBE in G1 were 3.5% and 3.5%, 8.2% and 14.0% in G2, and 18.2% and 20.6% in G3, respectively (p = 0.02). After adjusting for bleeding severity and comorbidities, patients with positive DBE requiring therapeutic intervention had a significantly lower rate of rebleeding when compared with patients who did not receive intervention (hazard ratio 0.17; 95% CI 0.03-0.90)., Conclusion: DBE-guided therapeutic intervention was associated with a lower risk of rebleeding when compared with those with negative and positive DBE without therapeutic intervention. One-fifth of patients with overt OGIB had false negative after DBE.

Abstract: The diagnostic and treatment values and safety of preoperative double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) for Meckel's diverticula (MD) bleeding in children by retrospective review and analyses.The clinical data were collected and analyzed from 10 cases of children with MD receiving preoperative DBE examination and postoperative pathological confirmation. The diagnostic and treatment values and safety were assessed through the comparison of the DBE results and intra-operative observations and subsequently postoperative pathological results.Total cases are 10, 7 males and 3 females. The male to female ratio is 2.3 to 1. The youngest patient is 3.3 years old and oldest 12.1, the average age is 7.4 ± 3.0. The lowest body weight is 12.6 kg and the average is 32.5 ± 18.9 kg. The hematochezia was the main clinical manifestation in all patients with anemia and moderate to severe anemia were common (9/10, 90%). All patients had and tolerated the DBE procedures via anal route with 100% success rate. There were no observable complications during the examinations and post operations. All patients were diagnosed with MD by DBE. Exploratory laparoscopy and surgical operations were subsequently performed. All surgical samples were confirmed by pathology as bleeding MD. The postoperative follow-ups up to April 2019 (from 3 to 12 months) do not show any bleeding sign. Pathological examinations found ectopic gastric mucosa in 9 patients (90%) and one case had both ectopic gastric mucosa pancreatic tissue (10%). The distance of MD to ileocecal valve was from 60 to 100 cm (average 81.0 ± 16.0 cm) by DBE examinations. Surgery showed similar findings from 30 to 100 cm (average 71.0 ± 18.5) consistently to DBE. There is no statistical significance between 2 methods (Ζ = 1.715, Ρ = .086).DBE examination proves to be a safe method for diagnosing children's MD disease and can reliably determine the bleeding lesions in children's MD, providing valuable guidance for surgical treatment of children's MD bleeding., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) have provided great help in the diagnosis and treatment of small bowel diseases (SBD). The aim of this study was to explore the positive rate and diagnostic value of CE and DBE for patients who were suspected of having SBD, and to make a comparison between the two methods., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the cases at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. We divided the patients into CE and DBE group, and recorded the basic characteristics of the patients, checking the results of CE and DBE, positive rate, sensitivity and specificity for statistical analysis., Results: A total of 244 patients were included in our research, including 122 in the CE group and 122 in the DBE group. The positive rate of CE for intestinal diseases was 84.4%, higher than that of DBE (78.7%), but DBE (75.2% and 92.3%) had higher sensitivity and specificity than CE (70.5% and 88.2%), though the differences were not statistically significant. The three most common positive findings in patients were inflammation, erosion, or ulcers (28.7%), vascular malformations (14.3%), and eminence lesions (9.0%). CE had a higher rate detection of inflammation, erosion, or ulcers than DBE (36.1% vs 21.3%), but they both had high positive rates for vascular malformations (13.9% and 14.8%). In addition, both methods had higher positive rates in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding compared to other symptoms., Conclusion: CE and DBE are both important methods for intestinal examination. Patients can choose appropriate tests according to their condition., (© 2021 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.)

Background: Performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy is challenging. Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) has been shown to be safe and efficacious for ERCP in these patients but attempts to synthesize existing data are limited. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DBE-ERCP in surgically altered anatomy., Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases through March 2020 for studies that conducted DBE-ERCP in patients with surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy. Primary outcomes were enteroscopic, diagnostic, and procedural success rates of DBE-ERCP. Secondary outcomes were adverse events after DBE-ERCP. Random effects meta-analysis of proportions was performed when appropriate. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to evaluate risk of bias. Heterogeneity was assessed using the inconsistency (I 2 ) statistic., Results: 24 studies involving 1523 patients were included. The pooled enteroscopic, diagnostic, and procedural success rates of DBE-ERCP were 90% (95% confidence interval (CI), 84-94%), 94% (95% CI 88-98%), and 93% (95% CI 88-97%). Adverse events were reported in 4% (95% CI 3-6%) of cases. Subgroup analysis of short-scope DBE-ERCP (< 200 cm) and long-scope DBE-ERCP (200 cm) did not demonstrate substantial difference in outcomes., Conclusion: DBE is safe and efficacious for facilitating ERCP in patients with surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy, but RCTs or comparative studies are required to clarify its role compared to other modalities in surgically altered anatomy.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in postoperative pediatric patients., Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of pediatric patients 18 years and younger referred to Mie University Hospital. Twenty procedures in 11 children occurred postoperatively; 29 children (42 procedures) had not undergone surgery., Results: Among postoperative patients, five DBE procedures were performed via the oral route, 12 via the anal route, and three via a stomal route. Among nonoperative patients, 14 DBE procedures were performed via the oral route and 28 via the anal route. Four postoperative patients and two nonoperative patients had difficult pleating via the transanal route because of adhesions or thickening of the intestinal wall resulting from inflammation (P = 0.02). Excluding patients with stenosis, the mean length of endoscopic insertion for transanal procedures was significantly shorter among postoperative patients than among nonoperative patients (73.6 cm vs 160.5 cm, P < 0.01). There were no major complications in either group., Conclusions: Insertion difficulty was encountered in postoperative pediatric patients. However, our findings indicate that DBE is a safe procedure in postoperative pediatric patients., (© 2020 Japan Pediatric Society.)

Background: Short-type double-balloon endoscope (DBE)-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been developed as an alternative approach for cases with a surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy. However, this technique is sometimes technically challenging and carries a risk of severe adverse events., Aims: To evaluate the factors affecting the technical success rate and adverse events of DBE-ERCP., Methods: A total of 319 patients (805 procedures) with a surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy underwent short DBE-ERCP. The factors affecting the technical success rate and adverse events, and the learning curve of the trainees were retrospectively evaluated., Results: The technical success rate of all procedures was 90.7%. Adverse events occurred in 44 (5.5%) procedures. A multivariate analysis indicated that Roux-en-Y reconstruction and first-time short DBE-ERCP were factors affecting the technical failure and adverse event rates, while the modified Child method after subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy reconstruction was a non-risk factor for adverse events. The trainee caseload did not affect the technical success or adverse event rates significantly; however, trainees tended to perform cases involving the modified Child method after subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy reconstruction. The success rate of scope insertion increased according to experience; however, the overall success rate did not differ to a statistically significant extent., Conclusion: Short DBE-ERCP was useful and safe for managing cases with a surgically altered anatomy; however, trainees should concentrate on accumulating experience with easy cases, such as those with the modified Child method after subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy reconstruction or a history of DBE-ERCP.

Background: Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is a safe and useful procedure for managing small bowel bleeding. However, there are limited studies regarding the preferable timing of DBE and its impact on long-term outcomes., Aim: We aimed to evaluate the association between the timing of DBE and the long-term outcomes of patients suspected of having overt small bowel bleeding who underwent DBE., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent DBE procedures between May 2004 and April 2016. The electronic medical records were reviewed, and interviews were conducted via mail and telephone., Results: One-hundred sixty-five patients could be followed up. The bleeding source was detected during the initial DBE (DBE-positive group) for 102 patients. Sixty-three patients had no definite lesion during the initial DBE (DBE-negative group). Urgent DBE (DBE within 24 h after the last bleeding episode) was performed more often for the DBE-positive group (50/102; 49.0%) than for the DBE-negative group (10/63; 16.1%) (p < 0.0001). Nine patients in the DBE-positive group underwent curative surgery after diagnosis. Among the remaining DBE-positive patients, 38 of 93 (40.9%) had recurrent bleeding during 2675 days of follow-up. Twenty-one of 63 patients (33.3%) in the DBE-negative group had recurrent bleeding during 2490 days of follow-up. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of intervals without rebleeding (p = 0.17)., Conclusion: Urgent DBE at the initial bleeding episode was useful for detecting lesions. However, the rebleeding rate was not dependent on the initial DBE results.

Background: Device assisted enteroscopy (DAE) is increasingly being carried out in elderly patients. This provides a challenge due to the underlying varied physiology and comorbidities these patients have., Methods: We performed a systematic literature search for studies on elderly patients undergoing DAE. We calculated the pooled diagnostic (DY) and therapeutic yields (TY), major adverse events, length of small bowel examined and sedation administered. These were also compared to younger patients., Results: Fourteen high quality articles on DAE in the elderly were included in this analysis (3289 total, 1712 elderly) patients. Nine of these studies were included in the final meta-analysis (681 elderly, 1577 young patients). The overall DY of DAE, double balloon enterosocpy (DBE) and single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) were 0.68 (p = 0.000001), 1.74 (p = 0.0001) and 1.90 (p = 0.009). The TY of DAE, DBE and SBE were 0.45 (p = 0.00001), 2.20 (p = 0.00001) and 2.36 (p = 0.00001). On comparison of elderly and young patients, DY (1.83; 95% CI: 1.49, 2.24; p = 0.00001) and TY (2.28; 95% CI: 1.79, 2.89) were better in elderly patients. There was no difference in adverse events in both groups (2.16; 95% CI: 0.82, 5.69, p = 0.12). Elderly patients were given less sedation than younger patients during DAE., Conclusions: DAE has a higher DY and TY in the elderly than younger patients. DAE can be safely carried out in the elderly with less sedation., (Copyright © 2019 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The benefit of balloon-assisted enteroscopy (BAE) had been recently documented in pediatric patients, but previous reports are based on single institution experiences. We evaluated the feasibility of pediatric BAE in 8 tertiary referral hospitals throughout Japan., Methods: This was a prospective, multi-institutional study. Patients younger than 18 years were enrolled between April 2014 and March 2017 to undergo double-balloon or single-balloon enteroscopy. Data were collected prospectively using a standardized questionnaire., Results: We enrolled 79 pediatric patients (96 procedures, 70 boys, 26 girls; median age 12.7 years, range 1-17 years). Antegrade (oral-route) BAE was performed in 20 procedures (lowest body weight 12.9 kg, youngest age 3.7 years), and retrograde (anal-route) BAE in 76 (lowest body weight 10.8 kg, youngest age 1.6 years). Severe adverse events were associated with BAE in 2 patients: 1 with hemorrhage due to polypectomy and 1 with pancreatitis after double-balloon endoscopic retrograde cholangioscopy. No intestinal perforation was reported. Procedure duration of oral-route BAE for diagnosis was significantly longer than anal-route for diagnosis (P < 0.001). The overall diagnostic yield for rectal bleeding/positive fecal occult blood test and abdominal pain was 48%. Among 40 patients referred for diagnosis who did not undergo capsule endoscopy, diagnoses were confirmed in 17 (42.5%) patients after BAE., Conclusions: This prospective multicenter observational study documents the efficacy of BAE in pediatric patients.

Small-Bowel Capsule Endoscopy (sbce): 1: ESGE recommends that prior to SBCE patients ingest a purgative (2 L of polyethylene glycol [PEG]) for better visualization.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence.However, the optimal timing for taking purgatives is yet to be established. 2: ESGE recommends that SBCE should be performed as an outpatient procedure if possible, since completion rates are higher in outpatients than in inpatients.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 3: ESGE recommends that patients with pacemakers can safely undergo SBCE without special precautions.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 4: ESGE suggests that SBCE can also be safely performed in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators and left ventricular assist devices.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 5: ESGE recommends the acceptance of qualified nurses and trained technicians as prereaders of capsule endoscopy studies as their competency in identifying pathology is similar to that of medically qualified readers. The responsibility of establishing a diagnosis must however remain with the attending physician.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 6: ESGE recommends observation in cases of asymptomatic capsule retention.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.In cases where capsule retrieval is indicated, ESGE recommends the use of device-assisted enteroscopy as the method of choice.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence., Device-Assisted Enteroscopy (dae): 1: ESGE recommends performing diagnostic DAE as a day-case procedure in patients without significant underlying co-morbidities; in patients with co-morbidities and/or those undergoing a therapeutic procedure, an inpatient stay is recommended.Strong recommendation, low quality evidenceThe choice between different settings also depends on sedation protocols.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 2: ESGE suggests that conscious sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia are all acceptable alternatives: the choice between them should be governed by procedure complexity, clinical factors, and local organizational protocols.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 3: ESGE recommends that the findings of previous diagnostic investigations should guide the choice of insertion route.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.If the location of the small-bowel lesion is unknown or uncertain, ESGE recommends that the antegrade route should be generally preferred.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.In the setting of massive overt bleeding, ESGE recommends an initial antegrade approach.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 4: ESGE recommends that, for balloon-assisted enteroscopy (i. e., single-balloon enteroscopy [SBE] and double-balloon enteroscopy [DBE]), small-bowel insertion depth should be estimated by counting net advancement of the enteroscope during the insertion phase, with confirmation of this estimate during withdrawal.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence.ESGE recommends that, for spiral enteroscopy, insertion depth should be estimated during withdrawal.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. Since the calculated insertion depth is only a rough estimate, ESGE recommends placing a tattoo to mark the identified lesion and/or the deepest point of insertion.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. 5: ESGE recommends that all endoscopic therapeutic procedures can be undertaken at the time of DAE.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.Moreover, when therapeutic interventions are performed, additional specific safety measures are needed to prevent complications.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence., Competing Interests: S. Adler receives honoraria for giving seminars in capsule endoscopy, sponsored by Medtronic. E. J. Despott has received educational and travel grants and speaker’s honoraria from Fujifilm, Aquilant, Diagmed, and Medtronic (2007 to present); his department has received educational and travel grants and speaker’s honoraria from Olympus (2012 to present). I. Fernandez-Urien has received consultancy fees from Medtronic (2016 to 2017). A. Koulaouzidis is receiving material support for research from SynMed UK and IntroMedic (ongoing); his department is receiving material support from Aquilant/OMOM (ongoing); he received a research grant from Given Imaging (2011 to 2012). A. May receives speaker’s honoraria from FALK and Fujifilm; her department is receiving research support from Fujifilm (2014 to 2018), Olympus (2014 to 2018), and Interscope (2017 to 2019). S. Panter has received sponsorship support from Diagmed and Given to attend conferences and educational events (2005 to present); his department has received research fellowship funding from Aquilant and Fuji (2013 to 2015), and support for the delivery of capsule course infrastructure costs (2005 to present); he is currently the unpaid chair of the UK capsule endoscopy users’ group. G. Rahmi is giving training courses provided by Medtronic on the small-bowel capsule (2017 to 2018). C. Spada receives a consultancy fee from Medtronic. J. van Hooft’s department is currently receiving research grants from Cook Medical, Boston Scientific, Olympus, and Medtronic. D. Domagk, C. Hassan, M. Pennazio, M.E. Riccioni, and E. Rondonotti have no competing interests., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background: Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) is a common but embarrassing problem for gastroenterologists. Most bleeding lesions associated with OGIB are present in the small intestine and sometimes cannot be identified due to the difficulty associated with physical accessibility. Capsule endoscopy (CE) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) have enabled in the process of diagnosing and have evolved to become approaches to treating OGIB., Summary: CE is a minimally invasive procedure and has a high diagnostic yield in patients with OGIB. DBE offers additional advantage of biopsy collection for pathological diagnosis and therapeutic intervention, but it should be noted that it sometimes causes severe adverse events such as acute pancreatitis, intestinal bleeding, and intestinal perforation. CE should be performed early in the workup course of OGIB. Positive CE findings enhance the diagnostic yield of subsequent DBE, and the effective therapeutic intervention improves the clinical outcomes of OGIB patients. On the contrary, there are no clear guidelines for further investigation of patients with negative CE findings at the present. Although patients in stable general condition may only require follow-up, repeated CE is useful to detect positive findings in patients with evidence of sustained bleeding and progressing anemia. We have revealed that repeated CE has higher positive finding rate than DBE in OGIB patients with negative CE findings in a preliminary study. Key Messages: CE and DBE have complementary roles in the management of OGIB, and the precise timing and proper sequence may be important for the approach to treating OGIB., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction and Aims: Double-balloon enteroscopy has been improving the visualization of the entire intestine for more than a decade. It is a complementary method in the study of intestinal diseases that enables biopsies to be taken and treatments to be administered. Our aim was to describe its main indications, insertion routes, diagnostic/therapeutic yield, and complications., Materials and Methods: All patients referred to our unit with suspected small bowel pathology were included. The insertion route (oral/anal) was determined through diagnostic suspicion. The variables measured were: insertion route, small bowel examination extent, endoscopic diagnosis/treatment, biopsy/histopathology report, complications, and surgical findings., Results: The study included 28 double-balloon enteroscopies performed on 23 patients, of which 10 were women and 13 were men (mean age of 52.95 years). The oral approach was the most widely used (n=21), the main indication was overt small bowel bleeding (n=16), and the general diagnostic yield was 65.21%. The therapeutic intervention rate was 39.1% and the procedure was effective in all the cases. The most widely used treatment was argon plasma therapy (n=7). The complication rate was 8.6%; one patient presented with low blood pressure due to active bleeding and another had deep mucosal laceration caused by the argon plasma., Conclusions: Double-balloon enteroscopy is a safe and efficacious method for the study and management of small bowel diseases, with an elevated diagnostic and therapeutic yield., (Copyright © 2017 Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To evaluate the therapeutic role of double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) in small bowel strictures and to propose a standard approach to small bowel strictures., Methods: Systematic review of studies involving DBE in patients with small bowel strictures. Only studies limited to small bowel strictures were included and those with ileo-colonic strictures were excluded., Results: In total 13 studies were included, in which 310 patients were dilated. The average follow-up time was 31.8 mo per patient. The complication rate was 4.8% per patient and 2.6% per dilatation. Surgery was avoided in 80% of patients. After the first dilatation, 46% were treated with re-dilatation and only 17% required surgery., Conclusion: DBE-assisted dilatation avoids surgery in 80% of patients with small bowel strictures and is safe and effective. We propose a standardized approach to small bowel strictures., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is an endoscopic technique broadly used to diagnose and treat small bowel diseases. Among the associated complications of the oral DBE, post-procedure pancreatitis has taken the most attention due to its gravity and the thought that it might be associated to the technique itself and anatomical features of the pancreas. However, as the etiology has not been clarified yet, this paper aims to review the published literature and adds new results from a porcine animal model. Biochemical markers, histological sections and the vascular perfusion of the pancreas were monitored in the pig during DBE practice. A reduced perfusion of the pancreas and bowel, the presence of defined hypoxic areas and disseminated necrotic zones were found in the pancreatic tissue of pigs. All these evidences contribute to support a vascular distress as the most likely etiology of the post-DBE pancreatitis., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: To the best of all authors’ knowledge, no conflict of interest exists.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with double balloon enteroscope (DBE-ERCP) in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy in a meta-analysis., Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library covering the period from January 2001 to December 2015. Data were selected and abstracted from eligible studies and were pooled using a random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 test., Results: Ten studies involving a total of 301 patients were included in the analysis. The pooled enteroscopy, diagnostic, and therapeutic success rates were 89.75% [95% confidence interval (CI): 79.65-94.30%], 79.92% (95% CI: 68.06-89.59%), and 63.55% (95% CI: 53.70-72.86%), respectively. DBE-ERCP-related complications occurred in 18 patients including perforation (5), pancreatitis (3), cholangitis (9), and bleeding (1). The incidence of DBE-ERCP-related complication was 6.27% (95% CI: 2.61-11.38%)., Conclusion: Diagnostic and therapeutic DBE-ERCPs are feasible in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy. DBE-ERCP may be considered when pancreaticobiliary diseases occur in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y reconstruction or pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: The double balloon enteroscopy is an important method for the endoscopic approach of the small bowel that provides diagnosis and therapy of this segment's disorders, with low complication rate., Aim: Analysis of patients undergoing double balloon enteroscopy. The specific objectives were to establish the indications for this method, evaluate the findings by the double balloon enteroscopy, analyze the therapeutic options and the complications of the procedure., Methods: It is a retrospective analysis of 65 patients who underwent double balloon enteroscopy., Results: Sixty-five procedures were performed in 50 patients, 63.1% were women and 36.9% were men. The mean age was 50.94 years. The main indication it was gastrointestinal bleeding, followed by abdominal pain and Crohn's disease. Most procedures were considered normal. Polyps were the most prevalent finding, followed by angioectasias and duodenitis. In 49.2% of the cases, one or more therapeutic procedures were performed, (biopsy was the most prevalent). There was only one case of acute pancreatitis, which was treated clinically., Conclusion: The enteroscopy is good and safe method for the evaluation of the small bowel, and its main indications are gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. It has low complications rates and reduces the necessity of surgery.

Since the introduction of double-balloon enteroscopy 15 years ago, flexible enteroscopy has become an established method in the diagnostic and therapeutic work-up of small bowel disorders. With appropriate patient selection, diagnostic and therapeutic yields of 70% to 85% can be expected. The complication rates with diagnostic and therapeutic DBE are estimated at approximately 1% and 3% to 4%, respectively. Appropriate patient selection and device selection, as well as skill, are the key issues for successful enteroscopy. However, technical developments and improvements mean that carrying out enteroscopy is likely to become easier., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Roux-en-Y reconstructive surgery excludes the biliopancreatic system from conventional endoscopic access. Balloon-assisted enteroscopy allows therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in these patients, avoiding rescue surgery. The objective of the current study is to compare success and complication rate of double-balloon (DBE) and single-balloon enteroscope (SBE) to perform ERCP in Roux-en-Y patients., Methods: Seventy three Roux-en-Y patients with suspected biliary tract pathology underwent balloon-assisted enteroscopy in a tertiary-care center. Retrospective analysis of 95 consecutive therapeutic ERCP procedures was performed to define and compare success and complication rate of DBE and SBE., Results: Male-female ratio was 28/45 with a mean age of 58 ± 2 years. 30 (32 %) procedures were performed with DBE and 65 (68 %) with SBE. Overall ERCP success rate was 73 % for DBE and 75 % for SBE (P = 0.831). Failure was due to inability to reach or cannulate the intact papilla or bilioenteric anastomosis. Success rate was significantly higher when performed at the bilioenteric anastomosis (80 % success in 56 procedures) or at the intact papilla in short-limb Roux-en-Y (80 % in 15 procedures) as compared to the intact papilla in long-limb (58 % in 24 procedures; P = 0.040). Adverse event rates were 10 % (DBE) and 8 % (SBE) (P = 0.707) and mostly dealt with conservatively., Conclusions: ERCP after Roux-en-Y altered small bowel anatomy is feasible and safe using both DBE and SBE. Both techniques are equally competent with high success rates and acceptable adverse events rates. ERCP at the level of the intact papilla in long limb Roux-en-Y is less successful as compared to short-limb or bilioenteric anastomosis.

Background and Study Aims: In a large series, conventional direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) tube placement with push endoscopes failed in approximately one-third of patients. In a pilot study, double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE)-assisted DPEJ tube placement was successful in all patients in whom attempted conventional DPEJ had failed. The study aim was to assess the technical success of and adverse events related to DBE-DPEJ tube placement in a large cohort of patients., Patients and Methods: The medical records of all patients who underwent DBE-DPEJ tube placement between July 2010 and November 2013 were reviewed using a prospectively maintained electronic database. Data were abstracted for patient demographics, indications for DPEJ, gut anatomy, technical success rate, causes of failure, and adverse events., Results: The study comprised a total of 94 patients (39 men; mean age 56 years; body mass index [BMI] 23 ± 6.4 kg/m(2)). The most common indication for DPEJ was gastroparesis (n = 29). Altered gut anatomy was present in 36 patients (38 %). DBE-DPEJ tube placement was technically successful in 87 patients (93 %). The mean procedure duration was 33 minutes (range 15 - 88). DBE-DPEJ tube placement failed in seven patients (7 %), primarily because of limited instrument advancement in the setting of presumed surgical adhesions. Post-procedural adverse events occurred in eight patients (9 %), with one serious adverse event, which was a gastric interposition requiring surgical repair., Conclusions: Compared with the published outcomes of DPEJ by conventional endoscopy, DBE-DPEJ tube placement was technically successful in a high proportion of patients (93 %) and with a relatively low rate of significant adverse events., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Aim: To determine the hypothesis that inflating the balloons in the duodenal papilla determines changes in the biochemical markers of pancreatitis., Methods: Four groups of pigs were used: Group papilla (GP), the overtube's balloon was inflated in the area of the papilla; GP + double balloon enteroscopy (GP + DBE), the overtube's balloon was kept inflated in the area of the papilla for 20 min before a DBE; Group DBE (GDBE), DBE was carried out after insuring the balloon's inflation far from the pancreatic papilla; and Group control (GC). Serum concentrations of amylase, lipase and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated. Pancreases were processed for histopathology examination., Results: Main changes occurred 24 h after the procedure compared with baseline levels. Amylase levels increased significantly in GP (59.2% higher) and were moderately higher in groups GP + DBE and GDBE (22.7% and 20%, respectively). Lipase increased in GP and GP + DBE, whereas it hardly changed in GDBE and in GC. CRP increased significantly in GP, GP + DBE and GDBE, while no changes were reported for GC. No statistically significant difference between groups GP and GP + DBE was found for the histopathological findings, except for vacuolization and necrosis of the pancreatic parenchyma that was higher in GP than in GP + DBE., Conclusion: The manipulation of the duodenal papilla by the inflated overtube's balloon during DBE causes pancreatic structural damage and increased biochemical markers associated with pancreatitis.

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.

Background and Aims: Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is a sensitive and safe procedure for the detection and treatment of mid-gastrointestinal bleeding (MGIB). It combines the possibility of a panenteroscopy with the immediate chance for intervention. This study evaluates the yield of DBE for the detection and treatment of MGIB in an unselected patient cohort., Methods: In a five-year period a total of 119 DBEs were carried out on 62 patients due to MGIB. Inclusion criteria were hematochezia, melena, anemia, positive hemoccult-test and iron deficiency. All pre-existing diseases or comorbidities were evaluated. Two main statistical methodologies were used in data analysis: descriptive statistics to describe the basic features of our data and Fisher's exact test for comparisons of proportions., Results: The diagnostic yield was 69% (pathological findings in 43/62 patients) and the main diagnoses in all DBE-procedures were angiodysplasia (22%, 26/119 DBE), followed by lipid islets (18%, 21/119 DBE). In all patients with lipid islets this diagnosis was significantly connected with cardiovascular diseases. The combination of lipid islets and a relevant bleeding source appeared in 79% of the 19 patients with these findings. Of these, 53% had to be treated due to the bleeding event. The overall therapeutic intervention rate was 58%. Serious complications such as perforation or pancreatitis did not occur., Conclusion: Double-balloon enteroscopy as the gold standard for small bowel investigation in MGIB confirmed its high diagnostic yield in an unselected cohort of patients. A new strong combination of lipid islets with cardiovascular disease was revealed, with a high incidence of angiectasia bleeding. This combination should be evaluated in more detail as a new risk factor for MGIB, and should be regarded in this population when therapeutic anticoagulation is needed.

Goals: The aim is to elucidate the efficacy and safety of double-balloon endoscopy (DBE) for small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) retrieval from small bowel stricture and to follow the outcome of the stricture where the SBCE was entrapped., Background: The retention of SBCE is a serious adverse event and most retained capsules are retrieved by surgery. There is still no report analyzing the follow-up of patients with stricture after retrieval of entrapped SBCEs by DBE., Methods: This study was designed a retrospective cohort study. Subjects were 12 consecutive patients with small bowel stricture where retrieval of entrapped SBCE was attempted using DBE. Success rate of the SBCE retrieval by DBE, surgical rate of the small bowel stricture, adverse events of DBE, and outcomes in the follow-up period were evaluated., Results: Diagnoses were Crohn's disease, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-induced enteropathy, ischemic enteritis, and carcinoma in 8, 2, 1, and 1 patients, respectively. SBCE was successfully retrieved in 11 of the 12 patients (92%). No adverse events were encountered in all endoscopic procedures such as retrieval of SBCEs and dilation of the strictures. Nine of the 12 patients (75%) did not undergo surgical treatment for the stricture where SBCE was entrapped through the follow-up period (mean, 1675±847 d)., Conclusions: Retrieval of SBCEs using DBE was safe, had a high success rate, and was useful to evaluate the need for surgery. Seventy-five percent of patients with small bowel stricture where the SBCE was entrapped did not require surgery through approximately 5 years.

Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) was introduced 15 years ago. The complications of diagnostic DBE are rare, acute pancreatitis is most redoubtable one (incidence about 0.3%). Hyperamylasemia after DBE seems to be a rather common condition respectively. The most probable cause seems to be a mechanical straining of the pancreas. We tried to identify patients in a higher risk of acute pancreatitis after DBE. We investigated several laboratory markers before and after DBE (serum cathepsin B, lactoferrin, E-selectin, SPINK 1, procalcitonin, S100 proteins, alfa-1-antitrypsin, hs-CRP, malondialdehyde, serum and urine amylase and serum lipase). Serum amylase and lipase rose significantly with the maximum 4 hours after DBE. Serum cathepsin and procalcitonin decreased significantly 4 hours after DBE compared to healthy controls and patients values before DBE. Either serum amylase or lipase 4 hours after DBE did not correlate with any markers before DBE. There was a trend for an association between the number of push-and-pull cycles and procalcitonin and urine amylase 4 hours after DBE; between procalcitonin and alfa-1-antitrypsin, cathepsin and hs-CRP; and between E-selectin and malondialdehyde 4 hours after DBE. We found no laboratory markers determinative in advance those patients in a higher risk of acute pancreatitis after DBE.

Goal: We aimed to summarize pooled rebleeding rates of angioectasia after therapeutic endoscopy, and compare these to historical control (no intervention) rates., Background: Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding continues to be challenging to diagnose and treat; in America, small bowel angioectasias are the most common cause. Technology advances led to higher diagnostic yield for these lesions; however, therapeutic impact of endoscopy remains unclear., Study: A PubMed search (June 1, 2006 to September 19, 2013) with 2 independent reviews sought articles reporting rebleeding rates of symptomatic angioectasia without therapy (natural history) and after endoscopic treatment. This study list was added to studies in the 2007 American Gastroenterological Association systematic review. Data on number of patients who underwent endoscopic therapy, type of therapy used, number of patients who experienced rebleeding, and follow-up time were extracted. Rebleeding data were pooled and weighted averages were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI)., Results: Twenty-four articles (n=490 patients) with data on endoscopic therapy for angioectasia and 6 natural history cohorts (n=130) receiving no therapy for angioectasia were eligible. Of the endoscopic therapy patients, 121 at push enteroscopy and 427 at balloon-assisted enteroscopy; 209/490 (42.7%; 95% CI, 38%-47%) rebled. Of the control (no therapy) patients, 64/130 (49.2%; 95% CI, 40%-58%) rebled. Number needed to treat is estimated at 15 to 16., Conclusions: Rebleeding rate after endoscopic therapy for symptomatic small bowel angioectasia may be comparable to that expected without therapy. Endoscopic therapy may be ineffective; if effective, the needed to treat is estimated to be high. Controlled studies, with intervention-stratified and etiology-stratified outcomes are needed.

Recent case series have shown that enteroscopy is safe and effective to remove entrapped small bowel foreign bodies. However, the optimal timing for the foreign body retrieval in terms of duration of entrapment and when to consider surgical intervention are unknown. In this case series, we report that antegrade and retrograde enteroscopy can be used safely to retrieve foreign bodies entrapped in the small bowel for longer than 70 days. In total, 20 patients (mean age, 48 years; 11 females) with entrapped foreign bodies in the small intestine underwent antegrade, retrograde, or combined double balloon enteroscopy for retrieval of objects. Symptoms prompted removal of entrapped, nonsharp objects in all patients and included abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The mean time of entrapment was 83 days (range, 4-272 days). There were 15 cases of retained video capsule endoscopy (VCE) with a mean entrapment time of 106 days (range, 7-272 days). Two VCEs could not be removed safely with enteroscopy. Other retained small bowel objects included in this study were nails and fish hooks. Their average entrapment time was 13 days (range, 4-43 days). Of the 30 enteroscopies, there was only 1 case (3%) with a complication (perforation). According to this case series, experienced endoscopists can safely and effectively retrieve foreign bodies in the small bowel, particularly VCE, that are retained for extended periods of time.

Background: double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is becoming more commonly used for investigation of small bowel pathology. Currently, there are limited data to describe its safety and efficacy in the population over age 65., Aim: to investigate the indications, findings and outcomes of DBE performed in patients older than 80, as well as the correlation between DBE and prior capsule endoscopy (CE) findings., Methods: we retrospectively reviewed our large DBE database, including procedures from January 2006 to September 2012. Patients aged 80 or older at the time of DBE were included in the study. The indications, findings, outcomes and diagnostic yield of DBE were calculated by frequency analysis., Results: two hundred and fifteen DBEs were performed in 130 patients aged 80 or older. The mean age was 83.6 ± 3.03 years (range: 80-94). Twelve patients (9.2%) were assigned an American Society of Anaesthesiologists score of II prior to procedure, 102 patients (78.4%) were assigned a score of III and 16 patients (12.3%) were given a score of IV. The most common indication for DBE was obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (N = 204, 94.9%). One hundred and fourteen patients (87.7%) underwent CE prior to DBE, and correlation between findings of CE and DBE occurred in 74.6% of these patients. The overall diagnostic yield of DBE was 77.2% (N = 166). There were no immediate post-procedural complications or failed procedures., Conclusion: DBE is a safe and effective technique for investigation of the small bowel in patients aged 80 and older. Age alone should not be a contraindication to performing DBE when clinically indicated., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and single balloon enteroscopy (SBE) are 2 types of commonly used balloon-assisted enteroscopic techniques for "deep enteroscopy." Although there are several randomized controlled trials assessing the superiority of DBE compared with SBE, the results from individual randomized controlled trials seem conflicting. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of DBE compared with SBE., Methods: Primary outcomes were diagnostic and therapeutic yield. Secondary outcomes were failure rates, adverse events, complete enteroscopy, anterograde/retrograde insertion depths, and procedure times. We searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception until February 28, 2014, as well as other databases. For quality assurance purposes throughout the systematic review process, dual extraction was performed. The systematic review was performed as per the standards of Cochrane collaboration., Results: Four trials enrolling a total of 375 patients were included. DBE did not offer an advantage over SBE in therapeutic yield [risk ratio (RR), 1.11; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.90, 1.37; P=0.33)] or diagnostic yield (RR=1.08; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.32; P=0.42), failure rates (RR=0.68; 95% CI: 0.23, 2.05; P=0.5), overall adverse events (RR=1.41; 95% CI: 0.32, 6.3; P=0.65), or complete enteroscopy rates (RR=1.73; 95% CI: 0.86, 3.48; P=0.12). No evidence existed for an advantage of anterograde or retrograde procedure time between these 2 modalities [mean difference (MD), 3.78; 95% CI, -30.76, 38.32; P=0.83; and MD, -0.53; 95% CI: -7.66, 6.59; P=0.88, respectively]. Neither anterograde nor retrograde insertion depths appeared to differ between the 2 studies analyzed (MD, -7.36; 95% CI: -40.36, 25.64; P=0.66 and MD, 7.86; 95% CI: -12.68, 28.40; P=0.45, respectively)., Conclusions: Performance of SBE and DBE appears to be similar in terms of diagnostic/therapeutic yield, insertion depths, procedure time, complete enteroscopy, failure rates, or adverse events.