New Developments in Endoscopy

The small bowel remains the “last frontier” in gastroenterology for a long period after the start of endoscopy. Even with the advent of better endoscopes and colonoscopies barium meal and follow through remained the preferred method of investigation of the small bowel. Although push enteroscopy was present from the 1980’s it was not until the advent of device assisted enteroscopy that the small bowel was finally conquered. Device assisted enteroscopy includes, double balloon enteroscopy, single balloon enteroscopy and spiral enteroscopy. The other method of visualizing the small bowel was capsule enteroscopy. Capsule enteroscopy too revolutionized endoscopy as it gave patients a degree for freedom never before enjoyed and would be the best screening tool available. However, its main disadvantage remains the inability to obtain biopsies.