Clinical Endoscopy (Sep 2017)

Endoscopic Balloon Dilation for Crohn’s Disease-Associated Strictures

  • Thomas Klag,
  • Jan Wehkamp,
  • Martin Goetz

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5946/ce.2017.147
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 50, no. 5
pp. 429 – 436

Abstract

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Management of intestinal strictures associated with Crohn’s disease (CD) is clinically challenging despite advanced medical therapy directed toward mucosal healing to positively influence the natural course of CD-associated complications. Although medical therapy is available for inflammatory strictures, therapy of fibrostenotic strictures is the domain of surgery and endoscopy. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) has been recognized as a well-established first-line procedure in terms of safety and efficacy. Although surgery is a valuable treatment modality for the management of CD-related strictures, EBD can help prevent multiple surgical interventions, which might in the long-term lead to a risk of short bowel syndrome. In this review we discuss requirements, techniques, safety, short- and long-term outcomes, as well as combinations of this procedure with surgical and medical treatment in CD-associated intestinal strictures.

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