Push-and-Pull Enteroscopy in the Small Bowel Using the Double-Balloon Technique: Results of a Prospective European Multicenter Study

Background and Study Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical impact of push-and-pull enteroscopy (PPE) in patients with suspected or documented small-bowel diseases, in a prospective multicenter trial in three European medical centers.
Patients and Methods: A total of 100 patients (mean age 56 ± 16 years; range 13 - 90) were included at the three institutions between July and November 2004. The leading symptoms were: acute recurrent or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 64), polyposis syndrome (n = 8), chronic abdominal pain (n = 7), chronic diarrhea (n = 7), and others (n = 14).
Results: No major PPE-associated complications such as perforation, bleeding, or relevant injury to the small-bowel tissue or mesentery were encountered. Minor complications occurred in 12 %. The mean time required to carry out the procedure from the oral and anal approaches was 75 ± 19 min (32 - 150min). The average insertion depths into the small bowel were 200 ± 70 cm per PPE session (220 ± 90 cm with the oral approach and 130 ± 80 cm with the anal approach). The average radiation exposure (including diagnostic and therapeutic interventions) was 2.1 ± 2.4 min and 155 ± 159 dGy/cm². PPE was fully diagnostic in 72 % of cases. The majority of the patients (34 %) were suffering from angiodysplasias; ulcerations and erosions of various etiologies were seen in 16 %, and polyps and tumors in 13 %. The PPE findings played a role in the subsequent treatment in 62 % of the patients. Endoscopic treatments, including argon plasma coagulation, polypectomy, dilation, and foreign-body extraction, were carried out in 42 %. Medical treatment was given in 12 %, and patients were referred for surgery in 8 % of cases.
Conclusions: This prospective analysis shows that PPE is safe and has a high diagnostic and therapeutic yield in patients with suspected or known small-bowel disease.

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