| Theme |
Endoscopic balloon dilation for small bowel stricture in Crohn's disease |
| Title |
Overview of endoscopic balloon dilation in Crohn's disease |
| Author |
Fumihito Hirai |
Department of Gastroenterology, Fukuoka University Faculty of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) have a potential risk of gastrointestinal stricture over their longterm course. Among them, small bowel stricture (SBS) is the most important reason for surgery and proper treatment of SBS aff ects long-term prognosis of CD. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) is a minimally invasive treatment alternative to surgery for patients with CD. Standard and appropriate EBD in compliance with the indications ameliorates short-term efficacy and can reduce the risk of adverse events. Long-term eff ectiveness and overcoming technical difficulties are some of the challenges of this endoscopic procedure. |