Korean J Gastrointest Endosc.  1993 Mar;13(1):15-19.

The Role of Endoscopic Balloon Dilation in the Treatment of Esophageal Strictures

• Yang SK
• Kim HR
• Min YI

Abstract

We evaluated the role of endoseopic balloon dilatation for esophageal strictures caused by postoperative anastomosis in 5 cases, sclerotherapy in 4 cases, caustic injury in 6 cases, and malignancy in 16 cases. The success rate of balloon dilatation was 100% in postoperative anastomotic and post-scle- rotherapy strictures, 16.7% in caustic stricture, and 62.5% in malignant stricture. The addition of bougienage increased the final success rate of dilatation therapy from 16.7 to 66.7% in caustic stricture, and 62.5 to 93.8% in malignant stricture. The overall one-year recurrence rate in benign stricture was 34.5%. All of the recurrent strictures were successfully retreated by balloon dilatation. In conclusion, endoscopic balloon dilatation is a safe, effective, and easy method for the management of benign esophageal strictures except longstanding caustic stricture, and can be used as an auxiliary therapy prior to more definitive treatments such as esophageal intubation in malignant stricture.

Keyword

Esophagus; Stricture; Balloon dilatation

MeSH Terms

Constriction, Pathologic*
Dilatation
Esophagus
Intubation
Recurrence
Sclerotherapy