Esophageal stenosis: treatment with balloon catheters.

Abstract

We have performed 84 balloon dilatations in 40 patients who had esophageal strictures. Of these patients, 31 who had benign diseases improved, and the procedure proved to be safe, reliable, and easy to perform; in 77% of these patients, only one or two dilatations were necessary. In 10 patients who had previously undergone treatment with bougienage, the symptom-free interval of 9.3 months following balloon dilatation is four times longer than that experienced following bougienage. In patients who have malignant disease, though the symptom-free intervals are short, the procedure can be repeated easily and is accepted well by patients so that palliation can be achieved. Since only readily controlled transverse forces act in the balloon therapy, rupture is virtually eliminated, while the use of a flexible angiographic guidewire to traverse the strictures practically excludes perforation. Balloon dilatation offers distinct advantages compared with bougienage for the treatment of esophageal strictures.

Esophageal Achalasia: Results of Balloon Dilation

“…Procedures for dilation and optimal luminal diameter acieved have varied according to different authors. The experience of most has been that multiple, serial redilations are commonly req 비 red to obtai n a good clinical response Starck et al (3) reported that in the first session dilation of up to 20 mm was pertormed with one balloon In our opinion , it is not necessary to routinely dilate the esophageal balloon up to 30-40 mm , not only because the esophageal rupture rate was relatively high using this method but also because some patients with whom a single 20 mm balloon was used were free of recurrent symptoms.…”

Acute and Delayed Effects of Radiotherapy in Patients with oesophageal Squamous cell Carcinoma Treated with Chemotherapy, Surgery and Pre- and Postoperative Radiotherapy

“…Postradiotherapy stricture of the oesophagus seen a t follow-up radiography was an expected side-effect of the treatment, and was remedied without complications by means of balloon dilation of the oesophagus, performed in conjunction with the radiography examination (17)(18)(19). Sometimes one such treatment was sufficient, though it often was necessary t o repeat the procedure, however, not more than four times.…”

Radiologically guided balloon dilatation of obstructing gastrointestinal strictures

“…All methods of dilatation of GIT strictures seem to be similar in efficacy [18,19]. Some authors claim that balloon dilatation gives longer lasting symptom relief than bougienage [20], but the real bonus of balloon dilatation is its relative safety, thought to be due to the manner in which the dilating force is exerted radially on the stricture [15]. There have been relatively few reports of perforations due to balloon dilatation in the literature and many of those which have been seen were in malignant strictures which are at higher risk from perforation [7,10,21,22].…”