Investigation of Endoscopic Biliary Drainage by Double Balloon Enteroscopy in Patients with Altered Gastrointestinal Anatomy

Abstract

While endoscopic biliary drainage has been widely applied for the treatment of pancreatobiliary diseases in patients with normal anatomy, it has been quite a challenge to perform conventional ERCP in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy. As a result, many patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy are referred for percutaneous interventions, which are associated with a higher rate of complications than endoscopic therapy. The recent development of the short-type double balloon enteroscope (DBE) has enabled more practical use of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP and completion accomplishment of biliary drainage. We summarize the usefulness of endoscopic biliary drainage using the short-type DBE.