Endoscopic therapy using double balloon endoscopy

Double balloon endoscopy (DBE) was developed as a new technique for visualization and intervention of the entire small intestine. It has been world-widely reported that DBE is very useful for not only diagnosis but also endoscopic therapy. In this chapter, hemostatic procedure, polypectomy, dilation therapy for benign strictures, reduction of intussusception, removal of foreign bodies, and therapeutic ERCP in long-limb surgical bypass patients are described introductively. Diagnostic DBE is thought to be safe with a low complication rate, but it is reported that the complication rate in therapeutic DBE is higher than that associated with colonoscopy. The thin wall of the small intestine can explain this. Endoscopic therapy in the small intestine should be performed with special care to avoid complications such as bleeding and perforation.