Double Balloon Procedure at MEH

A Double Balloon Enteroscopy was conducted at Middle East Hospital’s Gastroenterology Department by Dr Mathew Chooracken (Specialist Gastroenterology), the hospital said.

The procedure was done on a 58-year-old patient, who suffered long standing black coloured stools and iron deficiency anaemia. Multiple endoscopies and colonoscopies done earlier were inconclusive. CT scan of abdomen was also normal. Hence, a double balloon enteroscopy was done, which showed dilated blood vessels called angiodysplasia. It was treated with argon plasma coagulation, leading to permanent cure. 

Double Balloon Enteroscopy is a state-of-the-art method for visual examination of the small intestine, using a lighted, flexible video endoscope. 

Patients are sedated with medication and the throat will be anaesthetised with a spray. A small flexible tube will be gently passed down the throat and into the stomach, extending to the small intestine which will be carefully examined.

Double Balloon Enteroscopy is an endoscopic procedure for the evaluation of small intestine. Patients with Small Intestinal diseases suffer abdominal pain, black coloured stools, chronic diarrhoea, Malabsorption and weight loss. Some patients suffer unexplained blood loss or iron deficiency anaemia.

Routine Endoscopy and Colonoscopy evaluates only the upper and lower parts of the GI tract. Small Intestinal evaluation is not possible using routine endoscopes as the small intestine is long. It can be done only by double balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy. 

The disadvantage of capsule endoscopy is that no biopsies can be taken. If a lesion is found, it has to be followed by double balloon enteroscopy for further management. 2 step procedure are for 2 days and each step last for 2 hours.