Effectiveness and safety of endoscopic balloon dilatation for strictures in Crohn's disease – a multicenter study

Introduction: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disease which frequently complicated by obstructive symptoms secondary to development of intestinal strictures. The aim of this study was to assess effectiveness, safety of endoscopic balloon dilatation. Patients and methods: Data of 90 endoscopic balloon dilations in 44 CD patients were retrospectively analyzed. 13.3% of procedures were performed in upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract and 86.7% in lower GI tract. 10 – 18 mm diameter sized balloons were used. Short-term success rate was defined as the ability of endoscope to traverse the stenosis after d…