Published online Jun 28, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i24.7589
Peer-review started: November 17, 2014
First decision: December 2, 2014
Revised: December 15, 2014
Accepted: March 18, 2015
Article in press: March 19, 2015
Published online: June 28, 2015
We present three cases of self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement using a balloon enteroscope (BE) and its overtube (OT) for malignant obstruction of surgically reconstructed intestine. A BE is effective for the insertion of an endoscope into the deep bowel. However, SEMS placement is impossible through the working channel, because the working channel of BE is too small and too long for the stent device. Therefore, we used a technique in which the BE is inserted as far as the stenotic area; thereafter, the BE is removed, leaving only the OT, and then the stent is placed by inserting the stent device through the OT. In the present three cases, a modification of this technique resulted in the successful placement of the SEMS for obstruction of surgically reconstructed intestine, and the procedures were performed without serious complications. We consider that the present procedure is extremely effective as a palliative treatment for distal bowel stenosis, such as in the surgically reconstructed intestine.
Core tip: Self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement in surgically reconstructed intestine is more challenging because of the long length and the bifurcated configuration of the intestine. We present three cases of SEMS placement using a balloon enteroscope and its overtube for malignant obstruction of surgically reconstructed intestine. We consider that the present technique is extremely effective as a palliative treatment for distal bowel stenosis, such as in the surgically reconstructed intestine.