Double-balloon enteroscopy

The double balloon enteroscopy (DBE ) is an endoscopic examination method from the field of gastroenterology, with which the small intestine can be examined.

The principle of double balloon enteroscopy is to thread the small intestine through the use of two balloons at an approximately 2 meter long endoscope and slipped over a tube (called overtube ). The DBE may seem like a stomach (gastroscopy ) done through the mouth (upper DBE) or as a colonoscopy ( colonoscopy ) through the anus (lower DBE). In order to examine the entire small intestine, an upper and a lower DBE DBE must usually be combined with each other, usually on two consecutive days. In this case, then an examination of the top half of the small intestine by the oral access way, the lower half of the small intestine was examined by the anal access path.

During the investigation, tissue samples may be taken from the small intestine, removed polyps and eg bleeding small vascular malformations ( angiodysplasia ) be desolated ( argon plasma coagulation ).

An alternative method of analysis for the study of the small intestine is capsule endoscopy. Currently, is still controversial, in which situation which of the two methods to be used for examination of the small intestine preferred. A drawback of the capsule endoscope, however, is that there is no therapeutic intervention can be made.