title: Hydrostatic balloon dilatation of Crohn's strictures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety and long-term efficacy of per-endoscopic hydrostatic balloon dilatation in a retrospective series of patients with Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients had balloon dilatation for intestinal symptomatic strictures which were located as follows: ileo-colonic (26) or colocolic (2) anastomosis, colon (4), ileum (3), proximal jejunum (1) and ileo-caecal valve (5); three patients had two strictures accessible to dilatation. The mean length of the strictures was 2.1 cm (s.d., 0.3 cm).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-two of the 38 patients were successfully dilated and followed for a median of 22.8 months (0.2-103 months) until surgery or last news. The probabilities of obstructive symptom recurrence were 36% at 1 year and 60% at 5 years. Twelve patients had a second dilatation, and three a third. The probabilities of surgery for stricture were 26% at 1 year and 43% at 5 years. Results were not influenced by age, sex, activity of the disease, passage of the stricture by the colonoscope or concomitant medical therapies. Complications occurred in 9.4% of the 53 dilatation sessions, with only one perforation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hydrostatic balloon dilatation is effective for Crohn's symptomatic strictures, and can avoid or postpone surgery, with an acceptable rate of complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sabaté
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villarejo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bouhnik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Allez
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gornet
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vahedi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Modigliani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lémann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome