Enteroscopy

Balloon enteroscopy

You will be asleep under sedation by an anaesthetist during your procedure. Under vision via a monitor screen, a thin flexible camera is passed into the mouth to upper small intestines (upper balloon enteroscopy) or from the anus to the lower small intestines (lower balloon enteroscopy). The balloon (or balloons) are used to stablise the instrument to help advance it deep into the small intestines.

The reasons for an enteroscopy may include:

Overt or obscure bleeding from the small intestines

Abnormal imaging of the small intestines

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (a condition resulting in polyps in the gut)

In expert hands, a balloon enteroscopy is considered a safe procedure with less than 1 in 100 patients experiencing any adverse events due to the procedure. We will discuss this with you during consultation to ensure that you have your procedure done promptly and for the right reasons.