Management of obstructive small-bowel lesions

By means of a 350 cm long intestinal tube with a balloon at its distal tip, surgically significant stenoses of the small intestine can be selectively identified and differentiated from changes not requiring surgical intervention. The balloon is inflated with 40 ml of air at the site of the obstruction, thereby serving as a marker for the surgeon in order to limit the intervention and avoid complications due to unnecessary manipulations. The tube offers a significant improvement in the management of chronic intestinal obstructive disease. Details of the technique and results from successful use in 24 patients are presented.