Efficacy of bougie dilation for normal diet in benign esophageal stricture

Bougination is one of the first-line treatments in benign esophageal stricture (BES). The aim of the study was to identify clinical and endoscopic factors affecting the achievement of a normal diet with only bougie dilation in patients with BES.

Patients treated with only bougination for BES at three hospitals were retrospectively investigated. Data including patient demographics, stricture and procedural characteristics were collected. Clinical success was defined as normal diet without additional procedures for two months after bougination. Clinical success rate and associated factors were assessed.

A total of 121 patients with BES were included. The most common cause of BES was post-operative stricture (n = 55). Finally, 43 (36%) patients were able to eat a normal diet with only bougination. Of these patients, 42 (97.7%) achieved clinical success in the first three sessions or less. Among causes of stenosis, corrosive injury had the lowest success rate (9/40, 22.5%). Clinical success rate was significantly higher for those with the length of stricture of less than 2 cm (47.2%), those with pre-procedural dysphagia of semi-solid or soft diet (51.3%) and those with dilation of 13 mm or more (46.1%). However, the duration of symptom, the number of previous endoscopic treatments and the location of stenosis were not related to clinical success.

Normal diet is possible in one-third of BES after bougination alone. Predictable factors for achieving a normal diet were less than four sessions of dilation, short length of stricture, pre-procedural dysphagia status and diameter of dilator.