[Special indications for the use of the Grüntzig balloon catheter in surgical problem cases]

The excellent experiences with the intravascular application of Grüntzig's double-lumen balloon catheter shows his potential use in thin-walled organs. We report our experiences with the dilatation of bile-duct stenoses (end-to-end anastomosis of the Ductus choledochus, sclerosis of the Papilla Vateri, intra- and extrahepatic fibrotic stenosis), stenosis of the esophagus after acid corrosion and stenosis of the ureter anastomosis after Anderson-Hynes operation. These results demonstrate, that in selected cases the balloon dilatation may be an alternative to surgical intervention.