Diagnostic and Therapeutic Utility of Double-Balloon Endoscopy in Small-Bowel Bleeding

The primary and most thoroughly validated indication to double-balloon endoscopy is obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, for which this procedure has high diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy and appears to be safe. In this clinical setting, double-balloon endoscopy is a better diagnostic tool than push enteroscopy; it complements capsule endoscopy and may make intraoperative enteroscopy unnecessary. Whether the more precise diagnoses and the more effective treatments possible with this exciting technology will ultimately result in enduring positive patient outcomes and cost savings remains to be determined through carefully designed studies.