Quick Answer
Enteroscopy is small-bowel endoscopy that allows both diagnosis and treatment of conditions in the long, hard-to-reach small intestine. It is used after capsule endoscopy localises a lesion, or directly when therapeutic intervention is needed. Dr. Anando Sengupta performs balloon-assisted enteroscopy at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh.
Indications
- Obscure / persistent GI bleeding (angiodysplasia, ulcers, Dieulafoy)
- Small bowel polyps (Peutz-Jeghers, familial adenomatous polyposis)
- Small bowel tumours (GIST, lymphoma, NET)
- Crohn's disease strictures requiring dilatation
- Retained capsule retrieval
- Foreign body removal
- Tissue diagnosis when capsule has shown a lesion
- ERCP in patients with altered surgical anatomy (Roux-en-Y, gastric bypass)
How it is performed
The single- or double-balloon enteroscope is passed orally to access the proximal small bowel, or per-anal to reach the distal small bowel. Balloons inflate sequentially to pleat the bowel onto the scope, allowing deep insertion. Therapeutic accessories (snare, clip, argon plasma coagulator, balloon dilator) work through the scope channel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enteroscopy is endoscopy of the small intestine using a longer, specialised endoscope. Single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy use balloons to "pleat" the small bowel onto the scope, allowing deep access from above (oral) or below (anal) for biopsy and treatment.
Capsule endoscopy is purely diagnostic; it cannot biopsy or treat. Enteroscopy can take biopsies, remove polyps, treat bleeding lesions, dilate strictures and place tattoo markers. Capsule is usually done first to localise pathology, followed by targeted enteroscopy.
No. Enteroscopy is performed under general anaesthesia or deep sedation. The procedure can take 1–2 hours due to the length of the small bowel.
Obscure GI bleeding from small bowel angiodysplasia, ulcers or tumours; small bowel polyps in Peutz-Jeghers and FAP; Crohn's disease strictures; foreign body removal; access for ERCP in altered anatomy.
Diagnostic enteroscopy: ₹35,000–₹60,000. Therapeutic procedures involving stenting / dilatation cost more. Cashless on most insurance panels.
Yes. Dr. Anando Sengupta consults at North Delhi Nursing Home, Ashok Vihar Phase II (Mon–Sat, 5:30–7:30 PM) — within easy reach of Model Town (3 km), GTB Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar, Wazirpur and Shastri Nagar. Morning slots and procedures (endoscopy, colonoscopy, ERCP, EUS) are at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh (~3 km from Pitampura, with cashless insurance on all major panels). Both clinics serve patients from across North Delhi.
