RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Hydrostatic balloon dilatation of upper gastrointestinal strictures is associated with a risk of perforation that varies with the underlying pathology and with the technique employed. We present a technique of trans-balloon visualisation of the stricture during dilatation (TBVD) that allows direct 'real-time' observation of the effect of dilatation on the stricture, facilitating early recognition of mucosal abruption, thereby reducing the perforation rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 100 consecutive patients, undergoing balloon dilatation of oesophageal strictures between 1st of January 2011 and 1st of July 2014. RESULTS: One hundred patients underwent 186 dilatations, with 34 having multiple procedures (mean 1.86). All had oesophageal strictures (mean diameter 8.49 mm, range 5-11 mm) and most underwent dilatation up to a maximum of 17 mm (mean 14.7 mm). Fifty-six percent were male and the average age was 62.5 years (17-89 years). Only one patient (0.5% of all procedures) had a full-thickness perforation requiring intervention while just one further patient had a deep mucosal tear that did not require intervention. CONCLUSIONS: TBVD is a safe technique with a short learning curve and is one of the important factors that allow potentially difficult dilatations to be performed safely with an exceptionally low rate of adverse events of less than 1%.