Intraoperative enteroscopy detects more lesions but is not predictive of postoperative recurrence in Crohn’s disease

Is intraoperative enteroscopy still relevant in small bowel disorders in the era of capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy? Real-world experience from a tertiary care hospital

BACKGROUND AND AIM

With the advent of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE), the indication of intraoperative enteroscopy (IOE) has become limited due to reported high morbidity/mortality. Most of the earlier studies on IOE were small/from pre-VCE/DAE era. We aimed to evaluate the impact of IOE in management of small bowel disorders (SBD) in post-VCE/DAE era.

METHODS

Patients with SBD undergoing IOE over last 15 years were evaluated retrospectively. Overall diagnostic/therapeutic yield, incremental diagnostic yield over preoperative investigations, and adverse events were noted. We also evaluated the number of cases in which IOE changed the management or guided surgical or endoscopic therapy. Rebleeding and recurrence were evaluated in patients with available follow-up data.

RESULTS

A total of 89 patients (59 male, 9-82 years) were included in the study. Overall diagnostic and therapeutic yield were 92.1% and 85.4%, respectively. Common findings of IOE were benign ulcers/strictures (30.1%), vascular lesions (26%), diverticula (15.1%), and tumors (13.7%). A total of 49.4% (44/89), 36% (32/89), and 20.2% (18/89) underwent VCE, DAE, or both, respectively, before IOE. Incremental diagnostic yield over preoperative work-up was 31.5% (28/89), and IOE changed the management in 37.1% (33/89) patients. IOE was used to guide surgery/endotherapy in 39.3% (35/89) patients. Recurrent gastrointestinal bleed occurred in 21.2% (14/66) patients. Morbidity and mortality rates were 20.2% (18/89) and 3.4% (3/89), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative enteroscopy remains an essential technique to evaluate SBD and can detect new and additional lesions even after extensive preoperative evaluation. IOE is useful in guiding therapy in preoperatively identified lesions and can change management in a substantial proportion of patients. Hence, IOE has a definitive role in post-VCE/DAE era in carefully selected patients with SBD.

Endoscopic Evaluation and Therapeutic Considerations of Small Bowel Crohn’s Disease

Small bowel evaluation is warranted in all newly diagnosed cases of Crohn’s disease (CD) as small bowel is involved in two-thirds of CD patients at diagnosis and the involvement can be discontinuous. Endoscopic evaluation of the small bowel in suspected or established CD can be done by video capsule endoscopy (VCE), device assisted enteroscopy (DAE) (which includes single and double balloon enteroscopy, novel motorized spiral enteroscopy (NMSE) and balloon guided endoscopy (BGE)) and intra-operative enteroscopy (IOE). In suspected CD with a negative ileo-colonoscopy, VCE is the preferred initial diagnostic modality in the absence of obstructive symptoms or known stenosis. VCE should be preceded by cross-sectional imaging or patency capsule testing if obstruction is suspected given with high retention risk. In established cases, small bowel cross-sectional imaging (magnetic resonance or computed tomography enterography) is preferred over VCE as it can assess transmural and extra-luminal involvement. VCE is indicated subsequently if necessary to assess disease extent, unexplained symptoms (e.g., anemia, malnutrition) or mucosal healing. Pan-enteric capsule endoscopy (PCE) and the use of artificial intelligence are the recent developments with VCE. DAE with small bowel biopsy can provide definitive evidence of CD including the extent and severity. A final diagnosis of CD is based on the constellation of clinical, radiologic, histologic and endoscopic features. Newer technologies like NMSE and BGE can help with deeper and faster small bowel evaluation. DAE has also allowed endoscopic treatment of small bowel strictures, small bowel bleeding and retrieval of retained capsule or foreign bodies. Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD), endoscopic electro-incision, strictureplasty and stenting have shown promising results in CD related small bowel strictures. In conclusion, endoscopic evaluation of the small bowel is rapidly evolving field that has a major role in diagnosis and management of small bowel CD and can alter treatment outcomes in properly selected patients.

Enteroscopy

Noninvasive imaging with CT and magnetic resonance enterography or direct visualization with wireless capsule endoscopy can provide valuable diagnostic information and direct therapy. Enteroscopy technology and techniques have evolved significantly and allow diagnosis and therapy deep within the small bowel, previously attainable only with intraoperative enteroscopy. Push enteroscopy, readily available in most endoscopy units, plays an important role in the evaluation and management of lesions located up to the proximal jejunum. Currently available device-assisted enteroscopy systems, DBE, SBE, and spiral enteroscopy each have their technical nuances, clinical advantages, and limitations. Newer, on-demand enteroscopy systems appear promising, but further studies are needed. Despite slight differences in parameters such as procedural times, depths of insertion, and rates of complete enteroscopy, the overall clinical outcomes with all overtube-assisted systems appear to be similar. Endoscopists should therefore master the enteroscopy technology based on institutional availability and their level of technical expertise.

Postoperative recurrent luminal Crohn's disease: a systematic review

Despite improved immunosuppressive therapy, surgical resection is still often required for uncontrolled inflammatory disease and the stenosing and perforating complications of Crohn's disease. However, surgery is not curative. A majority of patients develop disease recurrence at or above the anastomosis. Subclinical endoscopically identifiable recurrence precedes the development of clinical symptoms; identification and treatment of early mucosal recurrence may therefore prevent clinical recurrence. Therapy to achieve mucosal healing should now be the focus of postoperative therapy. A number of clinical risk factors for the development of earlier postoperative recurrence have been identified, and reasonable evidence is now available regarding the efficacy of drug therapies in preventing recurrence. This evidence now needs to be incorporated into prospective treatment strategies.

Intraoperative enteroscopy

Current options for the diagnosis and management of small bowel lesions include push enteroscopy (PE), video capsule endoscopy (VCE), single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE), double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE), and intraoperative enteroscopy (IOE). IOE, the ultimate diagnostic and therapeutic modality for small bowel disorders, is a major surgical and endoscopic procedure. It should be reserved for cases that cannot be managed with others modalities because of the difficulties of the procedure and significant morbidity. The indication for IOE have diminished in recent years because of the development of VCE and DBE. IOE is reserved for patients with massive mid-gut bleeding, lesions not accessible by balloon enteroscopy, and lesions difficult or impossible to treat by balloon enteroscopy. There are special indications in Crohn disease and in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Our own results and a review of the literature are presented.

Operative management of small bowel Crohn's disease

Despite advances in medical treatment, most patients who have Crohn's disease of the small intestine need surgery at some point during the course of their disease. Surgery is currently indicated for intractable disease and complications of the disease (strictures, abscesses, fistulas, hemorrhage). There is increasing interest in nonsurgical and minimal access strategies of dealing with complicated disease, however. These new approaches may enable postponement of surgery to a more favorable time, or conversion of a two-stage procedure involving a stoma to a one-stage resection with anastomosis. A continuing challenge is prevention of disease recurrence postoperatively.

Role of intraoperative enteroscopy for surgical decision making with Crohn’s disease

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the role of intraoperative enteroscopy (IOE) in determining surgical treatment.

METHODS

The IOE procedure was performed for 30 patients with Crohn's disease. The degree of stricture and the presence of active ulcer were examined. Preoperative diagnoses and intraoperative findings obtained by inspection and palpation were noted and compared with the IOE findings.

RESULTS

Of the 78 intestinal strictures observed by IOE (42%), 33 were not found by preoperative examination. Of the 45 strictures confirmed by IOE to be severe (<15 mm in diameter), 8 were judged to be mild (15-25 mm in diameter) or were not even identified by intraoperative inspection and palpation. Active ulcer was found at 12 of 33 mild strictures, and all 12 strictures were surgically corrected. Of 11 severe strictures detected by IOE at previous surgical sites, 9 were found preoperatively, and 4 were judged to be mild on the basis of inspection and palpation. Stricture was found at the ileocecal valve by IOE in seven patients, but was not diagnosed preoperatively in two of these patients.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative enteroscopy provides useful information regarding the status of the lumen in patients with Crohn's disease.

Intraoperative enteroscopy: ten years' experience at a single tertiary center

BACKGROUND AND METHODS

Intraoperative enteroscopy is an invasive technique for small bowel investigation. It enables us to investigate the entire small intestine and to treat pathological findings by endoscopic or surgical means at the same time. The investigation is invasive and that is why the proper indication is mandatory.

RESULTS

Forty-one intraoperative enteroscopies were performed at our center within a 10-year period. The procedure was diagnostic in 37/41 patients (90.2%); in 3 patients no pathology was found, and in 1 patient we found only previously diagnosed celiac disease. The investigation was therapeutic in 35/41 (85.4%) patients; 2 patients with small bowel ulcers did not require any intraoperative therapy. The pathological findings were arteriovenous malformations (found in 12 patients), small bowel NSAID-induced or Crohn's ulcers (8 patients)--ulcerations and arteriovenous malformations were simultaneously found in three patients; carcinoid of the small intestine (5 patients); Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (5 patients); bleeding polyps (2 gastrointestinal stromal tumors, 1 paraganglioma, and 1 lipoma--in 4 patients); Rendu-Osler-Weber disease (2 patients); multiple cavernous hemangiomas in blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (1 patient); Henoch-Schönlein purpura (1 patient); aortoenteral fistula (1 patient); and retrograde intussusception of Meckel's diverticulum (1 patient). In five patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, 6-22 hamartomas (median of 18 per session) were removed by means of endoscopic polypectomy during intraoperative enteroscopy. There were no major procedure-related complications in our series.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative enteroscopy is accepted as the ultimate diagnostic procedure for complete investigation of the small bowel. Despite the introduction of double-balloon enteroscopy into clinical practice, intraoperative enteroscopy will be reserved for those cases where double-balloon enteroscopy cannot be performed or fails to investigate the entire small intestine, especially to prevent excessive bowel resection.

Preventive effect of nutritional therapy against postoperative recurrence of Crohn disease, with reference to findings determined by intra-operative enteroscopy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to elucidate the predictive value of intra-operative enteroscopy (IOE) and the effect of enteral nutrition (EN) with regard to the postoperative recurrence of Crohn disease (CD).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty patients requiring surgery for severe intestinal complications of CD were examined by IOE, and the severity of the remnant small intestine was determined. Patients were subclassified into either an EN group (>1,200 kcal/day) or a non-EN group (<1,200 kcal/day) according to the amount of daily EN intake after surgery. Contributions of IOE findings and EN to postoperative recurrence were analysed retrospectively.

RESULTS

IOE identified intestinal lesions in 39 patients and active intestinal lesions in 24 patients. The cumulative rate of postoperative recurrence was significantly higher in patients with cobblestone appearance confirmed by IOE (p=0.006). However, other active intestinal lesions were not related to postoperative recurrence. EN reduced the cumulative rate of postoperative recurrence (p=0.017), especially in patients with penetrating type (p=0.005), in patients who did not have colitis (p=0.051) and in patients who did not have active intestinal lesions confirmed by IOE (p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

EN is a prophylactic that prevents the postoperative recurrence of small intestinal CD. Patients with the penetrating type of CD, and those who do not have active lesions in the small intestine according to IOE, are candidates for EN after surgery.

[Impact of endoscopy in Crohn's disease]

Two types of endoscopic lesions are observed in Crohn's disease (CD): active lesions or scars, frequently associated. Following their localization at different sites of the digestive tract, they are defining the type of disease. Ileo-colonoscopy is an important step of the initial characterization of the lesions, completed with biopsies helful for the differential diagnosis between CD and ulcerative colitis or infectious colitis An endoscopy is only repeated in front of a new clinical problem or when a change of treatment is required. In case of severe colitis, colonoscopy may detect septic lesions as well as deep ulcers indicating severe evolution with a bad prognosis. After surgery, in most of the cases ileocolonoscopy detects recurrent lesions whose severity is linked to an unfavourable clinical evolution and permits therapeutic adaptation. Since the risk of colorectal cancer in CD predominant in the colon is probaly underestimated, a systematic colonoscopy after 8 to 10 years of evolution should be performed for the screening of malignant lesions. Colonoscopy is also useful for the treatment of complications of CD, i. e. dilatation of benign strictures, as well as localization and treatment of distal bleeding. Upper digestive tract endoscopy, endosonography, enteroscopy, videocapsule and endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography are other contributive methods within the field of correct indications.

Endoscopy of the small bowel in inflammatory bowel disease

With the heterogeneous clinical presentation of IBD, endoscopy plays an integral role in the initial diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Although radiographic tests are often supplemental in the evaluation of Crohn's disease, they previously had been the only modality available allowing for visualization of much of the small bowel. The advent of small bowel endoscopy allows for direct visualization, and often biopsy, of the small bowel, allowing for confirmation of diagnosing and extent of involvement. Currently, the only mode for obtaining biopsies from beyond the ligament of Treitz is via push enteroscopy or intraoperative enteroscopy. Knowing the extent of disease can also help explain recalcitrant symptoms or lack of response to certain therapies. With the advent of capsule endoscopy, endoscopic visualization of the entire small intestine is now possible with a relatively noninvasive test. Further advancements in capsule endoscopy may relegate push enteroscopy and intraoperative enteroscopy to those cases in which biopsies or therapy are required. In the future, total enteroscopy with new enteroscopes may become more widely available, allowing biopsies and therapy in all segments of the small intestine, without the need for operative intervention.

Surgical treatment of inflammatory bowel disease

Appropriate surgical management of Crohn disease is predicated on multiple variables, but stricturoplasty is generally reserved for small bowel disease, whereas resection is utilized in ileocolonic inflammation and favored for large bowel disease. Laparoscopic resection is becoming increasingly useful and justified for ileocolic resections, and segmental resection should be strongly considered for limited large bowel inflammation. Some centers are also using a laparoscopic approach for the surgical treatment of acute or chronic ulcerative colitis, although the benefits are less apparent. Proctocolectomy with ileostomy or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis returns the patient's quality of life to a level comparable to that enjoyed by the general population. Creation of a pouch is performed in most instances, but early complications may warrant pouch revision and later complications, such as pouchitis, can mandate pouch excision.