Endoscopic Stricturotomy for Enteral Nutrition Access in Patients with Benign Gastrointestinal Strictures: a Review

Benign gastrointestinal stricture significantly restricts enteral nutrition, which directly affects the quality of life of patients. Advances in endoscopic techniques have provided a minimally invasive means of reconstructing the enteral nutrition pathway in patients with gastrointestinal strictures. Endoscopic stricturotomy is a safe and effective way to open the nutritional pathway, especially for those with anatomic stricture length < 1 cm, and can be used either as the primary choice of treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stricture or as rescue therapy for refractory cases. Endoscopic stricturotomy can be executed with radial incision and cutting or circular incision and cutting. After the stricturotomy, other endoscopic treatments, such as endoscopic balloon dilation, stent implantation, and intra-lesional injection of steroids, can be used to prevent the development of re-stricture. This article reviews the clinical experiences with endoscopic stricturotomy for opening strictures along the enteral nutrition pathway in patients with gastrointestinal strictures.