Endoscopic Balloon Dilation Versus Endoscopic Stricturotomy for Short Crohn's Strictures

Crohn's disease (CD) related strictures can be treated endoscopically by endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) or endoscopic stricturotomy (EST). EBD is is the established endoscopic treatment for short strictures in Crohn's disease. However, roughly half had recurrent symptoms and two third require surgery after EBD. ES have been used initially for endoscopic treatment of patients for whom EBD was unsuccessful. Subsequently it was shown that ES is a better modality for treating CD related strictures (specially short and anastomotic strictures) than EBD lowering the risk of future surgery and procedure related perforation albeit with an increased risk of bleeding. ES was shown to be non-inferior to re-do surgery in chronic pouch anastomotic sinus in ulcerative colitis (UC) and ileocolic anastomotic strictures in CD thus reducing surgical morbidity. However, these two modalities have not been compared in a randomized controlled manner. We aimed to compare the two endoscopic treatments with regard to clinical success, need for surgery or additional endoscopic procedure and safety in patients with CD who have short (\<3 cm), predominantly fibrotic stenosis excluding those in the small bowel not accessible by endoscope/colonoscope.