Fluoroscopically guided balloon dilation or temporary stent placement for patients with gastric conduit strictures after esophagectomy with esophagogastrostomy

Feasibility Study of Precise Balloon Catheter Tracking and Visualization with Fast Photoacoustic Microscopy

Correct guiding of the catheter is a critical issue in almost all balloon catheter applications, including arterial stenosis expansion, coronary arterial diseases, and gastrointestinal tracking. To achieve safe and precise guiding of the balloon catheter, a novel imaging method with high-resolution, sufficient depth of penetration, and real-time display is required. Here, we present a new balloon catheter guiding method using fast photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) technique for precise balloon catheter tracking and visualization as a feasibility study. We implemented ex vivo and in vivo experiments with three different medium conditions of balloon catheter: no air, air, and water. Acquired cross-sectional, maximum amplitude projection (MAP), and volumetric 3D PAM images demonstrated its capability as a new imaging guiding tool for balloon catheter tracking and visualization.

UK guidelines on oesophageal dilatation in clinical practice

These are updated guidelines which supersede the original version published in 2004. This work has been endorsed by the Clinical Services and Standards Committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) under the auspices of the oesophageal section of the BSG. The original guidelines have undergone extensive revision by the 16 members of the Guideline Development Group with representation from individuals across all relevant disciplines, including the Heartburn Cancer UK charity, a nursing representative and a patient representative. The methodological rigour and transparency of the guideline development processes were appraised using the revised Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) tool.Dilatation of the oesophagus is a relatively high-risk intervention, and is required by an increasing range of disease states. Moreover, there is scarcity of evidence in the literature to guide clinicians on how to safely perform this procedure. These guidelines deal specifically with the dilatation procedure using balloon or bougie devices as a primary treatment strategy for non-malignant narrowing of the oesophagus. The use of stents is outside the remit of this paper; however, for cases of dilatation failure, alternative techniques-including stents-will be listed. The guideline is divided into the following subheadings: (1) patient preparation; (2) the dilatation procedure; (3) aftercare and (4) disease-specific considerations. A systematic literature search was performed. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Develop-ment and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and decide on the strength of recommendations made.