%0 Journal Article %T Safety and outcome using endoscopic dilatation for benign esophageal stricture without fluoroscopy %A Nawal Kabbaj %A Mouna Salihoun %A Zakia Chaoui %A Mohamed Acharki %J World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pharmacology and Therapeutics %D 2011 %I Baishideng Publishing Group Co. Limited %R 10.4292/wjgpt.v2.i6.46 %X AIM: To investigate the use of Savary-Gilliard marked dilators in tight esophageal strictures without fluoroscopy. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with significant dysphagia from benign strictures due to a variety of causes were dilated endoscopically. Patients with achalasia, malignant lesions or external compression were excluded. The procedure consisted of two parts. First, a guide wire was placed through video endoscopy and then dilatation was performed without fluoroscopy. In general, ˇ°the rule of threeˇ± was followed. Effective treatment was defined as the ability of patients, with or without repeated dilatations, to maintain a solid or semisolid diet for more than 12 mo. RESULTS: Six hundred and sixty two dilatations in a total of 72 patients were carried out. The success rate for placement of a guide wire was 100% and for dilatation 97%, without use of fluoroscopy, after 6 mo to 4 years of follow-up. The number of sessions per patient was between 1 and 7, with an average of 2 sessions. The ability of patients, after 1 or more sessions of dilatation, to maintain a solid or semisolid diet for more than 12 mo was obtained in 70 patients (95.8%). For very tight esophageal strictures, all patients improved clinically without complications after the endoscopic procedure without fluoroscopy, but we noted 3 failures. CONCLUSION: Dilatation using Savary-Gilliard dilators without fluoroscopy is safe and effective in the treatment of very tight esophageal strictures if performed with care. %K Esophageal benign strictures %K Dilatation %K Savary-Gilliard dilators %K Results %K Outcome %U http://www.wjgnet.com/2150-5349/full/v2/i6/46.htm