Ileocolonoscopy
What is ileocolonoscopy?
- Ileocolonoscopy is currently considered to be the “gold standard technique” for the detection of postoperative endoscopic recurrence.
- ileocolonoscopy is an invasive procedure which frequently requires sedation or anaesthesia and thus is considered to be unpleasant for the majority of patients.
- Furthermore, only a limited distal part of the small bowel can be explored.
- Recently, a wireless capsule enteroscope (WCE) has been developed and is now available in routine practice The WCE offers the following potential advantages over other traditional endoscopic procedures:
(a) full length visualisation of the small bowel, including the neoterminal ileum.
(b) ability to detect small lesions
(c) sedation or anaesthesia is not required
(d) well tolerated by patients.
The superiority of this new technique, when compared with traditional endoscopic or radiological procedures, has been demonstrated in various situations.
In patients with suspected or known CD, the diagnostic yield of WCE has been found to be superior to small bowel follow through and computerised tomography (CT)