Aim: To demonstrate that the double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) can be safely performed in general anesthesia with intubation.
Methods: We performed a retrospective examination between August 2005 and November 2008 among patients receiving intubation narcosis due to DBE examination. The patients were grouped based on sex, age and physical status. Anesthesia records included duration of anesthesia, quantity of medication used and anesthesia-related complications. We determined the frequency of complications in the different groups and their relation with the quantity of medication used and the duration of anesthesia.
Results: We compiled data for 108 cases of general anesthesia with intubation. We did not observe any permanent anesthesia-related complications; the most frequent side effects of anesthesia were hypotension (30.55%), desaturation (21.29%), and apnea (17.59%). These complications were significantly more frequent among patients with multiple additional diseases [hypotension (23.1% vs 76.9%, P = 0.005), de-saturation (12.3% vs 69.2%, P < 0.001) and apnea (7.7% vs 53.8%, P = 0.001)], however, their incidence was not proportional to the quantity of medication used or the duration of anesthesia.
Conclusion: General anesthesia with intubation is definitely a viable option among DBE methods. It is highly recommended in patients with multiple additional diseases.