Therapeutic Endoscopy for the Treatment of Benign Anastomotic Strictures

Endoscopy plays an extremely important role in the management of malignant and benign esophageal and gastrointestinal stenoses. Benign obstruction can occur for a wide variety of reasons, comprising anastomotic stricture. Treatment of anastomotic strictures is a challenge for endoscopist, and endoscopic therapy includes dilation, mechanical or pneumatic (dilation is still the first-line option and the cornerstone of benign strictures management), dilation in conjunction with steroid injection or electroincision, in order to treat complex stenoses or to prevent strictures recurrence, and placement of expandable stents, removable or biodegradable, in the presence of refractory or recurrent stenoses. Endoscopy represents an important therapeutic option that is considered a safe and effective alternative to surgery, a salvage therapy reserved for the most complex cases when endoscopic therapy fails.