Altered anatomy: Enteroscopy and ERCP procedure

Roux-en-Y entero-enteric anastomosis of the small bowel is a commonly used surgical technique. However, it excludes the afferent limb and the biliopancreatic system from conventional endoscopic access. Recent data have shown that device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) allows endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in these patients with high success rates. Both Double-balloon, short Double-balloon, Single-balloon and Spiral enteroscopy can be used for DAE-ERCP with comparable success. This review highlights the currently available literature data on DAE-ERCP in patients with Roux-en-Y anastomosis, and discusses the clinical aspects and technical difficulties. Although DAE does increase ERCP efficacy in patients with Roux-en-Y anastomosis, it remains a challenging procedure which is open to further improvement.