# Have a Stricture - Is there a Permanent Solution?



## Mars1234 (Dec 17, 2014)

I have reveal constructions and had a balloon dilation done, however it's jus a year and looks like the prob is back again! What was the treatment you went through! Looking for permanent relief, please help!


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## Jennifer (Dec 18, 2014)

You can continue to have balloon dilations if you want but yes they are not permanent. You could talk to your GI and see if you're a candidate for a strictureplasty or if the stricture is extremely bothersome and you don't feel the balloon dilation did much then you could also ask about the possibility of a resection. 

I had scar tissue and active inflammation in the past and had a resection. The scar from the resection and other scar tissue from past inflammation has caused a stricture but it's not bad enough for a balloon dilation. Thus far it's being managed through diet (nothing high in fiber or anything that goes through too quickly).


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## Sunshine333 (Jun 16, 2015)

The option of using balloon dilation, is there a cap or the number of times this procedure can be done ? I heard of a single or double balloon dilation and I am not sure what they mean, do you know the different between these two procedures ? Also, what is normal size (diameter) of a small bowel ?


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## 24601 (Jun 16, 2015)

Sunshine333, 

I linked to papers in this post that describe how repeated dilations can be used and the chance of success vs. the chance of requiring surgery.

I'm not sure about the difference between single and double balloon dilation - I've not heard of that. But I do know that endoscopic balloon dilation can be used during double-balloon endoscopy for small bowel strictures that would be unreachable with a normal scope (paper here). The double balloon there allows them to push and pull the small bowel over the scope I believe! Is that the procedure you are talking about or something different?

I have one remaining stricture after my last surgery and my doctors tell me the bowel diameter is 2cm. This was deliberately left by my surgeon as he didn't feel it wise to perform any more surgery at that time and since the diameter was confirmed at 2cm they felt that should not cause me problems. It does show up as a narrowing on the MRI though. Not exactly an answer to your question but perhaps still useful to know.


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## Sunshine333 (Jun 16, 2015)

Thanks for posting the reference materials on balloon dilation which is a medical procedure to fix a partial bowel obstruction.

I am trying to find out if IBD patients have their balloon dilation done on a as needed basis when they experience partial bowel obstruction or do they do it on a regular or maintenance basis (e.g. 6 months or 1 year period). The advantage of doing it on a regular basis is to avoid complete or full bowel obstruction which requires emergency surgery and the disadvantage is the increase risk of perforation. 

I have gone through my medical test records, the normal size of small bowel is about 16 mm (1.6 cm) in diameter. When I have a partial bowel obstruction, my strictures are usually dilated to about 12 mm (1.2 cm).


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