RESULTS OF ENDOSCOPIC DILATATION OF BENIG N ESOPHAGEAL STENOSES

The management of benign esophageal stenoses is based on endoscopic di latation of the tight segment for the remission of dysphagia. Five hun dred and twenty sessions of dilatation with Savary-Guilliard bougies h ave been performed in one hundred and twenty-nine patients with benign esophageal stenoses. Patients with peptic stenoses (n=59) needed a le sser number of sessions (mean: 2.47) than patients with postsurgical ( n=44; mean:4.86) or caustic (n=18; mean: 7.77) stenoses. The treatment failed in 4 patients (3.2%) and severe complications were observed in 3 patients (2.4%). These results support the efficacy and safety of t his technique.