Use of a variable-stiffness colonoscope allows completion of colonoscopy after failure with the standard adult colonoscope.

Abstract

Experts fail to reach the cecum in 2 - 10% of colonoscopies. The purpose of this case series was to evaluate the efficacy of a small-caliber, variable-stiffness colonoscope in patients with incomplete colonoscopy. The variable-stiffness colonoscope (Olympus America XPCF-140AL) was used by the same examiner to reattempt colonoscopy immediately in all patients in whom colonoscopy to the cecum with the standard colonoscope was incomplete. Sixteen of 385 attempted colonoscopies (4.2%) did not reach the cecum with the standard colonoscope due to looping (n = 12), fixed angulation of the sigmoid colon (n = 3), and diverticulosis (n = 1). The procedures were deemed a failure after a mean of 28 min, despite the use of abdominal pressure and positional change in all patients. Fifteen of the 16 patients (94 %) had a complete colonoscopy with the variable-stiffness colonoscope. One patient had an incomplete colonoscopy with the variable-stiffness colonoscope due to an obstructing mass in the transverse colon that was not reached by the standard colonoscope. With the variable-stiffness colonoscope, the mean time to cecal intubation was 10.3 min; four patients (25 %) required a change in patient position, and six patients (37.5 %) required abdominal pressure. A variable-stiffness colonoscope allowed completion of colonoscopy in all patients without obstruction who had an incomplete colonoscopy with the standard colonoscope. Further study is needed to determine whether the variable-stiffness colonoscope should be used routinely for colonoscopy.