Use of the laparoscope to perform intraoperative enteroscopy.
In a small number of patients with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, standard diagnostic studies fail to identify the source. Intraoperative enteroscopy is useful in these cases. Usually a colonoscope is used to perform peroperative enteroscopy. We describe the technique that we use to perform intraoperative enteroscopy via a laparoscope. The bleeding site was identified in two of three cases. In one patient, a vascular malformation in the proximal jejunum was found. In the other, an ulceronodular lesion was seen in the midjejunum. The laparoscope can be used successfully to visualize the entire small bowel in the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.