Patient-reported experience in device-assisted enteroscopy: conscious sedation versus general anaesthesia

Background and Aims: Device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) plays a critical role in the evaluation and treatment of small bowel disorders, with double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) being the most widely used technique. Sedation strategies for enteroscopy remain a topic of debate, with conscious sedation (CS) and general anaesthesia (GA) both being utilized. Our aim was to assess patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) for DAE, comparing CS and GA to determine their impact on patient satisfaction, procedural success, and pain perception. Results: PREM were prospectively collected from 118 unselected patients referred to a single centre for DAE between July 2022 and March 2025. PREMs, procedural details, and sedation techniques were analysed. Overall patient satisfaction was good with 100% being satisfied or very satisfied. A significantly higher proportion in the GA group reporting being "very satisfied, (92.3% GA vs 71.0% CS, p= 0.004). Despite experiencing greater discomfort, albeit within acceptable parameters (median 0, average 1.9) the CS group still reported high overall satisfaction. Technical success was achieved in 98.3% of cases, there was no statistical difference in technical outcomes between the groups. Conclusion: While GA provides optimal conditions for enteroscopy, in our experience CS remains an effective and acceptable option for patients, maintaining accessibility to the procedure. Our study supports the use of patient-reported experience measures in enteroscopy as a quality assurance measure and underscores the need for individualized sedation strategies to optimize patient care.