Push enteroscopy enables diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy of aboral duodenum and proximal jejunum. During the first year of introducing this method 92 examinations were performed in 89 subjects with use of push enteroscope SIF 140 Olympus. The most frequent indications were overt or occult bleeding (with or without anaemia) without detectable lesion on previous endoscopy of the upper digestive tract and colonoscopy or enteroclysis. Other indications included: celiac sprue, suspected primary or secondary tumour of small intestine, and Crohn enteritis. Endoscopic changes were observed in one third of subjects examined. The ratio of subjects with individual indications and positive endoscopic findings amounted to: 25/4 in bleeding, 27/10 in celiac disease (histologically verified), 19/9 in primary and 3/3 in secondary tumour, 14/4 in Crohn enteritis, and 1/1 in another finding. A therapeutic procedure was performed in 6 probands: argon plasma coagulation of angiodysplasias in 4 persons and endoscopic polypectomy in two other subjects. Push enteroscopy is technically more difficult than endoscopy of the upper and lower part of digestive tract and requires a longer time-period for acquainting sufficient skill and experience. Its results may be increased by combination with the use of retrograde ileoscopy and intraoperative enteroscopy. Prospective controlled studies of push enteroscopy targeted on individual indications are urgently needed.

        Key words: push enteroscopy, first-year experience, indications, small-intestinal diseases