Secretory apparatus assessed by analysis of pancreatic secretory stress protein expression in a rat model of chronic pancreatitis

Secretory stress proteins (SSP) are a family of proteins including isoforms of pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) and pancreatic stone protein (PSP/reg). In vitro exposure to trypsin results in the formation of insoluble fibrillar structures. SSP are constitutively secreted into pancreatic juice at low levels. The WBN/Kob rat is a model for chronic pancreatitis, displaying focal inflammation, destruction of the parenchyma and changes in the architecture of the acinar cell; the synthesis and secretion of SSP are also increased. We have investigated the secretory apparatus by SSP immunohistochemistry at the light- and electron-microscopical (EM) levels. Immunocytochemistry of PSP/reg in Wistar control rats reveals low levels, with individual acinar cells exhibiting high immunoreactivity in zymogen granules. PAP is not detectable. In the WBN/Kob rat, PSP/reg and PAP immunoreactivity is markedly increased. Double immunofluorescence for PSP/reg and PAPI or II demonstrates that these proteins colocalize to the same cell. Acinar cells change their secretory architecture by fusion of zymogen granules and elongation of the fused organelles. The immunogold technique has demonstrated an increase of SSP in zymogen granules in WBN/Kob rats. PSP/reg-positive zymogen granules fuse to form elongated structures with fibrillar contents. An extensive PSP/reg-positive fibrillar network is established in the cytosol. Extracellular fibrils have been observed in several ductules. Thus, SSP-derived fibrils form concomitantly with acinar damage in the WBN/Kob rat. Based on the known tryptic cleavage site of SSP, the in vivo generation of fibrils is presumably the result of premature trypsin activatio

Postoperative bezoar ileus after early enteral feeding

Postoperative enteral nutrition is a widely accepted route of application for nutrition formulas due to a low complication rate, a good acceptance by patients. and a favorable cost-effectiveness. We report three cases of bezoar ileus after early postoperative enteral nutrition, using a fine needle jejunostomy (FNJ) in two cases and a nasoduodenal tube in one case. A male patient who underwent gastric resection for a gastrointestinal stroma tumor and was nourished through an fine needle jejunostomy developed an acute abdomen on the seventh postoperative day. Surgical exploration revealed a mechanical ileus caused by denaturated nutrition formula distal to the catheter tip. The second case, a female patient, underwent gastric resection for a gastric cancer and on the fourth postoperative day developed acute onset of abdominal pain. Intraoperative findings were the same as described in the first case. The third case, a male patient with necrotizing cholecystitis, underwent open cholecystectomy. Postoperative enteral feeding was performed using a nasoduodenal tube. He developed a small bowel obstruction on the 17th postoperative day that was caused by an intraluminal bezoar. In conclusion, bezoar formation represents an underestimated complication of postoperative enteral feeding. Acute onset of abdominal pain and the development of small bowel obstruction are the main clinical symptoms of this severe complication. The pathogenesis of bezoar formation remains unclea

Quality of Life After Bariatric Surgery—A Comparative Study of Laparoscopic Banding vs. Bypass

 : Laparoscopic gastric banding and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are widely used for the treatment of morbid obesity. The impact of these two procedures on health-related quality of life has not been analyzed in comparative studies. Methods: A matched-pair analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed. Fifty-two consecutive patients with laparoscopic gastric bypass were randomly matched to fifty-two patients with laparoscopic gastric banding according to age, BMI, and gender. Quality of life was assessed using two standardized questionnaires (SF 36 and Moorehead-Ardelt II). Results: Mean preoperative BMI was 45.7kg/m2 for the bypass patients and 45.3kg/m2 for the banding patients. Mean BMI after 3years follow-up of was 30.4kg/m2 and 33.1kg/m2 (p = 0.036). In the SF 36 questionnaire, gastric bypass patients yielded a mean total score of 613 versus 607 points in the gastric banding group (p = 0.543), which is comparable to the normal population in Europe. In the Moorhead-Ardelt II questionnaire, the gastric bypass patients scored a mean total of 1.35 points and the gastric banding patients 1.28 points (p = 0.747). Of the patients, 97% with a gastric bypass and 83% with a gastric banding were satisfied with the result of the operation (p = 0.145). Conclusion: The patients after laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding have a high level of satisfaction 3years after the operation and have similar quality of life scores compared to the normal population. Quality of life indexes were not different between the two procedures and were independent of weight loss in successfully operated patient

Utility of Routine Versus Selective Upper Gastrointestinal Series to Detect Anastomotic Leaks After Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

Background: In up to 4% of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) procedures, anastomotic leaks occur. Early detection of gastrointestinal leakage is important for successful treatment. Consequently, many centers advocate routine postoperative upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series. The aim of this study was to determine the utility of this practice after LRYGB. Methods: Eight hundred four consecutive patients undergoing LRYGB from June 2000 to April 2010 were analyzed prospectively. The first 382 patients received routine UGI series between the third and fifth postoperative days (group A). Thereafter, the test was only performed when clinical findings (tachycardia, fever, and drainage content) were suspicious for a leak of the gastrointestinal anastomosis (group B; n = 422). Results: Overall, nine of 804 (1.1%) patients suffered from leaks at the gastroenterostomy. In group A, four of 382 (1%) patients had a leak, but only two were detected by the routine UGI series. This corresponds to a sensitivity of 50%. In group B, the sensitivity was higher with 80%. Specificities were comparable with 97% and 91%, respectively. Routine UGI series cost only 1.6% of the overall costs of a non-complicated gastric bypass procedure. With this leak rate and sensitivity, US $86,800 would have to be spent on 200 routine UGI series to find one leak which is not justified. Conclusions: This study shows that routine UGI series have a low sensitivity for the detection of anastomotic leaks after LRYGB. In most cases, the diagnosis is initiated by clinical findings. Therefore, routine upper gastrointestinal series are of limited value for the diagnosis of a lea

Clinical value of a combined multi-phase contrast enhanced DOPA-PET/CT in neuroendocrine tumours with emphasis on the diagnostic CT component

Objective: To assess the clinical value of multi-phase, contrast-enhanced DOPA-PET/CT with emphasis on the diagnostic CT component in patients with neuroendocrine tumours (NET). Methods: Sixty-five patients with NET underwent DOPA-cePET/CT. The DOPA-PET, multi-phase CT and combined DOPA cePET/CT data were evaluated and diagnostic accuracies compared. The value of ceCT in DOPA cePET/CT concerning lesion detection and therapeutic impact was evaluated. Sensitivities, specificities and accuracies were calculated. Histopathology and clinical follow-up served as the standard of reference. Differences were tested for statistical significance by McNemar's test. Results: In 40 patients metastatic and/or primary tumour lesions were detected. Lesion-based analysis for the DOPA-PET showed sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 66%, 100% and 67%, for the ceCT data 85%, 71% and 85%, and for the combined DOPA cePET/CT data 97%, 71% and 96%. DOPA cePET/CT was significantly more accurate compared with dual-phase CT (p < 0.05) and PET alone (p < 0.05). Additional lesion detection was based on ceCT in 12 patients; three patients underwent significant therapeutic changes based on the ceCT findings. Conclusion: DOPA cePET/CT was significantly more accurate than DOPA-PET alone and ceCT alone. The CT component itself had a diagnostic impact in a small percentage but contributed to the therapeutic strategies in selected patient

Management of Anastomotic Ulcers After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Results of an International Survey

Background: Anastomotic ulcers (AUs) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) occur in up to 16% of patients. In an international survey among members of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), current preventative and therapeutic strategies in AU were analyzed. Methods: An Internet-based survey was performed. Results: One hundred eighty-nine surgeons completed the survey. Preoperative screening for Helicobacter pylori is performed by 65%. Eighty-eight percent of them prophylactically prescribe antacids for 3months after surgery (interquartile range (IQR) 1-6). In case of AU, 99% of participants opt for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) either alone (60%) or in combination with sucralfate (39%). After ulcer resolution, 52% continue PPI for 6 (3-6) months. In case of AU recurrence, 56% continue with conservative treatment. In contrast, 41% of them favor a renewal of the gastrojejunal anastomosis either combined with truncal vagotomy (18%) or with gastric remnant resection (13%), and only 2% choose to resect both gastric pouch and gastric remnant with subsequent reconstruction by esophagojejunostomy. In case of recurrence after surgical revision, 46% of participants opt again for a conservative approach, while 36% chose to redo the gastrojejunostomy once again. Conclusions: The majority of bariatric surgeons recommend preoperative screening and eradication of H. pylori as well as prophylactic use of PPI. If an AU is diagnosed, the role of PPI as a first-line treatment seems to be undisputed. However, dosage and duration of therapy remain unclear. In refractory AU, there is no consensus among bariatric surgeons whether conservative treatment or surgical revision should be performed

Management of anastomotic ulcers after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: results of an international survey

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic ulcers (AUs) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) occur in up to 16% of patients. In an international survey among members of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), current preventative and therapeutic strategies in AU were analyzed. METHODS: An Internet-based survey was performed. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-nine surgeons completed the survey. Preoperative screening for Helicobacter pylori is performed by 65%. Eighty-eight percent of them prophylactically prescribe antacids for 3 months after surgery (interquartile range (IQR) 1-6). In case of AU, 99% of participants opt for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) either alone (60%) or in combination with sucralfate (39%). After ulcer resolution, 52% continue PPI for 6 (3-6) months. In case of AU recurrence, 56% continue with conservative treatment. In contrast, 41% of them favor a renewal of the gastrojejunal anastomosis either combined with truncal vagotomy (18%) or with gastric remnant resection (13%), and only 2% choose to resect both gastric pouch and gastric remnant with subsequent reconstruction by esophagojejunostomy. In case of recurrence after surgical revision, 46% of participants opt again for a conservative approach, while 36% chose to redo the gastrojejunostomy once again. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of bariatric surgeons recommend preoperative screening and eradication of H. pylori as well as prophylactic use of PPI. If an AU is diagnosed, the role of PPI as a first-line treatment seems to be undisputed. However, dosage and duration of therapy remain unclear. In refractory AU, there is no consensus among bariatric surgeons whether conservative treatment or surgical revision should be performed

Quality of life after bariatric surgery - a comparative study of laparoscopic banding vs. bypass

: Laparoscopic gastric banding and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are widely used for the treatment of morbid obesity. The impact of these two procedures on health-related quality of life has not been analyzed in comparative studies. METHODS: A matched-pair analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed. Fifty-two consecutive patients with laparoscopic gastric bypass were randomly matched to fifty-two patients with laparoscopic gastric banding according to age, BMI, and gender. Quality of life was assessed using two standardized questionnaires (SF 36 and Moorehead-Ardelt II). RESULTS: Mean preoperative BMI was 45.7 kg/m(2) for the bypass patients and 45.3 kg/m(2) for the banding patients. Mean BMI after 3 years follow-up of was 30.4 kg/m(2) and 33.1 kg/m(2) (p = 0.036). In the SF 36 questionnaire, gastric bypass patients yielded a mean total score of 613 versus 607 points in the gastric banding group (p = 0.543), which is comparable to the normal population in Europe. In the Moorhead-Ardelt II questionnaire, the gastric bypass patients scored a mean total of 1.35 points and the gastric banding patients 1.28 points (p = 0.747). Of the patients, 97% with a gastric bypass and 83% with a gastric banding were satisfied with the result of the operation (p = 0.145). CONCLUSION: The patients after laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic gastric banding have a high level of satisfaction 3 years after the operation and have similar quality of life scores compared to the normal population. Quality of life indexes were not different between the two procedures and were independent of weight loss in successfully operated patients