Is It Safe to Combine a Fundoplication to Sleeve Gastrectomy? Review of Literature

Complicacions; Fundoplicatura; MànigaComplicaciones; Funduplicatura; MangaComplications; Fundoplication; SleeveBackground and Objectives: The rising numbers of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) procedures now being performed worldwide will likely be followed by an increasing number of patients experiencing gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). The purpose of the current review was to analyze in terms of safety different techniques of fundoplication used to treat GERD associated with LSG. Methods: An online search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE in December 2020 to identify articles reporting LSG and fundoplication. The following term combination was used: (sleeve, fundoplication), (sleeve, Nissen), (sleeve, Rossetti), (sleeve, Toupet) and (sleeve, Dor). The extracted information included details of the methods (e.g., retrospective case series), demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender), clinical characteristics, number of patients, rate of conversion, and postoperative outcomes. Results: A total of 154 studies were identified and after an assessment of title according to our exclusion criteria, 116 articles were removed. Of the 38 studies analyzed for full content review, a total of seven primary studies (487 patients) were identified with all inclusion criteria. Analyzing the different types of fundoplication used, we have identified: 236 cases of Nissen-Sleeve, 220 cases with modified Rossetti fundoplication, 31 cases of Dor fundoplication, and no case of Toupet fundoplication. The overall postoperative complication rate was 9.4%, with the most common reported complication being gastric perforation, 15 cases—3.1%. The second most common complication was bleeding identified in nine cases (1.8%) followed by gastric stenosis in six cases (1.2%). The mortality was nil. Conclusions: Different types of fundoplication associated with LSG appear to be a safe surgical technique with an acceptable early postoperative complication rate. Any type of fundoplication associated with LSG to decrease GERD should be evaluated cautiously while prospective clinical randomized trials are needed.This research received no external funding

Endoscopic Gastric Band Removal

Complication; Endoscopy; Laparoscopic adjustable gastric bandComplicación; Endoscopia; Banda gástrica ajustable laparoscópicaComplicació; Endoscòpia; Banda gàstrica ajustable laparoscòpicaBackground: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) procedures have declined worldwide in recent years. A known complication is the intraluminal erosion of the prosthetic material. The endoscopic management of gastric band erosion represents the recommended approach nowadays, and it avoids any additional trauma to the gastric wall already damaged by the migration. The purpose of our study was to assess the feasibility of endoscopic management for intraluminal gastric band erosion following LAGB. Methods: From January 2009–December 2020, a total of 29 patients were retrospectively reviewed after undergoing endoscopic gastric band removal. The study included all consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic gastric band removal in this period. No patients were excluded from the study. Data on patient demographic characteristics, case history, operative details (procedural time, adverse events), and complications were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Twenty-nine patients underwent endoscopic gastric band removal: 22 women (75.8%) with a mean age of 45 years (range: 28–63) and mean Body Mass Index (BMI) of 31 ± 4.7 kg/m2 (range: 24–41). The average time to the identification of erosion after LAGB was 42 months (range: 28–137). The initial upper endoscopy found a migrated band of more than half of the diameter in 21 cases, less than a half but more than a third in seven cases and in one case, less than a third (use of a stent). Twenty-seven patients were successfully treated with endoscopic removal, and in two cases, the endoscopic approach failed, and laparoscopy was further performed. Conclusions: The endoscopic management of intraluminal erosion after LAGB can be safe and effective and should be considered the procedure of choice when treating this complication. The percentage of the band migration is important for the timing of the endoscopic removal

Is the Surgical Drainage Mandatory for Leak after Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Septotomy; Sleeve gastrectomy; Surgical drainageSeptotomía; Gastrectomía en manga; Drenaje quirúrgicoSeptotomia; Gastrectomia en màniga; Drenatge quirúrgicIntroduction: Despite the unanimous acknowledgement of the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) worldwide, the leak remains its deficiency. For the last decade, the surgical treatment was practically considered mandatory for almost any collection following LSG. The aim of this study is to evaluate the need for surgical drainage for leak following LSG. Methods: All consecutive patients having gone through LSG from January 2017 to December 2020 were enrolled in our study. Once the demographic data and the leak history were registered, we analyzed the outcome of the surgical or endoscopic drainage, the characteristics of the endoscopic treatment, and the evolution to complete healing. Results: A total of 1249 patients underwent LSG and the leak occurred in 11 cases (0.9%). There were 10 women with a mean age of 47.8 years (27–63). The surgical drainage was performed for three patients and the rest of the eight patients underwent primary endoscopic treatment. The endoscopic treatment was represented with pigtails for seven cases and septotomy with balloon dilation for four cases. In two out of these four cases, the septotomy was anticipated by the use of a nasocavitary drain for 2 weeks. The average number of endoscopic procedures was 3.2 (range 2–6). The leaks achieved complete healing after an average duration of 4.8 months (range 1–9 months). No mortality was recorded for a leak. Conclusions: The treatment of the gastric leak must be tailored to each patient. Although there is still no consensus for the endoscopic drainage of leaks after LSG, the surgical approach can be avoided in up to 72%. The benefits of pigtails and nasocavitary drains followed by endoscopic septotomy are undeniable, and they should be included in the armamentarium of any bariatric center

The Utility of Video Recording in Assessing Bariatric Surgery Complications

Introduction: Recording every procedure could diminish the postoperative complication rates in bariatric surgery. The aim of our study was to evaluate the correlation between recording every bariatric surgery and their postoperative analysis in relation to the early or late postoperative complications. Methods: Seven hundred fifteen patients who underwent a bariatric procedure between January 2018 and December 2019 were included in a retrospective analysis. There were: 589 laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies (LSGs); 110 Roux-en-Y bypasses (RYGBs) and 16 gastric bands (LAGBs). The video recording was systematically used, and all patients were enrolled in the IFSO registry. Results: There were 15 patients (2.1%) with surgical postoperative complications: 5 leaks, 8 hemorrhages and 2 stenosis. Most complications were consequent to LSG, except for two, which occurred after RYGB. In four cases a site of active bleeding was identified. After reviewing the video, in three cases the site was correlated with an event which occurred during the initial procedure. Three out of five cases of leak following sleeve were treated purely endoscopically, and no potential correlated mechanism was identified. Two other possible benefits were observed: a better evaluation of the gastric pouch for the treatment of the ulcer post bypass and the review of one per operative incident. Two negative diagnostic laparoscopies were performed. The benefit of the systematic video recording was singled out in eight cases. All the other cases were completed by laparoscopy with no conversion. Conclusion: To record every bariatric procedure could help in understanding the mechanism of certain complications, especially when the analysis is performed within the team. Still, recording the procedure did not prevent the negative diagnostic laparoscopy, but it could play a significant role for the medico-legal aspect in the futur

Disease status, reasons for discontinuation and adverse events in 1038 Italian children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis treated with etanercept

Background: Data from routine clinical practice are needed to further define the efficacy and safety of biologic medications in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The aim of this analysis was to investigate the disease status, reasons for discontinuation and adverse events in Italian JIA patients treated with etanercept (ETN). Methods: In 2013, all centers of the Italian Pediatric Rheumatology Study Group were asked to make a census of patients given ETN after January 2000. Patients were classified in three groups: group 1 = patients still taking ETN; group 2 = patients discontinued from ETN for any reasons; group 3 = patients lost to follow-up while receiving ETN. All three groups received a retrospective assessment; patients in group 1 also underwent a cross-sectional assessment. Results: 1038 patients were enrolled by 23 centers: 422 (40.7%) were in group 1, 462 (44.5%) in group 2, and 154 (14.8%) in group 3. Median duration of ETN therapy was 2.5 years. At cross-sectional assessment, 41.8% to 48.6% of patients in group 1 met formal criteria for inactive disease, whereas 52.4% of patients in group 2 and 55.8% of patients in group 3 were judged in clinical remission by their caring physician at last visit. A relatively greater proportion of patients with systemic arthritis were discontinued or lost to follow-up. Parent evaluations at cross-sectional visit in group 1 showed that 52.4% of patients had normal physical function, very few had impairment in quality of life, 51.2% had no pain, 76% had no morning stiffness, and 82.7% of parents were satisfied with their child's illness outcome. Clinically significant adverse events were reported for 27.8% of patients and ETN was discontinued for side effects in 9.5%. The most common adverse events were new onset or recurrent uveitis (10.2%), infections (6.6%), injection site reactions (4.4%), and neuropsychiatric (3.1%), gastrointestinal (2.4%), and hematological disorders (2.1%). Ten patients developed an inflammatory bowel disease and 2 had a malignancy. One patient died of a fulminant streptococcal sepsis. Conclusions: Around half of the patients achieved complete disease quiescence under treatment with ETN. The medication was overall well tolerated, as only one quarter of patients experienced clinically significant adverse events and less than 10% had treatment discontinued for toxicity

One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass and Hiatal Hernia: Nissen Fundoplication with the Excluded Stomach to Decrease the Risk of Postoperative Gastroesophageal Reflux

Introduction: The realization of an antireflux valve according to the Nissen technique during the operation of one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) may theoretically decrease the incidence of postoperative reflux in patients with hiatal hernia (HH). Material and Methods: In this retrospective study, we included all patients operated on between January 2015 and January 2019 for an OAGB associated with the creation of an antireflux Nissen valve (360-degree wrap). The patients included had type II or type III HH that had been diagnosed preoperatively or discovered intraoperatively. Results: Twenty-two patients were operated on during the period considered. The mean preoperative BMI was 40 ± 14 kg/m2. Five patients (22.7%) had a history of bariatric surgery. Typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were preoperatively present in four patients (18%), and HH was revealed preoperatively only in four patients; for all the other patients, the diagnosis of HH was made intraoperatively. The rate of early and/or late postoperative complications was 0%. The mean duration of follow-up was 23 ± 15 months. No dysphagia was reported during follow-up. Three patients presented with symptomatic GERD postoperatively, including one de novo. Mean BMI at the end of follow-up was 24 ± 3 kg/m2, and the % of total weight loss was 108 ± 30%. Conclusions: OAGB with a Nissen antireflux valve seems to be a safe and effective surgical technique and it could be an extra arrow in the surgeon’s quiver in the presence of HH in a patient scheduled for OAGB

Synthesis and activity studies of analogues of the rat selective toxicant norbormide

Norbormide [5-(alpha-hydroxy-alpha-2-pyridylbenzyl)-7-(alpha-2-pyridylbenzylidene)-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide] (NRB, 1), an existing but infrequently used rodenticide, is known to be uniquely toxic to rats but relatively harmless to other rodents and mammals. A series of NRB-related analogues were prepared to investigate the structural features responsible for, and the in vitro biological markers indicative of, in vivo lethality of the parent molecule in rats. Their synthesis and biological evaluation (vasoconstriction, vasodilation, mitochondrial dysfunction, cardiotoxicity and lethality) is described

Resizing of the Gastric Pouch for Weight Regain after Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass: Is It a Valid Option?

Introduction: The laparoscopic resizing of the gastric pouch (LPR) has recently been proposed as a revisional technique in the case of weight regain (WR) after gastric bypass procedures. The aim of this study was to report our experience with LPR for WR. Materials and Methods: All patients with WR ≥ 25% after gastric bypass and with a dilated gastric pouch and/or gastrojejunal anastomosis who underwent LPR between January 2017 and January 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. From a radiological point of view, a gastric pouch was considered dilated when its volume was calculated at >80 cm3 for LRYGB and >200 cm3 for OAGB upon a 3D-CT scan. The endoscopic criterion considered both the diameter of the gastrojejunal anastomosis and the gastric pouch volume. All anastomoses > 20 mm for LRYGB and >40 mm for OAGB were considered dilated, while a gastric pouch was considered endoscopically dilated when the retrovision maneuver with the gastroscope was easily performed. These selection criteria were arbitrarily established on the basis of both our personal experience and literature data. Results: Twenty-three patients had LPR after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or one-anastomosis gastric bypass. The mean BMI at LPR was 36.3 ± 4.7 kg/m2. All patients underwent LPR, while the resizing of the GJA was also performed in 3/23 (13%) cases, and hiatoplasty was associated with the resizing of the pouch in 6/23 cases (26.1%). The mean BMI at the last follow-up was 29.3 ± 5.8 kg/m2. The difference between the BMI before resizing and the BMI at the last follow-up visit was statistically significant (p = 0.00005). The mean %TWL at 24.2 ± 16.1 months was 19.6 ± 9%. Comorbidities had an overall resolution and/or improvement rate of 47%. The mean operative time was 71.7 ± 21.9 min. The conversion rate was nil. Postoperative complications occurred in two cases (8.7%). Conclusions: In our series, LPR for WR showed good results in weight loss and in improvement/resolution of comorbidities, with an acceptable complication rate and operative time. Only further studies with a greater cohort of patients and a longer postoperative follow-up will be able to highlight the long-term benefits of this technique

Is the Surgical Drainage Mandatory for Leak after Sleeve Gastrectomy?

Introduction: Despite the unanimous acknowledgement of the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) worldwide, the leak remains its deficiency. For the last decade, the surgical treatment was practically considered mandatory for almost any collection following LSG. The aim of this study is to evaluate the need for surgical drainage for leak following LSG. Methods: All consecutive patients having gone through LSG from January 2017 to December 2020 were enrolled in our study. Once the demographic data and the leak history were registered, we analyzed the outcome of the surgical or endoscopic drainage, the characteristics of the endoscopic treatment, and the evolution to complete healing. Results: A total of 1249 patients underwent LSG and the leak occurred in 11 cases (0.9%). There were 10 women with a mean age of 47.8 years (27–63). The surgical drainage was performed for three patients and the rest of the eight patients underwent primary endoscopic treatment. The endoscopic treatment was represented with pigtails for seven cases and septotomy with balloon dilation for four cases. In two out of these four cases, the septotomy was anticipated by the use of a nasocavitary drain for 2 weeks. The average number of endoscopic procedures was 3.2 (range 2–6). The leaks achieved complete healing after an average duration of 4.8 months (range 1–9 months). No mortality was recorded for a leak. Conclusions: The treatment of the gastric leak must be tailored to each patient. Although there is still no consensus for the endoscopic drainage of leaks after LSG, the surgical approach can be avoided in up to 72%. The benefits of pigtails and nasocavitary drains followed by endoscopic septotomy are undeniable, and they should be included in the armamentarium of any bariatric center