Gastrointestinal stress ulcer prophylaxis in the intensive care unit, where is the data?

Stress-induced gastrointestinal ulcers are common among patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). These ulcers impose significant morbidity and mortality, therefore, stress ulcer prophylaxis (SUP) is a common clinical practice among healthcare providers dealing with these critically-ill patients. Several strategies for SUP have been suggested over the past four decades, with acid suppressive therapies being the most commonly used in the ICU. Whether SUP is effective and safe, or not, remains a topic of controversy. The data is still conflicting, and provision of a simple answer is not feasible at the present time. Recently, a large phase IV, multicenter, randomized clinical trial (SUP-ICU), negated the benefits (and harms) of proton pump inhibitors as SUP. This article reviews some of these controversies.

Single strain probiotics for dyslipidemia, fatty liver, and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

A number of non-systematic reviews on the effects or mechanisms of probiotics on improving dyslipidemia, fatty liver, and obesity have been available but inconclusive to determine the independent effects of probiotics on each of the three conditions.

AIM

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on potential benefits of probiotics among individuals with fatty liver or obesity or hyperlipidemia.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Embase. Adult participants of any gender without major comorbidities who received probiotics were considered following these criteria: (1) Studies on a single genus of probiotics with or without prebiotics; (2) Studies specifying the probiotic dosage into colony-forming units (CFUs); and (3) Studies on food-based probiotics were excluded. The primary outcome measures for fatty liver, obesity, and dyslipidemia were fibrosis score (kPa), body mass index (BMI; kg/m²), and serum lipid profiles (mg/dL), respectively. The secondary outcome measures for fatty liver and obesity were liver enzymes (U/L) and subcutaneous fat area (cm²).

RESULTS

A total of 13 articles, published between 1997 and 2018, fulfilled the selection criteria. Three probiotics were included, of which Lactobacillus was the most commonly studied (10 studies), followed by Bifidobacterium (two studies) and Pediococcus (one study). Probiotics significantly reduced BMI (P = 0.013), total cholesterol (P = 0.011), and low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.006) while increased high-density lipoprotein (P = 0.028); high heterogeneities were observed. Only Lactobacillus could decrease triglyceride level (P = 0.005) with low heterogeneity. No included studies reported fibrosis score, liver functions, subcutaneous fat outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Single probiotics, especially Lactobacillus, have a potentially beneficial effect on improving obesity and dyslipidemia. Evidence on the fatty liver is limited.

Addition of hip exercises to treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome: A meta-analysis

AIM: To determine if the addition of hip-strengthening exercises decreases pain and improves function in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

METHODS: The authors completed a systematic review searching eight databases (i.e., PubMed, Cochrane, CINHAL, MEDLINE, SportsDiscus, EMBASE, APTA Hooked on Evidence, and PEDro). Two independent reviewers screened and excluded studies if they did not meet the following inclusion criteria: subjects had a primary diagnosis of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), intervention group included hip-strengthening exercises, control group included a traditional physical therapy intervention, study included outcome measures of pain and/or function, study used a randomized controlled trial design, PEDro score was ≥ 7, and study was published in a peer-reviewed journal. Primary outcome measures were subjective scales of pain and function. These measures were converted to standardized mean difference [effect size (ES)], and a random-effects model was used to calculate the overall ES.

RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-three studies were screened for inclusion in our meta-analysis. Nine studies were deemed suitable for data extraction and analysis. A total of 426 subjects were used in the nine studies. Overall, there was a significant positive effect of hip-strengthening exercises on measures of pain and function in subjects with PFPS (ES = 0.94, P = 0.00004). None of the individual studies had a negative ES, with study ES ranging from 0.35 to 2.59. Because of the high degree of between-study variance (I² = 76%; Q = 34.0, P < 0.001), subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regressions were performed. None of the potential moderator variables that were investigated (e.g., outcome type, hip region targeted, duration of treatment) could explain a significant amount of the between-study variance in ES (P≥ 0.23).

CONCLUSION: Overall, the addition of hip-strengthening exercises to traditional physical therapy produced greater improvements in measures of pain and function.

Is the traditional Chinese medicine helpful for patients with hematologic malignant diseases? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of hematologic malignant diseases.

METHODS: We searched the Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, AMED, CNKI, Wanfang Platform; China Sinomed and the clinical trial registry web sites and Googlescholar electronically up to June 19^th, 2014 and hand searched related publications. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) researching on whether TCM as the adjuvant treatment improved the effect for hematologic malignant diseases were included. Two reviewers extracted data and evaluated the studies independently. Pooled risk ratios (RR) were calculated as outcome measures. Our primary outcomes were the overall response (OR) rate.

RESULTS: We retrieved 13143 references and included 11 RCTs involved 891 participants after screening. Because the non-significant heterogeneity we used the fixed effect model to combine data and TCM had a significantly higher OR and CR (complete response) rates than the control [RR = 1.17, 95%CI: (1.10, 1.25), P < 0.00001; RR = 1.24, 95%CI: (1.11, 1.37), P < 0.0001, respectively]. Only three studies included in the survival rate analysis. We combined them with random effects model and there was no significant difference between the TCM and control arms. Because of the low heterogeneity we used the fixed effect model to combine the non-hematologic adverse effects (AEs) data. Our results showed that TCM significantly decreased non-hematologic AEs rates we researched, the gastrointestinal reaction [RR = 0.50, 95%CI: (0.37, 0.68), P < 0.0001], liver and/or kidney injury [RR = 0.37, 95%CI: (0.26, 0.53), P < 0.00001] and heart injury [RR = 0.24, 95%CI: (0.09, 0.68), P = 0.007]. Additionally, TCM had a trend to decrease the infection rate [RR = 0.16, (0.02, 1.12), P = 0.07], but not statistically significantly.

CONCLUSION: TCM increases OR and CR rates for hematologic malignances and reduces treatment associated serious non-hematologic AEs. Therefore, TCM should be included in the treatment of hematologic malignances.

Why meta-analyses are important for complementary and alternative medicine research

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is defined as a group of interventions that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. This definition already implies that CAM interventions are often not systematically studied; and the research evidence from single trials on CAM is often limited by small sample sizes, unclear methodology, and inadequate statistics. As a result, both, significant and insignificant results are often hard to interpret based on single trials. Summarizing the evidence from single CAM trials, qualitative systematic reviews still have to deal with the same problems as individual trials as they can only rely on the original reports. Thus, effects of CAM interventions are often underestimated or overestimated based on single trials or qualitative systematic reviews. While meta-analyses still are limited by the methodological shortcomings of the included studies, a well-conducted meta-analysis can deal with two common problems of CAM trials: inadequate statistics that rely on within-group comparisons and small underpowered sample sizes. Although large and high quality trials are urgently needed for most CAM interventions, funding often is limited. Until higher quality research is available, meta-analyses provide a useful tool to investigate the actual level of evidence of currently published CAM trials. This editorial presents examples of meta-analyses in the field of CAM and discusses how they contribute to the consolidation of evidence.

Hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage: A meta-analytic comparison of aneurysm treatments

AIM: To compare two treatments for ruptured cerebral aneurysm with reference to the relative risk of developing hydrocephalus.

METHODS: We reviewed the English language literature on the risk of developing hydrocephalus after aneurysm treatment. Data were divided by type of study (randomized controlled trial, cohort trial, nonrandomized comparison, prospectively- and retrospectively-collected observational study). They were also divided by type of aneurysm treatment (microvascular - clipping, or endovascular - coiling). Additional predictive variables collected for each publication were average age, gender distribution, measures of hemorrhage volume and subarachnoid hemorrhage severity, aneurysm locations, time to treatment, duration of follow-up and date of publication. We employed meta-analysis to calculate pooled risk ratios of developing hydrocephalus in cases receiving aneurysm clipping vs those receiving coiling. Meta-regression was used to correct pooled results for covariates.

RESULTS: Because indications for the two treatments are different, there is little clinical equipoise for treating most cases. The single randomized, controlled trial dealt with a small subset of ruptured aneurysms. Neither this nor pooled values from other studies which compared the two treatments had the power to demonstrate significant differences between the two treatments. Nor was there an apparent difference when observational data were meta-analytically pooled. However, when meta-regression was used to correct for predictive variables known to differ between the two treatment groups, a highly-significant difference appeared. Coiling is used more commonly in older, sicker patients with aneurysms in certain locations. These cases are more likely to develop hydrocephalus. When corrected for these covariates, the risk of hydrocephalus was found to be significantly lower in coiled vs clipped cases (P = 0.014).

CONCLUSION: Pooled observational data were necessary to demonstrate that coiling ruptured cerebral aneurysms is associated with a lower risk of developing hydrocephalus than is clipping.

Antibiotics for eradicating meningococcal carriages: Network meta-analysis and investigation of evidence inconsistency

AIM

To compare different antibiotics for eradicating the carriage of Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis), and to investigate heterogeneity and evidence inconsistency.

METHODS

From a search of PubMed and published systematic reviews, we identified 23 trials evaluating 15 antibiotics that could be connected in a trial network. The outcome of interest is the eradication of N. meningitidis. We used WinBUGS to conduct random-effects, mixed treatment comparisons. Heterogeneity and evidence inconsistency was investigated by meta-regression modelling and examining characteristics of trial participants and interventions evaluated.

RESULTS

Rifampin, ciprofloxacin, minocycline, ceftriaxone, and azythromycin were statistically significantly (P < 0.05) more effective than placebo. The probability of being the best was 67.0% for a combination of rifampin and minocycline, 25.0% for ceftriaxone, 1.7% for azythromycin, and below 1% for the remaining regimens. Significant inconsistency between the direct and indirect estimates was observed for the comparison of rifampin and ciprofloxacin (P < 0.01), which may be caused by different types of carriers and different doses of ciprofloxacin.

CONCLUSION

A range of prophylactic antibiotic regimens are effective for eradicating meningococcal carriages, and treatment choice will depend on the individual priorities of the patients and physicians. In clinical situations where complete eradication is considered to be of the utmost importance, a combination of rifampin and minocycline seems to offer the highest likelihood of success. Ceftriaxone as a single intramuscular injection is also likely to be more effective as compared with the other two antibiotics (ciprofloxacin or rifampin) recommended by the current guidelines.

Integrating contextual variables in meta-analyses

Meta-analysis is an important statistical tool, and it is often used to solve clinical problems. However inevitably when conducting a meta-analysis, the included studies often have heterogeneity. This paper suggests the inclusion of relevant background data or contextual variables into the model. The contextual variables are those variables not explicitly measured in the studies included in a meta-analysis; thus, these must be very well-described and justified as parameters for analyses.

Biofat grafts as an orthobiologic tool in osteoarthritis: An update and classification proposal

Among degenerative musculoskeletal disorders, osteoarthritis remains one of the main causes of pain and disability in the adult population. Current available alternatives to alleviate symptoms include conservative treatments such as physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs and an educational approach to lifestyle modification. The use of certain analgesics, such as opiates and corticosteroids offer short-term results but does not address the etiological source of pain and disability. In addition, prolonged use of such medications can cause additional complications. Therefore, the demand for regeneration of joint cartilage has led to an alternative approach called "orthobiologics". This alternative is based on cellular and molecular components capable of inducing and promoting tissue repair. Products derived from adipose tissue have been studied as an excellent source of orthobiologics in an attempt to promote joint cartilage repair. However, the lack of standardization regarding collection and processing protocols presents a challenge for the generalization of study results and determination of effectiveness. To the best of our knowledge, orthobiologics derived from fat have not yet been classified. Therefore, this manuscript proposes the HGS classification system which aims to describe certain parameters that are relevant to the quality of organic products regarding harvesting techniques (H), graft type (G), and number of centrifugations (S). The more parameters used would imply greater characterization and complexity of the evaluation of the biological product used. The HGS classification may provide a valuable contribution to the understanding of clinical procedures and research results, aiming to ultimately usher in a standardization of optimal practice.

Brassiere wearing and breast cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM: To evaluate existing evidence for the association between different type of brassiere exposures and the risk of breast cancer.

METHODS: Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Data Base of Systematic Reviews, Pubmed, Scopus, Proquest, Sciencedirect, Wiley Online Library, WanFang Data, Hong Kong Index to Chinese Periodicals, China Journal Net, Chinese Medical Current Contents, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China Academic Journals Full-Text database, Taiwan Electronic Periodical Services and HyRead; reference lists of published studies; original research studies published in English or Chinese examining the association between type and duration of brassiere-wearing and breast cancer risk. Data were abstracted by a first reviewer and verified by a second. Study quality was rated according to predefined criteria. “Fair” or “good” quality studies were included. Results were summarised by meta-analysis whenever adequate material was available.

RESULTS: Twelve case-control studies were included in the review. Meta-analysis showed brassiere wearing during sleep was associated with a two times of increased odds.

CONCLUSION: The present review demonstrates insufficient evidence to establish a positive association between the duration and type of brassiere wearing and breast cancer. Further research is essential; specifically, a large-scale epidemiological study of a better design is needed to examine the association between various forms of brassiere exposure in detail and breast cancer risk, with adequate control of confounding variables.

Thrombopoietin-receptor agonists in perioperative treatment of patients with chronic liver disease

Thrombocytopenia is a multifactorial disorder that is common in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), leading to challenging perioperative planning. As thrombocytopenia in CLD is associated with thrombopoietin (TPO) deficiency, the use of TPO-receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) to increase platelet counts is a promising approach. This has led to the development of various TPO-RAs, including romiplostim, eltrombopag, avatrombopag, and lusutrombopag. Of these, only avatrombopag and lusutrombopag are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the perioperative treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with CLD. Platelet transfusion is commonly used for the clinical management of thrombocytopenia in patients with CLD undergoing invasive procedures. However, the limitations and possible risks of transfusion, including short duration of efficacy, development of antiplatelet antibodies, risk of infections and such complications as transfusion-related acute lung injury or circulatory overload, and possibility of refractoriness, limit its use. Moreover, there is no consensus among guidelines as to the platelet count at which transfusions are indicated. Results from studies using TPO-RAs perioperatively in patients with thrombocytopenia and CLD are promising and provide an alternative to platelet transfusions in the pre- and post-operative setting. These TPO-RAs are the subject of this review, with focus on their use in the perioperative setting in patients with thrombocytopenia, associated supporting clinical trials, efficacy and safety data, and their use with respect to platelet transfusions.

Statin use and risk of liver cancer: A meta-analysis of 7 studies involving more than 4.7 million patients

AIM: To pool data currently available to determine the association between statin use and the risk of liver cancer.

METHODS: A computerized literature search was conducted to identify those relevant studies between January 1966 and March 2013. Stata 11.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, Texas) was used for statistical analyses. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates with 95%CI were calculated for overall analysis and subgroup analyses, using the random- and fixed-effects models. Heterogeneities between studies were evaluated by Cochran’s Q test and I² statistic. The Begg’s funnel plot and Egger’s regression asymmetry test were used to detect the publication bias.

RESULTS: Seven studies were included in our meta-analysis according to the selection criteria, including four cohort studies and three case-control studies. These studies involved 4725593 people and 9785 liver cancer cases. The overall analysis showed that statin use was statistically associated with a significantly reduced risk of liver cancer (random-effects model, RR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.49-0.76, P < 0.001; fixed-effects model, RR = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.57-0.71, P < 0.001); however, significant heterogeneity was found between studies (Cochran’s Q statistic = 19.13, P = 0.004; I² = 68.6%). All subgroup analyses provided supporting evidence for the results of overall analysis. Begg’s (Z = 0.15, P = 0.881) and Egger’s test (t =-0.44, P = 0.681) showed no significant risk of having a publication bias.

CONCLUSION: Statin use was associated with the reduced risk of liver cancer. To clearly clarify this relationship, more high quality studies are required.

Post-transplant malignancy: Focusing on virus-associated etiologies, pathogenesis, evidence-based management algorithms, present status of adoptive immunotherapy and future directions

Modern immunosuppression has led to a decrease in rejection rates and improved survival rates after solid organ transplantation. Increasing the potency of immunosuppression promotes post-transplant viral infections and associated cancers by impairing immune response against viruses and cancer immunoediting. This review reflects the magnitude, etiology and immunological characteristics of various virus-related post-transplant malignancies, emphasizing the need for future research. A multidisciplinary and strategic approach may serve best but overall literature evidence targeting it is sparse. However, the authors attempted to provide a more detailed update of the literature consensus for the prevention, diagnosis, management and surveillance of post-transplant viral infections and associated malignancies, with a focus on the current role of adoptive immunotherapy and the way forward. In order to achieve long-term patient and graft survival as well as superior post-transplant outcomes, collaborative research on holistic care of organ recipients is imperative.

Mucin expression and the pancreas: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To assess mucin expression in pancreatic premalignant and malignant states, and to establish its role as a prognostic marker.

METHODS

English Medical literature searches were conducted for “mucin” and “pancreas”. Observational studies were included. Meta-analysis was performed by using Comprehensive meta-analysis software. Pooled odds ratios and 95%CIs were calculated.

RESULTS

Out of 949 eligible papers we found 20 according to the inclusion criteria, including 4262 patients, published till May 31, 2016. Mucin expression increased in pancreatic lesions with OR 10.206 (95%CI: 4.781-21.781, P < 0.0001). Measure of heterogeneity was high: Q = 296.973, df (Q) = 55.00, I² = 81.48%. We found a significant increase in the expression of MUC2, MUC4 and MUC5AC, 13.39, 118.43 and 13.91 times respectively, in pancreatic lesion in comparison with normal pancreatic tissue, and decreased expression of MUC5B.

CONCLUSION

Mucin expression may serve as prognostic marker for transformation of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms to ductal adenocarcinoma, for aggressiveness of the pancreatic tumor, and as targets for potential therapy.

Comparison of hand-assisted laparoscopic radical gastrectomy and laparoscopic-assisted radical gastrectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Gastrectomy is the optimal treatment for gastric cancer. Laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) has been extensively employed, while hand-assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy (HALG), which is similar to LAG, remains controversial. Although HALG is popular in China, some surgeons do not accept it as a minimal-access technique. 

AIM

To assess the safety and practicability of HALG by comparing the short-term outcomes of HALG and LAG.

METHODS

The electronic databases of EMBASE, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Cochrane Library were thoroughly searched, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing HALG and LAG were included. The study results, including surgery time, blood loss, retrieved lymphatic nodes, incision length, time to first flatus, hospitalization duration, and all postsurgical complications, were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Five RCTs, which included 302 cases with HALG and 298 cases with LAG, were considered eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis showed that HALG significantly reduced surgery time (P < 0.01), hospital duration (P < 0.01), and overall postsurgical complications (P < 0.01). Additionally, HALG significantly increased the number of retrieved lymphatic nodes (P = 0.01) and incision length (P < 0.01) compared with LAG. The blood loss and time to first flatus were similar between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with LAG, HALG is a simpler and safer technique. Additionally, HALG should be used as a minimal-access technique, especially in technologically undeveloped areas.

Computed tomography fluoroscopy guided percutaneous lung biopsy for ground-glass opacity pulmonary lesions: A meta-analysis

AIM: To obtain the diagnostic performance of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) under Computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy guidance for lung ground-glass opacity (GGO).

METHODS: We searched for English- and Chinese-language studies in PubMed, EMBASE, EBSCO, OVID, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) database. Data were calculated with Meta-Disc version 1.4 and Rev Man version 5.2 software. From the pooled data, we calculated sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive likelihood ratio (+LR), negative likelihood ratio (-LR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were constructed and incidence of complications was recorded.

RESULTS: Four documents included in this present meta-analysis met the criteria for analysis. The pooled Sen, Spe, +LR, -LR and DOR with 95%CI were 0.91 (0.86-0.95), 1.0 (0.91-1.0), 18.64 (4.83-71.93), 0.11 (0.05-0.26) and 153.17 (30.78-762.33), respectively. The area under the SROC curve was 0.98. The incidence of pneumothorax and hemoptysis was 17.86%-51.80% and 10.50%-19.40%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: CT fluoroscopy-guided PTNB, which has an acceptable incidence of complications, can be used as a primary examination method for lung GGO, with moderate sensitivity and specificity.

Smoking increases risk of tooth loss: A meta-analysis of the literature

AIM: To quantitatively evaluate the impact of smoking on tooth loss.

METHODS: We performed a PubMed search to identify published articles that investigated the risk of tooth loss by smoking, from which RRs and their variance with characteristics of each study were extracted. The random-effects models were used to derive a pooled effect across studies. Potential sources of heterogeneity on the characteristics of the study and their influence on the pooled effect size were investigated using meta-regression models.

RESULTS: We identified 24 studies containing a total of 95973 participants for analysis. The pooled RR of ever-smokers compared with never- smokers was 1.73 (95%CI: 1.60-1.86, P < 0.001). In meta-regression analysis, only the mean age of participants alone was identified as a statistically significant source of heterogeneity. The effect of smoking on tooth loss was stronger when the mean age of study participants was higher, indicating possible enhancement of tooth loss due to aging by smoking. RR was significantly lower in former smokers (1.49, 95%CI: 1.32-1.69, P < 0.001) than in current smokers (2.10, 95%CI: 1.87-2.35, P < 0.001), indicating the substantial benefit of smoking cessation for reducing the risk of tooth loss.

CONCLUSION: Smoking is an independent risk factor for tooth loss regardless of many other confounders. Smoking cessation may attenuate this effect.

Stroke and depression: A bidirectional link

A number of studies have assessed the influence of depression on the risk of cardiovascular disease. A growing literature indicates a link between depression and cerebrovascular events, although the direction of this association remains unclear. Numerous data have emerged suggesting an association between depressive symptoms and subsequent risk of stroke, thus leading to the hypothesis that a direct causality between depression and stroke exists. Notwithstanding, how depression may act as a risk factor for stroke is still unclear. Depression might be linked to stroke via neuroendocrine and inflammation effects, through correlation with major comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes or by intervention of lifestyle behavioral mediators. Finally, antidepressant medications have recently drawn attention for a possible association with increased risk of stroke, although such findings remain uncertain. Depression has been also established as an important consequence after stroke, exerting a significant adverse impact on the course of motor recovery, social functioning and, overall, on quality of life. Post stroke depression occurs in nearly one third of stroke cases, but the exact mechanism leading to depression after stroke is still incompletely understood. In this article, we will review contemporary epidemiologic studies, discuss potential mechanisms and specific aspects of the complex relation between depression and stroke.

Endoscopic management of biliary strictures post-liver transplantation

Biliary complications play a significant role in morbidity of liver transplant recipients. Biliary strictures occur between 10%-25% of patients with a higher incidence in living donor recipients compared to deceased donors. Strictures can be classified as either anastomotic or non-anastomotic and may be related to ischemic events. Endoscopic management of biliary strictures in the post-transplant setting has become the preferred initial approach due to adequate rates of resolution of anastomotic and non-anastomotic strictures (NAS). However, several factors may increase complexity of the endoscopic approach including surgical anatomy, location, number, and severity of bile duct strictures. Many endoscopic tools are available, however, the approach to management of anastomotic and NAS has not been standardized. Multi-disciplinary techniques may be necessary to achieve optimal outcomes in select patients. We will review the risk factors associated with the development of bile duct strictures in the post-transplant setting along with the efficacy and complications of current endoscopic approaches available for the management of bile duct strictures.