Customized bariatric stents for sleeve gastrectomy leak: are they superior to conventional esophageal stents? A systematic review and proportion meta-analysis

Management of fistulas in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Fistulas in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract are complex conditions associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. They may arise as a result of inflammatory or malignant processes or following medical procedures, including endoscopic and surgical interventions. The management of upper GI is often challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Accurate diagnosis, including endoscopic and radiological evaluations, is crucial to build a proper and personalized therapeutic plan, that should take into account patient's clinical conditions, time of onset, size, and anatomical characteristics of the defect. In recent years, several endoscopic techniques have been introduced for the minimally invasive management of upper GI fistulas, including through-the-scope and over-the-scope clips, stents, endoscopic suturing, endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT), tissue adhesives, endoscopic internal drainage. This review aims to discuss and detail the current available endoscopic techniques for the treatment of upper GI fistulas.

Endoscopic treatment of upper gastrointestinal postsurgical leaks: a narrative review

Upper gastrointestinal postsurgical leaks are life-threatening conditions with high mortality rates and are one of the most feared complications of surgery. Leaks are challenging to manage and often require radiological, endoscopic, or surgical intervention. Steady advancements in interventional endoscopy in recent decades have allowed the development of new endoscopic devices and techniques that provide a more effective and minimally invasive therapeutic option compared to surgery. Since there is no consensus regarding the most appropriate therapeutic approach for managing postsurgical leaks, this review aimed to summarize the best available current data. Our discussion specifically focuses on leak diagnosis, treatment aims, comparative endoscopic technique outcomes, and combined multimodality approach efficacy.

CIRSE Standards of Practice on Placement of Upper Gastrointestinal Stents

BACKGROUND

Image-guided insertion of stents in the upper gastrointestinal trunk is an effective, minimally invasive treatment option to provide immediate relief of symptoms caused by upper gastrointestinal tract obstruction related to advanced-stage malignant causes or benign causes that lead to lumen narrowing.

PURPOSE

This document, as with all CIRSE Standards of Practice documents, is not intended to impose a standard of clinical patient care but will recommend a reasonable approach to best practices for performing stenting of the upper gastrointestinal tract, namely the oesophageal and gastroduodenal segments. Our purpose is to provide up-to-date recommendations for placement of upper gastrointestinal tract stents based on the previously published guidelines on this topic in 2005 and 2007.

METHODS

The writing group was established by the CIRSE Standards of Practice Committee and consisted of a group of internationally recognised experts in performing upper gastrointestinal stenting. The writing group reviewed the existing literature using PubMed to search for relevant publications in the English language up to September 2021. The final recommendations were formulated through consensus.

CONCLUSION

Insertion of stents in the oesophageal and gastroduodenal tracts has an established role in the successful management of malignant or benign obstructions. This Standards of Practice document provides up-to-date recommendations for the safe performance of upper gastrointestinal stent placement.

Choosing the best endoscopic approach for post-bariatric surgical leaks and fistulas: Basic principles and recommendations

Post-surgical leaks and fistulas are the most feared complication of bariatric surgery. They have become more common in clinical practice given the increasing number of these procedures and can be very difficult to treat. These two related conditions must be distinguished and characterized to guide the appropriate treatment. Leak is defined as a transmural defect with communication between the intra and extraluminal compartments, while fistula is defined as an abnormal communication between two epithelialized surfaces. Traditionally, surgical treatment was the preferred approach for leaks and fistulas and was associated with high morbidity with significant mortality rates. However, with the development of novel devices and techniques, endoscopic therapy plays an increasingly essential role in managing these conditions. Early diagnosis and endoscopic therapy initiation after clinical stabilization are crucial to success since clinical success rates are higher for acute leaks and fistulas when compared to late and chronic leaks and fistulas. Several endoscopic techniques are available with different mechanisms of action, including direct closure, covering/diverting or draining. The treatment should be individualized by considering the characteristics of both the patient and the defect. Although there is a lack of high-quality studies to provide standardized treatment algorithms, this narrative review aims to provide a summary of the current scientific evidence and, based on this data and our extensive experience, make recommendations to help choose the best endoscopic approach for the management of post-bariatric surgical leaks and fistulas.

Endoscopic Management of Postoperative Esophageal and Upper GI Defects-A Narrative Review

Anastomotic defects are deleterious complications after either oncologic or bariatric surgery, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Besides surgical revision in early stages or instable patients, endoscopic treatment has become the mainstay. To date, many options for endoscopic treatment in this setting exist, including fully covered metal stent placement, endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT), endoscopic internal drainage with pigtail placement (EID), leak closure with through the scope or over the scope clips, endoluminal suturing, fibrin glue sealing and a combination of all these techniques. Current evidence is mostly based on retrospective single and multicenter studies. No guidelines exist in this important field. Treatment options have to be chosen upon each case individually, taking into account clinical and anatomic criteria, such as timing, size, infectious wound complications and hemodynamic stability. Local expertise and availability of treatment devices need to be taken into account whenever choosing a treatment strategy. This review aimed to present current treatment options in terms of effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages in order to guide the clinician for his decision making. Additionally, we aimed to provide a treatment algorithm.

Status of bariatric endoscopy-what does the surgeon need to know? A review

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a chronic and multifactorial disease with a variety of potential treatment options available. Currently, there are several multidisciplinary therapeutic options for its management, including conservative, endoscopic, and surgical treatment.

AIM

To clarify indications, technical aspects, and outcomes of bariatric endoscopy.

METHODS

Narrative review of current literature based on electronic databases including MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, and SciELO.

RESULTS

Bariatric endoscopy is in constant development and comprises primary and revisional treatment options as well as management of surgical complications. Various devices act upon different mechanisms of action, which may be individualized to each patient. Despite favorable results for the endoscopic treatment of obesity, prospective randomized studies with long-term follow-up are required to fully validate primary and revisional endoscopic therapies. Regarding the management of bariatric surgery complications, endoscopic therapy may be considered the procedure of choice in a variety of situations. Still, as there is no standardized algorithm, local experience should be considered in decision-making.

CONCLUSION

The treatment of patients with obesity is complex, and a multidisciplinary approach is essential. Bariatric endoscopy has shown impressive results both in the treatment of obesity and its surgical complications, and therefore, must be part of the armamentarium in the fight against this disease.

Vacuum Therapy and Internal Drainage as the First-Line Endoscopic Treatment for Post-Bariatric Leaks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction

Several endoscopic methods can be employed to manage post-bariatric leaks. However, endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT) and endoscopic internal drainage (EID) are relatively new methods, and studies regarding these methods are scarce. We performed a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of EVT and EID.

Methods

Databases were searched for eligible studies. The clinical success of leak closure was the primary outcome of interest. A proportional meta-analysis was performed for pooling the primary outcome using a fixed-effects model. A meta-analysis or descriptive analysis of other outcomes was performed based on the data availability.

Results

Data from 3 EVT and 10 EID studies (n = 279) were used for evidence synthesis. The leak closure rates (95% confidence interval [CI]) of EVT and EID were 85.2% (75.1%-95.4%) and 91.6% (88.1%-95.2%), respectively. The corresponding mean treatment durations (95% CI) were 28 (2.4-53.6) and 78.4 (50.1-106.7) days, respectively. However, data about other outcomes were extremely limited; thus, a pooled analysis could not be performed.

Conclusions

Both EVT and EID were effective when used as the first-line treatment for post-bariatric leaks. However, larger studies must be conducted to compare the efficacy of the 2 interventions.

Cost-effective modified endoscopic vacuum therapy for the treatment of gastrointestinal transmural defects: step-by-step process of manufacturing and its advantages

Video 1Cost-effective modified endoscopic vacuum therapy for GI transmural defects. Step-by-step process of manufacturing and potential advantages.1.Cut half gauze to the ideal size to cover only the fenestrated portion of the nasogastric tube (NGT).2.Wrap the gauze around the fenestrated portion of the NGT. The assistance of another person is important in this process.3.Cut the antimicrobial incise drape to match the size of the fenestrated portion of the NGT. Note that the incise drape is a very strong adhesive; therefore, 3 people are usually required to assemble it properly.4.Next, the suture is used to fix the gauze and drape to the NGT. Perform fixation of the modified sponge in 3 places. The first knot is in the proximal portion, just below the last fenestra of the NGT, as a marker of where the vacuum system starts. The second knot is at the distal end, to avoid migration of the modified sponge. The third knot is in the middle of the modified sponge, which is essential to serve as a guide during endoscopic placement. For example, in cases of defects without collection in which the sponge will be placed in an intraluminal position, it is ideal to place the vacuum system in the middle of the defect; in cases of intracavitary placement, it will work as a guide to how much of the modified sponge will be inside the collection.5.Finally, use a needle to make innumerable punctures in the modified sponge system to obtain adequate aspiration. An 18G needle is recommended because, in addition to having an adequate diameter, it is very sharp, which facilitates perforation of the modified sponge system.6.After creation of the modified endoscopic vacuum therapy, the functionality test is performed. Turn on the wall suction system, connect the distal end of the NGT to the tube of the canister connected on the wall, and place the NGT inside a bowl with a liquid solution. The aspiration of a large amount of liquid indicates proper functioning of the modified endoscopic vacuum therapy system.7.The device is then ready to be positioned endoscopically in the patient. After proper positioning, connect the NGT to the suction tube to avoid migration of the device upon removal of the scope.8.In addition to the cost-effective device as described, in our practice we also use wall suction to reduce costs associated with the use of the vacuum machine.9.Use the antimicrobial incise drape to seal the connection between the NGT and the suction tube to avoid leakage within the connection.10.Last, owing to instability of the negative wall pressure, a 20F intravenous catheter is connected to the tube to maintain a negative pressure between -75 and -150 mmHg, as confirmed by laboratory studies performed by our group.

Esophageal Stent in Sleeve Gastrectomy Leak Treatment: Observations Based on a Challenging Surgical Case and Literature

Gastric leak is a serious complication of sleeve gastrectomy with a well-documented morbidity and mortality. Depending on the series the leak rate ranges between 1 and 5%. The treatment of sleeve gastrectomy leak is still challenging. Different procedures have been described in management of gastric leak, both surgical and endoscopic. The treatment of gastric leaks depends on the extent of the staple-line leak, the site of the leak and its association with stenosis. As published data are limited, there are no still standardized guidelines on best treatment. One of the most commonly used option in the treatment of gastric leak is esophageal stent. Its success rate reaches 70–80% but it is burdened by some complications. Stent migration is the most common complication in the placement of esophageal stent.We present a challenging surgical in which case the use of an esophageal stent for the treatment of a sleeve gastrectomy leak gained the resolution of the leak but was complicated by bowel obstruction due to migration of the stent.