Choledocholithiasis after Bariatric Surgery-More than a Stone's Throw to Reach?

High risk and low incidence diseases: Bariatric surgery complications

INTRODUCTION

Bariatric surgery complications carry a high rate of morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE

This review highlights the pearls and pitfalls of bariatric surgery complications, including presentation, diagnosis, and management in the emergency department (ED) based on current evidence.

DISCUSSION

Bariatric surgeries include restrictive procedures (e.g., adjustable gastric banding, endoscopic gastric balloon insertion, and sleeve gastrectomy) and mixed restrictive and malabsorptive procedures (e.g., roux-en-y gastric bypass and duodenal switch-biliopancreatic diversion). Several complications may occur, which may be associated with severe morbidity and mortality. These complications include anastomotic/staple line leaks, small bowel obstruction and internal hernia, marginal ulceration, biliary disease, and device-specific issues. History concerning the type of surgery, when and where it was performed, prior complications, changes in weight, and systemic symptoms is essential. Many signs and symptoms are subtle, but fever, tachycardia, and persistent vomiting are concerning for a severe complication. If there is concern for a complication, emergent consultation with the bariatric surgeon is recommended (preferably the patient's surgeon). Imaging studies can assist in the evaluation, including computed tomography with oral and intravenous contrast. Resuscitation in the ED and early intervention by a bariatric surgeon provide the best opportunity to reduce morbidity and mortality for patients with intra-abdominal pathology.

CONCLUSION

Understanding bariatric surgery complications can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.

Abdominal Pain After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: A Review

Importance

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) remains one of the most commonly performed operations for morbid obesity and is associated with significant long-term weight loss and comorbidity remission. However, health care utilization rates following RYGB are high and abdominal pain is reported as the most common presenting symptom for those seeking care.

Observations

Given the limitations of physical examination in patients with obesity, correct diagnosis of abdominal pain following RYGB depends on a careful history and appropriate use of radiologic, laboratory and endoscopic studies, as well as a clear understanding of post-RYGB anatomy. The most common etiologies of abdominal pain after RYGB are internal hernia, marginal ulcer, biliary disease (eg, cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis), and jejunojejunal anastomotic issues. Early identification of the etiology of the pain is essential, as some causes, such as internal hernia or perforated gastrojejunal ulcer, may require urgent or emergent intervention to avoid significant morbidity. While laboratory findings and imaging may prove useful, they remain imperfect, and clinical judgment should always be used to determine if surgical exploration is warranted.

Conclusions and Relevance

The etiologies of abdominal pain after RYGB range from the relatively benign to potentially life-threatening. This Review highlights the importance of understanding key anatomical and technical aspects of RYGB to guide appropriate workup, diagnosis, and treatment.

Experience of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with side-viewing duodenoscope in patients with previous gastric surgery

OBJECTIVES

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with conventional side-viewing duodenoscope can be challenging and unsuccessful at altered anatomy in the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to evaluate our experience with ERCP in patients with previous gastric surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients on whom ERCP was performed from January 2017 to August 2021 and who had previous gastric surgery were included into the study. Age, sex, comorbidity, Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI), ERCP indication, previous gastric surgery (indication, type of resection and reconstruction), history of cholecystectomy, and MRCP results were evaluated retrospectively. The results were compared as successful ERCP (SERCP) or unsuccessful ERCP (USERCP). Also, odds ratio ERCP failure was also evaluated.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients were included into study. Mean age was 68.8 ± 13.6 years. The most common sex was female (51.2%). The most common ERCP indication was choledocholithiasis with 44.2%, gastric surgery indication was peptic ulcer with 72.1%, gastric resection was subtotal with 67.4%, and reconstruction was gastrojejunostomy with 58.1%. The success rate of ERCP was 44.2%. Mean CCI was 4.16 ± 2.28. Only malignancy history was significantly higher in the USERCP group (p= 0.026). Male sex, non-choledocholithiasis indication, history of malignancy, CCI> 4, total gastrectomy, Roux-NY (RNY) reconstruction, history of cholecystectomy, and intercalarily to the bile duct dilatation in MRCP were likelihood for USERCP.

CONCLUSION

While history of malignancy and cholecystectomy were the only significant factor for unsuccessful ERCP, male sex, total gastrectomy, RNY anastomosis result in a higher likelihood of ERCP failure in patients with previous gastric surgery. Alternative devices to side-viewing duodenoscope will increase success in selected patients.

Management of Common Bile Duct Stones Encountered During Cholecystectomy in Patients With Previous Gastric Bypass

Background: Rapid weight loss following gastric bypass (GBP) predisposes to the development of gallstones, and in those who develop gallstone disease there is a high prevalence of common bile duct stones (CBDS). Furthermore, in these patients, CBDS are difficult to extract due to the altered upper gastrointestinal anatomy following GBP. The aim of the present study was to assess outcome after various management methods applied in the counties of Stockholm and Uppsala, Sweden. Methods: Data from the Swedish Register for Gallstone Surgery and ERCP (GallRiks) and the Swedish Obesity Surgery Register (SoReg) were crossmatched to identify all patients who had undergone gallstone surgery after GBP, where CBDS were found at intraoperative cholangiography, in the Stockholm and Uppsala counties 2009-2013. A retrospective review of patient records was performed for all patients identified. Results: In all, 55 patients were identified. These were managed as follows: expectancy (N = 11); transgastric ERCP (N = 2); laparoscopic choledochotomy (N = 3); open choledochotomy (N = 5); transcystic stone extraction (N = 12); and other approach (N = 13). In nine cases, data on management could not be found. There were nine cases of minor postoperative complication. No retained stones were registered. The operation time was longer for transgastric ERCP (p = 0.002), and the postoperative stay was longer following open and laparoscopic choledochotomy (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between any of the methods regarding the incidence of postoperative complications (p = 0.098). Discussion: Further development of techniques for managing CBDS discovered in patients undergoing cholecystectomy after previous GBP are needed, as well as more comparative studies with greater statistical power.

Contemporary management of concomitant gallstones and common bile duct stones: a survey of Spanish surgeons

BACKGROUND

Concomitant gallstones and common bile duct stones (CBDS) is a relatively frequent presentation. The optimal treatment remains controversial and the debate persists between two strategies. The one-stage approach: laparoscopic cholecystectomy with laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) has been shown to be equally safe and more cost-effective than the more traditional two-stage approach: endoscopic retrograde cholangiography followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ERCP + LC). However, many surgeons worldwide still prefer the two-stage procedure. This survey evaluated contemporary management of CBDS in Spain and assessed the impact of surgeon and hospital factors on provision of LCBDE.

METHODS

A 25-item, web-based anonymous survey was sent to general surgeons members of the Spanish Surgeons Association. Descriptive statistics were applied to summarize results.

RESULTS

Responses from 305 surgeons across 173 Spanish hospitals were analyzed. ERCP is the initial approach for preoperatively suspected CBDS for 86% of surgeons. LCBDE is the preferred method for only 11% of surgeons and only 11% treat more than 10 cases per year. For CBDS discovered intraoperatively, 59% of respondents attempt extraction while 32% defer to a postoperative ERCP. The main reasons cited for not performing LCBDE were lack of equipment, training and timely availability of an ERCP proceduralist. Despite these barriers, most surgeons (84%) responded that LCBDE should be implemented in their departments.

CONCLUSIONS

ERCP was the preferred approach for CBDS for the majority of respondents. There remains limited use of LCBDE despite many surgeons indicating it should be implemented. Focused planning and resourcing of both training and operational demands are required to facilitate adoption of LCBDE as option for patients.

Simultaneous surgeries in bariatric surgery (literature review)

Based on the available publications, the article presents an analysis of the studies on the simultaneous implementation of cholecystectomy, ventral and paraesophageal hernia repair during a bariatric intervention. If there is a clinical picture of chronic calculous cholecystitis, simultaneous cholecystectomy is justified and does not lead to a significant increase in the number of complications. In the case of asymptomatic gallstones, the optimal tactics remains controversial, both a surgical treatment and observation are possible. In the absence of gallstone disease, all patients after the surgical correction of the excess weight are prescribed ursodeoxycholic acid, while performing preventive cholecystectomy is not recommended. A simultaneous ventral hernia repair is justified only for small defects ( 10 cm) of the anterior abdominal wall. If a paraesophageal hernia is detected in patients with morbid obesity, bariatric surgery may be combined with cruroraphy.

The use of Ursolit for gallstone prophylaxis following bariatric surgery: a randomized-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Although bariatric surgery (BS) predisposes patients to development of gallstone formation, a preventive strategy is still in debate.

AIM

To compare the incidence of gallstone formation between patients treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) vs. placebo for a duration of 6 months following BS.

METHODS

This multicenter randomized, double-blind controlled trial entails treatment with UDCA vs. an identical-looking placebo. The primary outcome was gallstone formation, as measured by abdominal ultrasound.

RESULTS

The data of 209 subjects were enrolled in the study, and 92 subjects completed the study and were analyzed (n = 46 for each study group). The high dropout rate was mainly due to difficulties in adding more medications and swallowing the pill. Among the subjects who completed the study, 77.2% were women, and their mean age and pre-surgery BMI were 42.2 ± 10.2 years and 44.4 ± 6.1 kg/m², respectively. Gallstone formation was recorded in 45.7% (n = 21) vs. 23.9% (n = 11) of subjects among placebo vs. UDCA groups, respectively, p = 0.029. Subgroup-analysis, according to surgery type, found that the results were significant only for SG subjects (p = 0.041), although the same trend was observed for OAGB/RYGB. Excess Weight Loss percent (%EWL) at 6 months post-surgery was 66.0 ± 17.1% vs. 71.8 ± 19.5% for the placebo and UDCA groups, respectively; p = 0.136. A trend towards a reduction in prescribed comorbidity medications was noted within-groups during the follow-up period, as compared to baseline, with no between-group differences (p ≥ 0.246). Moreover, no between-group differences were found for blood test results (p ≥ 0.063 for all).

CONCLUSION

Administration of UDCA significantly decreased gallstone formation at 6 months at following BS. CLINICALTRIALS.

GOV NUMBER

NCT02319629.

Outcomes of laparoscopic-assisted ERCP in gastric bypass patients at a community hospital center

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a prevalent issue in today's society, increasing the number of gastric weight loss surgeries (Bowman et al. in Surg Endosc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-016-4746-8 , 2016; Choi et al. in Surg Endosc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00464-013-2850-6 , 2013; Paranandi et al. in Frontline Gastroenterol. https://doi.org/10.1136/flgastro-2015-100556 , 2015; Richardson et al. in http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/sesc/tas , 2012). This presents an anatomical challenge to biliary disease requiring endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as the traditional is technically difficult, requiring a longer endoscope with a reported success rate of less than 70% (Roberts et al. in https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3016032/ , 2008). A solution is laparoscopic-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP) via gastrostomy. We present our experience with LA-ERCP at our teaching community hospital in a large cohort of patients.

METHODS

An IRB-approved retrospective chart review was performed on patients with prior gastric bypass surgery who underwent LA-ERCP from April 2008 to April 2016. The procedure involved two bariatric surgeons and one gastroenterologist. The gastric remnant was secured to the abdominal wall with a purse-string suture and transfascial stay sutures. After gastrostomy creation of a duodenoscope was inserted to perform ERCP. Biliary sphincterotomy, dilation, and stone removal were performed as indicated. We observed the incidence of postoperative outcomes, including acute pancreatitis, reoperation, post-procedure infection, pain control, hospital readmission, and bile leak.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients met inclusion criteria. The majority of indications for LA-ERCP was choledocholithiasis (16/32). The remainder of cases included indications such as abnormal LFTs with biliary dilation (11/32), acute pancreatitis (2/32), cholangitis (2/32), and bile leak (1/32). LA-ERCP was successfully performed in all patients. Biliary sphincterotomy and stone extraction were performed on 31/32 patients. One patient underwent sphincterotomy and stent placement for bile leak after recent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One patient developed acute pancreatitis with elevated pancreatic enzymes which resolved on POD2. The median length of stay was 2 days.

CONCLUSION

LA-ERCP is a safe and feasible alternative to open surgery and can be safely implemented at community hospitals with adequately trained providers. Our large study proves that in this minimally invasive era, LA-ERCP provides gastric bypass patients a safe alternative with less pain and increased satisfaction.

Removal of Common Bile Ducts Stones via Percutaneous Access with a Flexible Ureteroscope and Laser Assistance

Two patients are described with large stones in the common bile duct. Standard ERCP was not possible. Both patients were successfully treated with percutaneous access and use of the ureteroscope with the holmium laser.

Intragastric single-port surgery (IGS) accesses the gastric remnant and allows ERCP for common bile duct stones after RYGB: a simple solution for a difficult problem

BACKGROUND

Patients who have undergone a Roux-en-Ygastric bypass (RYGB) and suffer from choledocholithiasis postoperatively pose a medical dilemma. Treatment of the cholestasis can be complicated because of the altered anatomy in these patients. The gastric remnant and duodenum are isolated from the pancreaticobiliary limb, making endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERCP) challenging and often impossible.

OBJECTIVE

To describe a method for safe introduction of the endoscope into the gastric remnant through intragastric single-port surgery (IGS), thus allowing for simultaneous cholecystectomy.

SETTING

Pilot clinical study.

METHODS

The present study is a nonrandomized clinical series describing our preliminary results using a transgastric inserted single-port device for ERCP after RYGB. The series includes 8 patients who underwent IGS ERCP after RYGB.

RESULTS

The technique was successfully applied for intraoperative ERCP through a transgastric inserted single-port device (Gelpoint Mini, Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA). Papilotomy was easily achieved without complications. Average operative time was 144.75 minutes. The patients recovered without complications and could be discharged after a mean of 4.38 days.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel IGS technique is safe and effective and can be applied to perform ERCP in patients with RYGB anatomy. Transgastric single port ERCP was simple to perform, achieved excellent results, and allowed for endoscopic treatment and cholecystectomy to be performed in a single procedure. The technique can be indicated in patients with complicated gallstone obstruction under altered anatomy after RYGB.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery remains a popular surgical intervention worldwide to treat morbid obesity. It is effective and relatively safe. However, one of the results related to bariatric surgery-induced rapid weight loss is the development of biliary stones. Endoscopic removal of common bile duct stones is challenging in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass reconstruction. The current review highlights the different endoscopic approaches of the biliopancreatic system to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. A treatment algorithm is provided based on clinical indications.