Successful ERCP in a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patient, performed via a small remnant of gastrogastric communication

Endoscopic ultrasonography guided drainage: summary of consortium meeting, May 21, 2012, San Diego, California

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the preferred procedure for biliary and pancreatic drainage. While ERCP is successful in about 95% of cases, a small subset of cases are unsuccessful due to altered anatomy, peri-ampullary pathology, or malignant obstruction. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage is a promising technique for biliary, pancreatic and recently gallbladder decompression, which provides multiple advantages over percutaneous or surgical biliary drainage. Multiple retrospective and some prospective studies have shown endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage to be safe and effective. Based on the currently reported literature, regardless of the approach, the cumulative success rate is 84%-93% with an overall complication rate of 16%-35%. endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage seems a viable therapeutic modality for failed conventional drainage when performed by highly skilled advanced endoscopists at tertiary centers with expertise in both echo-endoscopy and therapeutic endoscopy.

Endoscopic approaches to biliary intervention in patients with surgically altered gastroduodenal anatomy

Over the past decade the ability of endoscopists to access the biliary tree in patients with surgically altered gastroduodenal anatomy has significantly advanced. Much of the progress has occurred as a result of the development of better tools to navigate the deep small bowel, such as single-balloon- (SBE), double-balloon- (DBE), and spiral-enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). However, despite using a cap, accessing the papilla or bile duct using these forward-viewing enteroscopy platforms remains challenging, even in expert hands. In patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) anatomy, the excluded stomach is a potential point of access for either a delayed transgastric- or immediate laparoscopy-assisted-ERCP approach. However, the parallel advancement of therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) also provides alternative approaches through which the biliary system can be accessed and intervened on in patients with surgically altered anatomies. Generally speaking, in patients with short gastro-jejunal “Roux” and bilio-pancreatic limbs, ideally less than 150 cm in length, starting with a (cap-assisted) push-enteroscopy or balloon-enteroscopy approach would offer reasonable diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP success. When available, short-SBE or short-DBE scopes should be used, as they allow the use of conventional ERCP equipment, are associated with shorter procedure times, and are easier to manipulate. In patients with RYGB who have longer Roux and/or bilio-pancreatic limbs (> 150 cm in total length), or in patients who have failed prior attempts at deep enteroscopy-assisted ERCP, transgastric laparoscopy-assisted-ERCP is associated with higher rates of diagnostic and therapeutic success as compared to deep-enteroscopy-assisted ERCP. Finally, EUS-guided biliary access for antegrade biliary intervention or for rendezvous enteroscopy-assisted ERCP is possible. While percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and surgical bile duct exploration remain viable alternatives, these methods are not without significant morbidity and mortality and should only be considered if less invasive endoscopic interventions are not feasible or appropriate.

ERCP in the patient with surgically altered anatomy

Endoscopic retrogade cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a standard of care endoscopic technique using a conventional side-viewing duodenoscope to treat a wide variety of biliopancreatic pathologies. However, surgically altered gastric and/or small bowel anatomy renders ERCP more challenging because of several reasons. Depending on the type of surgical reconstruction, different endoscopic approaches have been developed in order to perform therapeutic ERCP. The current review highlights the latest ERCP developments to deal with biliopancreatic problems in patients with surgically altered anatomy, and discusses future directions of improvement.

Morbid obesity-the new pandemic: medical and surgical management, and implications for the practicing gastroenterologist

The gastroenterologist, whether in academic or clinical practice, must face the reality that an increasingly large percentage of adult patients are morbidly obese. Morbid obesity is associated with significant morbidity and mortality including enhanced morbidity from cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, hepatobiliary and colonic diseases. Most of these associated diseases are actually preventable. Based on the 1991 NIH consensus conference criteria, for most patients with a body mass index (BMI=weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared) of 40 or more, or for patients with a BMI of 35 or more and significant health complications, surgery may be the only reliable option. Currently in the United States, over 250,000 bariatric surgical procedures are being performed annually. The practicing gastroenterologist in every community, large and small, must be familiar with the various surgical procedures together with their associated anatomic changes. These changes may dramatically increase the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies and profoundly alter the clinical and endoscopic approaches to diagnosis and management.