Upper gastrointestinal training in the UK and Ireland: a Roux Group Study

INTRODUCTION

Surgical training programmes in the United Kingdom and Ireland (UK&I) are in a state of flux. This study aims to report the contemporary opinions of trainee and consultant surgeons on the current upper gastrointestinal (UGI) training model in the UK&I.

METHODS

A questionnaire was developed and distributed via national UGI societies. Questions pertained to demographics, current training evaluation, perceived requirements and availability.

RESULTS

A total of 241 responses were received with representation from all UK&I postgraduate training regions. The biggest discrepancies between rotation demand and national availability related to advanced/therapeutic endoscopy and robotic surgery, with 91.7% of respondents stating they would welcome greater geographical flexibility in training. The median suggested academic targets were 3-5 publications (trainee vs consultant <3 vs 3-5, p<0.001); <3 presentations (<3 vs 3-5, p=0.002); and 3-5 audits/quality improvement projects (<3 vs 3-5, p<0.001). Current operative requirements were considered achievable (87.6%) but inadequate for day one consultant practice (74.7%). Reassuringly, 76.3% deemed there was role for on-the-job operative training following consultant appointment. Proficiency in diagnostic endoscopy was considered a minimum requirement for Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) yet the majority regarded therapeutic endoscopy competency as non-essential. The median numbers of index UGI operations suggested were comparable with the current curriculum requirements. Post-CCT fellowships were not considered necessary; however, the majority (73.6%) recognised their advantage.

CONCLUSIONS

Current CCT requirements are largely consistent with the opinions of the UGI community. Areas for improvement include flexibility in geographical working and increasing national provisions for high-quality endoscopy training.

543 Bouveret Syndrome: A Rare Presentation of Gastric Outlet Obstruction

A 76-year-old lady presented with a 5-day history of lower abdominal pain and vomiting. She had not opened her bowels for 3 days and 24 hours prior to admission had coffee ground vomitus. A CT abdomen and pelvis showed gastric outflow obstruction secondary to a large 3.5cm gallstone within the pylorus (Bouveret syndrome).

She was initially treated conservatively for bowel obstruction and underwent an OGD where attempts to retrieve the stone were unsuccessful. A subsequent laparoscopic gastrotomy revealed a large stone in the duodenum and was successfully removed.

This case highlights how this rare syndrome can present with non-specific symptoms, diagnosis can be challenging and relies on imaging, therefore patients should be worked up thoroughly to ensure a correct diagnosis. There are currently no standardised management guidelines for Bouveret syndrome, mainly due to its rare prevalence and this case demonstrates a variety of management options.

637 Enterolith Ileus Secondary to Small Bowel Diverticulum: A Rare Cause of Small Bowel Obstruction

Small intestinal diverticula are rare and possibly acquired secondary to bowel dyskinesia, abnormal peristalsis, or high intraluminal pressures. Enterolith formation and obstruction are a less encountered complication of these diverticula.

An elderly man, with no history of abdominal surgery, presented with 10 days of colicky right iliac fossa pain and recurrent episodes of bilious vomiting. He initially reported diarrhoea but complained of eventual absolute constipation for last 5 days. Physical examination revealed distended abdomen with right-sided tenderness and no mass or faeces on rectal examination. Abdominal CT revealed a 3.5 cm calculus in the distal ileum causing obstruction initially flagged as gallstone ileus. No gallstones or pneumobilia were identified although some intrahepatic duct dilatation was noted. An emergency laparotomy was conducted, where the radiological findings were reinforced, and the calculus was extracted via enterotomy. There were no abnormal communications between gallbladder and intestinal tract. The small bowel traced from duodenojejunal flexure to terminal ileum did not reveal any further calculi or diverticula. FTIR spectrum analysis of the extracted specimen indicated similarities to enterolith. Retrospective analysis of radiological images revealed a possible duodenal diverticulum. The case highlights the diagnostic conundrum and therapeutic challenges of small bowel diverticular enterolith.

Sprayed cultured autologous keratinocytes in the treatment of severe burns: a retrospective matched cohort study

The standard treatment of burns is early excision followed by autologous skin grafting. The closure of extensive deep burns poses a considerable challenge. Cultured autologous keratinocytes have been used since 1981 in an effort to improve healing. However, the time required to culture the cells and the lack of a dermal component limit the expectations of outcome. Our aim was to compare the duration of hospital stay between patients who were treated with autologous skin grafts and cultured autologous keratinocytes and those who were treated with autologous skin grafting without cultured autologous keratinocytes. In this retrospective study all patients treated with cultured autologous keratinocytes between 2012 and 2015 were matched by size and depth of burn with patients not treated with cultured autologous keratinocytes. Multivariable regression was used to analyse associations between duration of hospital stay and treatment adjusted for age, mortality, size and depth of the burn. Then, we investigated the possibility of differentiation of human bone marrow stem cell line to keratinocyte- like cells as a future direction. The regression analysis showed a coefficient of 17.36 (95% CI -17.69 to 52.40), p= 0.32, for hospital stay in the treatment group, compared with the matched group. Our results showed no difference in the duration of hospital stay between the two treatments. Autologous stem cells should be considered as a future modality of burn management, although further studies are needed.

Self-inflicted burns in a National Swedish Burn Centre: an overview

In the Western world, self-inflicted burns are often associated with mental health disorders, and the management, particularly the pain treatment, can often be complicated by the psycho-social background of the patients. The aim was to describe a group of patients with self-inflicted burns by analysing their in-hospital mortality and the use of sedation during procedures. All patients with self-inflicted burns admitted to the Linköping Burn Centre during 2000-2017 were included. The control group consisted of adults (≥17 years) with accidental burns, admitted during the same period. Multivariable logistic and linear regression was used for analysis. Three percent of all patients (47/1601) had self-inflicted burns: most of them were men (60%, 28/47), none was younger than 17 years, and flame was the major cause of injury. Self-inflicted burn patients were younger and had larger burns: mean age (SD) was 42 (16) and 49 (20) years, respectively; mean TBSA (SD) was 29% (26) and 14% (17), respectively. The crude rate of procedures done under sedation was higher (mean (SD) 0.37 (0.23) compared with 0.24 (0.25)) as was crude in-hospital mortality (8/47, 17% compared with 72/1018, 7%). Multivariable analyses showed no difference in the use of sedation for procedures or in-hospital mortality after adjustment for TBSA%, full thickness burns, age and sex. Age and TBSA% were associated with in-hospital mortality, whereas the intentionality of the burn was not. TBSA% and female sex were associated with increased use of sedation for wound care procedures, whereas self-inflicted burns were not.

P4627Presentation, management, and outcomes of STEMI in Egypt: results from the European Society of Cardiology registry on ST elevation myocardial infarction

Background

Apart from few small single-center studies there are limited data about STEMI patients in Egypt.

Patients and methods

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Registry on ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction is a prospective, multicenter and observational registry. Nineteen Egyptian centers (with and without PCI facilities) participated in this registry with 1356 patients who were compared to 7420 patients from other ESC countries. Patient recruitment started from March 2016 to February 2018.

Aims of the study

The aims of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients with STEMI, to assess STEMI management patterns, to evaluate in-hospital patient outcome and to compare Egyptian patients with other ESC countries.

Results

Compared to other ESC countries, Egyptian patients were younger (mean age 55.4±11.3 vs. 62.9±12.4; P<0.001 and 4.3% vs. 19.4%% were ≥75 years old; P<0.001) with fewer females (18.4% vs. 25.6%; P<0.001). Fewer Egyptian patients had history of myocardial infarction (7.9% vs. 12.6%; P<0.001), chronic heart failure (2.0% vs. 11.5%; P<0.001), but Egyptians had higher prevalence of current smoking (59.0% vs. 42.8% p<0.001), Diabetes mellitus (40.7% vs. 21.9%, p<0.001). Egypt had longer median time between symptoms onset and first medical contact: 120.0 (60.0; 240.0) vs. 100.0 (50.0; 240.0) p<0.001. Self-presentation rather than EMS presentation was the mode of admission in 86.0% in Egypt vs. 25.8% in EU countries (p<0.001). On qualifying ECG, anterior STEMI was in 57.0% in Egypt vs. 45.9% in other countries (p<0.001). Initial reperfusion therapy was 49.1%, 43.0% and 7.2% for Primary PCI, thrombolytic therapy and no reperfusion in Egypt vs. 85.4%, 7.2% and 7.8% for EU countries, respectively. Thrombolysis when given was in the CCU/ICU rather than EMS or ER in 97.2% in Egypt vs. 43.7% in other countries. Compared to thrombolytic therapy, patients who were treated with primary PCI had less Cerebrovascular accident (0.75% vs. 1.3%; P<0.001), killip Class IV (3.0% vs. 5.9%; P<0.001) or AF (2.5% vs. 3.6%; P 0.008). In hospital mortality was 4.6% in Egypt vs. 3.5% in other countries P 0.040 and was 18.7% in No reperfusion vs. 2.1% in Primary PCI vs. 4.9% in Thrombolysis (P<0.001) among Egyptians. Patients were discharged on Aspirin in 98.6%, Clopidogrel in 91.0%, Ticagrelor in 7.1%, DAPT in 97.6%, Beta Blockers in 82.8%, ACE inhibitors in 84.7%, MRAs in 10.0%, and Statins in 99.7%.

Conclusion

Egyptian STEMI patients were younger, more frequently obese, smokers and diabetics had significantly longer delay between symptoms onset and first medical contact with more self-presentation rather than the recommended EMS presentation. Primary PCI was offered to only half of the patients. In hospital mortality was significantly higher and was highest among non-reperfused patients. National plans for primary and secondary prevention are urgently needed in Egypt.

Acknowledgement/Funding

This registry was funded by the ESC. The Egyptian Society of Cardiology was given a grant of €12000 to help with the implementation of this national E

Immunohistochemical hENT1 expression as a prognostic biomarker in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Human equilibrative nucleoside transporters (hENTs) are transmembranous proteins that facilitate the uptake of nucleosides and nucleoside analogues, such as gemcitabine, into the cell. The abundance of hENT1 transporters in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) might make hENT1 a potential biomarker of response to adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to see whether hENT1 expression, as determined by immunohistochemistry, was a suitable predictive marker for subsequent treatment with gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed, searching databases from January 1997 to January 2016. Articles pertaining to hENT1 immunohistochemical analysis in resected PDAC specimens from patients who subsequently underwent adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy were identified. Eligible studies were required to contain survival data, reporting specifically overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) with associated hazard ratios (HRs) stratified by hENT1 status.

RESULTS

Of 42 articles reviewed, eight were suitable for review, with seven selected for quantitative meta-analysis. The total number of patients included in the meta-analysis was 770 (405 hENT1-negative, 365 hENT1-positive). Immunohistochemically detected hENT1 expression was significantly associated with both prolonged DFS (HR 0·58, 95 per cent c.i. 0·42 to 0·79) and OS (HR 0·52, 0·38 to 0·72) in patients receiving adjuvant gemcitabine but not those having fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant therapy.

CONCLUSION

Expression of hENT1 is a suitable prognostic biomarker in patients undergoing adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy.

Role of staging laparoscopy in the stratification of patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis. Radical surgical resection is the only option for curative treatment. Optimal determination of resectability is required so that patients can be stratified into operative or chemotherapeutic treatment cohorts in an accurate and time-efficient manner. Staging laparoscopy is utilized to determine the presence of radiologically occult disease that would preclude further surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to analyse the utility of staging laparoscopy in a contemporary cohort of patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with potentially resectable perihilar cholangiocarcinoma between January 2010 and April 2015 were analysed retrospectively from a prospective database linked to UK Hospital Episode Statistics data. Patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer were excluded from analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 431 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma were referred for assessment of potential resection at a supraregional referral centre. Some 116 patients with potentially resectable disease subsequently underwent surgical assessment. The cohort demonstrated an all-cause yield of staging laparoscopy for unresectable disease of 27·2 per cent (31 of 114). The sensitivity for detection of peritoneal disease was 71 per cent (15 of 21; P < 0·001). The accuracy for all-cause non-resection for staging laparoscopy was 66 per cent (31 of 47) with a positive predictive value of progress to resection of 81 per cent (69 of 85). Neither the Bismuth-Corlette nor the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center preoperative scoring system was contingent with cause of unresectability at staging laparoscopy (P = 0·462 and P = 0·280 respectively).

CONCLUSION

In the present cohort, staging laparoscopy proved useful in determining the presence of radiologically occult metastatic disease in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Population-based cohort study of variation in the use of emergency cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases

Background

The aims of this prospective population-based cohort study were to identify the patient and hospital characteristics associated with emergency cholecystectomy, and the influences of these in determining variations between hospitals.

Methods

Data were collected for consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy in acute UK and Irish hospitals between 1 March and 1 May 2014. Potential explanatory variables influencing the performance of emergency cholecystectomy were analysed by means of multilevel, multivariable logistic regression modelling using a two-level hierarchical structure with patients (level 1) nested within hospitals (level 2).

Results

Data were collected on 4744 cholecystectomies from 165 hospitals. Increasing age, lower ASA fitness grade, biliary colic, the need for further imaging (magnetic retrograde cholangiopancreatography), endoscopic interventions (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) and admission to a non-biliary centre significantly reduced the likelihood of an emergency cholecystectomy being performed. The multilevel model was used to calculate the probability of receiving an emergency cholecystectomy for a woman aged 40 years or over with an ASA grade of I or II and a BMI of at least 25·0 kg/m2, who presented with acute cholecystitis with an ultrasound scan showing a thick-walled gallbladder and a normal common bile duct. The mean predicted probability of receiving an emergency cholecystectomy was 0·52 (95 per cent c.i. 0·45 to 0·57). The predicted probabilities ranged from 0·02 to 0·95 across the 165 hospitals, demonstrating significant variation between hospitals.

Conclusion

Patients with similar characteristics presenting to different hospitals with acute gallbladder pathology do not receive comparable care.

Temporary coverage of burns with a xenograft and sequential excision, compared with total early excision and autograft

During the 80s and 90s, early and total excision of full thickness burns followed by immediate autograft was the most common treatment, with repeated excision and grafting, mostly for failed grafts. It was hypothesized, therefore, that delayed coverage with an autograft preceded by a temporary xenograft after early and sequential smaller excisions would lead to a better wound bed with fewer failed grafts, a smaller donor site, and possibly also a shorter duration of stay in hospital. We carried out a case control study with retrospective analysis from our National Burn Centre registry for the period 1997-2011. Patients who had been managed with early total excision and autograft were compared with those who had had sequential smaller excisions covered with temporary xenografts until the burn was ready for the final autograft. The sequential excision and xenograft group (n=42) required one-third fewer autografts than patients in the total excision and autograft group (n=45), who needed more than one operation (p<0.001). We could not detect any differences in duration of stay in hospital / total body surface area burned% (duration of stay/TBSA%) (2.0 and 1.8) (p=0.83). The two groups showed no major differences in terms of adjusted duration of stay, but our findings suggest that doing early, smaller, sequential excisions using a xenograft for temporary cover can result in shorter operating times, saving us the trouble of making big excisions. However, costs tended to be higher when the burns were > 25% TBSA.

Scald management protocols - outcome differences in two different time periods using different treatment strategies

Over the years the treatment of scalds in our centre has changed, moving more towards the use of biological dressings (xenografts). Management of scalds with mid dermal or deep dermal injuries differs among centers using different types of dressings, and recently biological membrane dressings were recommended for this type of injury. Here we describe differences in treatment outcome in different periods of time. All patients with scalds who presented to the Linkoping Burn Centre during two periods, early (1997-98) and later (2010-12) were included. Data were collected in the unit database and analyzed retrospectively. A lower proportion of autograft operations was found in the later period, falling from 32% to 19%. Hospital stay was shorter in the later period (3.5 days shorter, p=0.01) and adjusted duration of hospital stay/TBSA% was shorter (1.2 to 0.7, p=0.07). The two study groups were similar in most of the studied variables: we could not report any significant differences regarding outcome except for unadjusted duration of hospital stay. Further studies are required to investigate functional and aesthetic outcome differences between the treatment modalities.