Frequency and clinical characteristics of early gastric cancer in comparison to advanced gastric cancer in a health area of Spain

INTRODUCTION

Gastric cancer (GC) incidence is currently decreasing; however, survival is still low. Early GC (EGC) has better prognosis and it could be cured by endoscopic methods.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Observational study of a retrospective cohort of all patients with GC during a five-year period in a health area of Spain. EGC diagnosis was defined as mucosal or submucosal (T1) cancers regardless of lymph node involvement, whereas the advanced GC were T2-T4.

RESULTS

209 patients were included, and 26 (12%) of them were EGC. There was no difference between EGC and advanced GC in age, sex, HP infection, precancerous lesions or histological type. Other characteristics of EGC were different from advanced GC: location (antrum and incisura in 76% vs 38%, p=0.01), alarm symptoms (69% vs 90%, p<0.01), curative treatment (100% vs 30%, p<0.01), performance status (PS 0-1: 92% vs 75%, p=0.03) and survival (85% vs 20%, p<0.001). Among patients who received curative treatment, 98% (79/81) underwent surgery and 2% (2/81) were treated by mucosectomy. Seven (27%) patients with EGC could have benefited from treatment by endoscopic submucosal resection.

DISCUSSION

EGC frequency was low (12% of GCs) in our health area. EGC had a high percentage of alarm symptoms, and was located in the distal third of the stomach (antrum and incisura) and had better prognosis compared to advanced GC. Strategies to increase detection and endoscopic treatment of EGC should be implemented.

The role of endoprostheses in the treatment of leaks after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Analysis of a Spanish registry

It has been suggested that endoprostheses are an effective treatment for fistulae after sleeve gastrectomy, but the results published are very variable. To analyze the effectiveness of stents as treatment of leakage after sleeve gastrectomy, the Spanish Society of Obesity Surgery (SECO) and the Obesity Division of the Spanish Association of Surgeons (AEC) set up a National Registry to record treatments of leaks after sleeve gastrectomy. We have analyzed patients with leaks after sleeve gastrectomy and treated with endoprostheses: 19 medical centers reported the use of endoprostheses, where 51 endoprostheses were used in 42 patients (34 women/8 men, mean age: 43.8 years, BMI: 47.6). Global effectiveness was 45%, with a complication rate of 35%. Uni- and multivariate analyses detected no factors influencing the efficacy of treatment. A larger diameter bouggie used to calibrate the stomach was related to a higher incidence of complications. No factors were found related with better stent efficacy. The effectiveness of a second stent was very low when the previous one had not been effective.

Technical challenges of endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux after Cohen reimplantation

INTRODUCTION

The range of indications for endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux opens more and more until including correction of secondary reflux (VUR) after ureteral reimplantation. However these cases suppose a technical challenge due to postoperative changes. The aim of this work is to present our experience on endoscopic treatment for VUR in ureteral units with Cohen reimplantation surgery, with special interest in the technical peculiarities of the procedure.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective study of cases of secondary VUR after reimplantation surgery treated by subureteral injection.

TECHNIQUE

We put the needle perpendicular to submucous tunnel and inject medially to hole forming a wheal on the anterior face that occludes the meatus RESULTS: During the 1993-2016 period 21 injections were performed in 15 ureteral units. The ureteral pathology included primary VUR (4), duplex system with lower pole reflux (4), megaureter (3) and ureterocele (2). Average patient age was 5.7 years old (2-12). Succesful outcome had been got in 10 ureteral units (66.67%), a decrease of VUR grade in 4 (26.67%) and perseverance/no resolution of grade IV VUR in 1 (6.67%) DISCUSSION: The anti-reflux mechanism of reimplantation depends on optimizing the submucosous tunnel. This subgroup of pacients is small and there are few studies, hindering the agreement on the most appropiate technique.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic treatment of secondary reflux after reimplantation surgery is a procedure with certain technical feature, but safe and effective offering an alternative prior to surgical reoperation.

Stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy versus stent placement for the treatment of malignant gastric outlet obstruction

INTRODUCTION

Gastric outlet obstruction is a complication of advanced tumors. It causes upper gastrointestinal obstruction, with progressive malnutrition and reduced survival. Currently, gastrojejunostomy or stent placement (SP) are feasible alternatives for the treatment of malignant gastric outlet obstruction. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy and survival of both techniques.

METHODS

Single-center observational and prospective study of 58 patients with gastric outlet obstruction who underwent surgical treatment with stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy (SPGJ) or SP with self-expanding intraluminal prostheses between 2007 and 2018.

RESULTS

Thirty patients underwent SPGJ and 28 SP. The mean age of the first group was significantly lower (69 vs. 78 years, respectively; P=.001). There were no statistically significant differences in terms of sex, perioperative risk or tumor etiology. Postoperative complications were non-significantly higher in the SPGJ group (P=.156). SP was associated with a shorter hospital stay (P=.02) and faster oral intake (P<.0001). However, SP had significantly higher rates of persistent and recurrent obstruction (P=.048 and .01, respectively), poorer energy targets (P=.009) and shorter survival (9.61 vs. 4.47 months; P=.008).

CONCLUSIONS

SPGJ presents greater luminal permeability, better oral intake and greater survival than SP. SP is preferable for non-surgical patients with a limited short-term prognosis.

[Gastrointestinal bleeding]

In the Digestive Disease Week in 2015 there have been some new contributions in the field of gastrointestinal bleeding that deserve to be highlighted. Treatment of celecoxib with a proton pump inhibitor is safer than treatment with nonselective NSAID and a proton pump inhibitor in high risk gastrointestinal and cardiovascular patients who mostly also take acetylsalicylic acid. Several studies confirm the need to restart the antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy at an early stage after a gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The need for urgent endoscopy before 6-12 h after the onset of upper gastrointestinal bleeding episode may be beneficial in patients with hemodynamic instability and high risk for comorbidity. It is confirmed that in Western but not in Japanese populations, gastrointestinal bleeding episodes admitted to hospital during weekend days are associated with a worse prognosis associated with delays in the clinical management of the events. The strategy of a restrictive policy on blood transfusions during an upper GI bleeding event has been challenged. Several studies have shown the benefit of identifying the bleeding vessel in non varicose underlying gastric lesions by Doppler ultrasound which allows direct endoscopic therapy in the patient with upper GI bleeding. Finally, it has been reported that lower gastrointestinal bleeding diverticula band ligation or hemoclipping are both safe and have the same long-term outcomes.

[Esophageal diseases: GERD, Barrett, achalasia and eosinophilic esophagitis]

At Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2014, developments in esophageal disease were presented. Highlights include: the usefulness of impedancemetry to diagnose reflux disease, or the effectiveness of PPIs for treating non-cardiac chest pain. Concerning Barrett's esophagus, its prevalence is identical in patients with and without reflux symptoms, Barrett segments less than 1cm probably do not require follow-up, and in older patients with long-segment Barrett, initial endoscopies overlooked up to 2% of significant lesions. Regarding achalasia, surgical myotomy is no more effective than endoscopic dilation and may even be less effective than peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM). In terms of eosinophilic esophagitis, it is important to systematically take biopsies in patients with dysphagia so that cases of eosinophilic esophagitis are not overlooked. In addition, for this condition, routine endoscopic dilations not only do not seem useful in improving the course of the disease, but could also worsen the response to medical treatment.

[The Mexican consensus on gastroesophageal reflux disease. Part II]

OBJECTIVE

To update the themes of endoscopic and surgical treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) from the Mexican Consensus published in 2002.

METHODS

Part I of the 2011 Consensus dealt with the general concepts, diagnosis, and medical treatment of this disease. Part II covers the topics of the endoscopic and surgical treatment of GERD. In this second part, an expert in endoscopy and an expert in GERD surgery, along with the three general coordinators of the consensus, carried out an extensive bibliographic review using the Embase, Cochrane, and Medline databases. Statements referring to the main aspects of endoscopic and surgical treatment of this disease were elaborated and submitted to specialists for their consideration and vote, utilizing the modified Delphi method. The statements were accepted into the consensus if the level of agreement was 67% or higher.

RESULTS

Twenty-five statements corresponding to the endoscopic and surgical treatment of GERD resulted from the voting process, and they are presented herein as Part II of the consensus. The majority of the statements had an average level of agreement approaching 90%.

CONCLUSION

Currently, endoscopic treatment of GERD should not be regarded as an option, given that the clinical results at 3 and 5 years have not demonstrated durability or sustained symptom remission. The surgical indications for GERD are well established; only those patients meeting the full criteria should be candidates and their surgery should be performed by experts.

Prognostic factors of endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux in spinal cord injured patients

INTRODUCTION

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is an important complication in patients with spinal cord injury due to its frequency and morbidity. One of the most extended therapeutic options is endoscopic injection of obliteration substances in the urethral meatus.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the prognostic factors of VUR treatment using obliterative substances in patients with spinal cord injury.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A prospective study was performed in a cohort of 76 patients (age 48.9±14.4 years), of both genders, with spinal cord injuries, who underwent endoscopic treatment of the VUR during the years 2008 to 2011. In all the patients, a clinical history was obtained and a pre-operative videourodynamic study was performed. Another study was carried out at 7.32 months (standard deviation: 6.28 months) of the intervention. Treatment consisted in endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (62 cases) and polydimethylsiloxane (14). The statistical tests applied were the Fisher's exact test and the Student's T test comparing the means. Bilateral significance level was established at 95%.

RESULTS

Resolution of VUR was achieved in 46 cases (61%). The statistically significant prognostic factors were age (younger aging cured patients), bilaterality and reflects great (greater grade in bilaterality in the cases with persistence of reflux) and presence of neurogenic detrusor overactivity (greater percentage in the cases of reflux persistence). Stress urinary incontinence (greater percentage in cured patients), contractile potency (lower percentage in cured patients) and urethral resistance (greater percentage in cured patients) were also statistically significant prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the prognostic factors that affected the endoscopic treatment results of the VUR in patients with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD), anatomical as well as functional factors were found.