Giovanni Camerini

Laparoscopic Standard Biliopancreatic Diversion: Technique and Preliminary Results

Background: A technique for standard laparoscopic BPD was developed. Methods: Standard laparoscopic BPD was performed in 26 morbidly obese patients with mean BMI 43. Details of the technique, using 6 trocars, and instrumentation are described. Intestinal limb lengths were measured fully stretched, and the gastric remnant volume was also measured. Both enteroenteral and gastrointestinal anastomoses were fashioned with a side-to-side technique using the endoGIA, the conjoined defect being closed with a manual running seromuscular suture. Results: 6 and 12 month weight loss results were similar to those obtained in open BPD. Conclusion: Laparoscopic standard BPD is a feasible alternative to the open operative procedure, the major advantage being the likely near total avoidance of wound hernia.

A 15-year evaluation of biliopancreatic diversion according to the Bariatric Analysis Reporting Outcome System (BAROS).

Background: Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) is the most effective bariatric procedure in terms of weight loss. However, analysis of the quality of life (QoL) has never been reported. The BAROS, giving a score to each operated patient on weight loss, improvement in medical conditions, QoL, complications and reoperations, has proven to be a standard reference for evaluating bariatric surgery outcomes. Methods: In order to apply the BAROS to BPD, we sent a questionnaire to 1,800 BPD patients who had been operated between 1984 and 1998.The responserate was 51.2%. Out of 1,709 questionnaires which actually reached their destination, we had 858 fully compiled returned. There were 615 women. 596 patients had had an ad hoc stomach (AHS) BPD, and 262 had had an ad hoc stomach ad hoc alimentarylimb (AHS-AHAL) BPD. Results: According to the scoring key, 3.5% were classified as a failure, 11% were fair results, 22.8% good, 39.5% very good , and 23.2% excellent results. Considering AHS BPD and AHS-AHAL BPD separately,while the mean excess weight percent loss was 70.5±23 and 64.7±17 respectively, the failure rate was 6% in the first group and 2% in the AHAL group, while 11% and 6% of cases respectively were fair results, 24% and 20% good, 36% and 47% very good, 23% and 25% excellent results. Conclusion: The BAROS evaluation of BPD highlights the importance of its flexibility: the new policy of adapting the procedure to individual characteristics caused a drop in the failure rate and an increase in good, very good and excellent results.

Fertility after bowel resection for endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the pregnancy rate after bowel resection for rectosigmoid endometriosis. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING University hospital. PATIENT(S) Forty-six symptomatic women with bowel endometriosis requiring colorectal resection. INTERVENTION(S) Bowel resection by either laparoscopy or laparotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Pregnancy rate after surgery. RESULT(S) The pregnancy rate was higher in women who underwent bowel resection by laparoscopy (57.6%) than in those who underwent laparotomy (23.1%). No significant difference was observed in pregnancy rate and mode of conception between women with different fertility status before bowel resection. Women who conceived were significantly younger than those who did not conceive; only 26.7% of women aged > or =35 years conceived after bowel resection. Uterine adenomyosis was more frequently present in women who did not conceive than in those who conceived. Infertile women who conceived had a shorter length of infertility before surgery than those who did not conceive. CONCLUSION(S) Laparoscopic colorectal resection is less likely to impact negatively on fertility than the laparotomy approach. Previous laparotomies, age > or =35 years, uterine adenomyosis, and longer duration of infertility before surgery are associated with decreased pregnancy rate.

Energy and Nitrogen Absorption after Biliopancreatic Diversion

Background: The strict long-term weight maintenance in good nutritional conditions observed after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) needs to be explained. Materials and Methods: 15 operated subjects were maintained at an isoenergetic and isonitrogenic diet as similar as possible to their usual diet. Apparent absorption (AA) of energy, fat, nitrogen and calcium was calculated subtracting the fecal content, measured directly, from the oral intake, derived from tables.The alimentary protein absorption was directly determined by I125 albumin oral administration. Results: Mean AA for energy and fat was 57% and 32%, respectively; AAs were unrelated as absolute value and negatively associated as percent of the intake with the energy and fat intake. I125 intestinal absorption was 73%, while nitrogen percent AA was 57%, indicating higher than normal loss of endogenous nitrogen. Calcium AA was 551 mEq/day, 26% of the intake. A positive correlation between nitrogen and calcium AA as absolute values and alimentary intake was observed, while there was no correlation when AA were considered as per cent of the intake. Conclusions: For energy and fat, an increase in intake corresponds to an increase in percent malabsorption, so that the absolute amount absorbed tends to remain constant, accounting for the excellent weight maintenance observed following BPD. This was confirmed by a long-term hypernutrition study after BPD. On the contrary, for nitrogen and calcium, the percent absorption tends to remain constant when intake varies, so that an increase in alimentary intake results in an increased absolute amount absorbed.

Norethisterone acetate in the treatment of colorectal endometriosis: a pilot study

BACKGROUND This pilot study evaluates the efficacy of norethisterone acetate in treating pain and gastrointestinal symptoms of women with colorectal endometriosis. METHODS This prospective study included 40 women with colorectal endometriosis, who had pain and gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients received norethisterone acetate (2.5 mg/day) for 12 months; in case of breakthrough bleeding, the dose of norethisterone acetate was increased by 2.5 mg/day. The degree of patient satisfaction with treatment (primary end-point) and the changes in symptoms (secondary end-point) were evaluated. Side effects of treatment were recorded. RESULTS Norethisterone acetate determined a significant improvement in the intensity of chronic pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia. Treatment determined the disappearance of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle (dysmenorrhea, constipation during the menstrual cycle, diarrhoea during the menstrual cycle and cyclical rectal bleeding). The severity of diarrhoea, intestinal cramping and passage of mucus significantly improved during treatment. On the contrary, the administration of norethisterone acetate did not determine a significant effect on constipation, abdominal bloating and feeling of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements. At the completion of treatment, 57% of the patients with diarrhoea or diarrhoea during the menstrual cycle continued the treatment with norethisterone acetate compared with 17% of the patients with constipation or constipation during the menstrual cycle. CONCLUSIONS In some patients with bowel endometriosis, the administration of norethisterone acetate may determine a relief of pain and gastrointestinal symptoms. This therapy has greater benefits in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms related to the menstrual cycle, diarrhoea and intestinal cramping.

Liver damage in severely obese patients: a clinical-biochemical-morphologic study on 1,000 liver biopsies.

Background: Preoperative clinical and biochemical data and intraoperative liver biopsy of 1,000 obese patients submitted to biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) were analyzed, and correlations investigated. Methods: Of 2,645 patients submitted to BPD between May 1976 and November 2002, the last 1,000 consecutive obese patients with no history of alcohol consumption or infectious hepatitis were selected. Clinical data included: age, body weight, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (W/H), arterial blood pressure, serum glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, albumin/γ-globulin ratio, total, conjugated and unconjugated bilirubin, γ-GT, alkaline phosphatase, AST, ALT, and prothrombin time. The degree of steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis on intraoperative wedge liver biopsy was determined and scored. Liver steatosis >70% and presence of bridging fibrosis were analyzed separately. Results: Mean BMI was 48 kg/m2. 263 patients had steatosis of >70%, and 79 had bridging fibrosis. Regression analysis showed an association between steatosis and AST, ALT, AST/ALT ratio, body weight, W/H, serum glucose, serum tryglicerides, BMI, γ-GT, age, and unconjugated bilirubin. Inflammation was significantly greater in older patients. Patients with bridging fibrosis had significantly higher values of serum glucose, AST, γ-GT, serum cholesterol and were significantly older. Bridging fibrosis was associated with diabetes, W/H >1, hypertension, albumin/γ-globulin ratio <1. Conclusion: Severe steatosis and bridging fibrosis seem to be associated with the metabolic syndrome. No reliable biochemical data could identify patients with severe chronic liver damage with sufficient sensitivity to avoid liver biopsy for diagnosis and staging of the disease.

Anterior tension-free repair of recurrent inguinal hernia under local anesthesia: a 7-year experience in a teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE To describe a 7-year experience with recurrent inguinal hernia repair performed mainly with tension-free mesh or plug technique under local anesthesia through the anterior approach, and to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this method of treatment. METHODS One hundred forty-five elective and 1 emergency herniorrhaphies for recurrent groin hernia were performed in 141 subjects (134 men and 7 women) with a mean age of 65 years (range 30-89). Concomitant medical and surgical problems were present in 73% and 8% of subjects, respectively. In 28 instances, the relapsed hernia had already been operated on once or twice for recurrence. A traditional hernioplasty had been previously performed in the vast majority of cases (136). Tension-free mesh or plug techniques through an anterior approach under local anesthesia were performed in 144 reoperations. Preperitoneal mesh repair and general or spinal anesthesia were used in all but one case when herniorrhaphy was performed during simultaneous operations. RESULTS Mean hospital stay after surgery was 1.5 days (range 3 hours-14 days). No perioperative deaths occurred in this series. General complications were one case of acute intestinal bleeding and two cases of urinary retention. Local complications consisted of eight (5.5%) minor complications and one case of orchitis (0.7%) followed by testicular atrophy. In no instance was postoperative neuralgia or chronic pain reported. Two re-recurrences occurred. CONCLUSIONS Given the low complication rate in this and other reported series and the absence of surgical or general complications described after preperitoneal open or laparoscopic repair and after general and spinal anesthesia, anterior mesh repair under local anesthesia seems to be a low-cost surgical technique that can be safely and effectively used even in a teaching hospital for the treatment of the majority of patients with recurrent groin hernias.

Pharmacological Treatment of Endometriosis

Current treatment of endometriosis is mainly based on surgery and ovarian suppressive agents. In the last 10 years, it has been demonstrated that aromatase P450, a key enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis, may have a pathogenic role in endometriosis because it is aberrantly expressed in endometriotic implants and in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis. Therefore, inhibition of aromatase activity may represent a new therapeutic option for endometriosis. Case reports and observational studies have shown that pain symptoms caused by endometriosis quickly improve after administration of aromatase inhibitors. Limited data are available on the long-term course of pain symptoms after completion of treatment with aromatase inhibitors; however, some recent studies suggest that symptoms may recur at short-term follow-up. A range of results are reported on the effects of aromatase inhibitors on endometriotic lesions, with some authors describing improvements and other authors reporting persistence of pelvic lesions at second-look laparoscopy after treatment. No severe adverse effect has been reported during treatment with aromatase inhibitors both in pre- and post-menopausal women. On the basis of the available data, administration of aromatase inhibitors should now be offered only to the small number of women who have severe pain despite previous surgical and hormonal therapies. Further research in the form of randomized controlled trials will be required before recommending the routine use of these agents.

Recovery of Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Patients at Short Term After Biliopancreatic Diversion

OBJECTIVE To gain insight into the specific mechanisms by which biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) can improve insulin action. MATERIALS AND METHODS Nondiabetic severely obese patients (n=20) undergoing BPD were included. Waist-to-hip ratio and serum concentration of glucose, insulin, and leptin were determined before, at 4-day, and at 2 months after the operation. Insulin sensitivity was calculated according to the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA IR). RESULTS A marked increase of insulin sensitivity was observed by the fourth day after the operation; at the second postoperative month, when body weight was still in the obese range and the food intake was substantially similar to the preoperative one, a further improvement of insulin action towards normality was found. Moreover, before BPD HOMA IR data were independently correlated both to BMI and waist-to-hip ratio values, whereas at 2 months after the operation data were in positive correlation only with the BMI. DISCUSSION In obese patients, BPD seems to achieve recovery of insulin sensitivity by specific mechanisms independent of weight loss: the main causes of this sharp improvement might be both the intramyocellular fat depletion and the interruption of enteroinsular axis.

Letrozole and norethisterone acetate in colorectal endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE Up to now limited attention has been given to the medical treatment of bowel endometriosis. This study evaluates the efficacy of aromatase inhibitors and norethisterone acetate in treating pain and gastrointestinal symptoms caused by bowel endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN This prospective pilot study included six women with colorectal endometriosis; all women had intestinal nodules infiltrating at least the muscularis propria of the bowel and did not have a stenosis of the bowel lumen >60%; the patients suffered from pain and intestinal symptoms. The study subjects received letrozole (2.5 mg/day) and norethisterone acetate (2.5 mg/day) continuously for 6 months. The presence and intensity of symptoms were evaluated before starting the treatment, and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. RESULTS The double-drug regimen improved pain, non-menstrual pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, symptoms mimicking diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal cramping, abdominal bloating and passage of mucus in the stools, and 67% of the patients declared that the treatment improved their gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The administration of letrozole and norethisterone acetate reduces pain and gastrointestinal symptoms of women with colorectal endometriosis, particularly when patients suffer from symptoms mimicking diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.