Hans-Ulrich Laasch

Gastrostomy insertion: Comparing the options: PEG, RIG or PIG?

AIM To compare percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) with radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) and assess a hybrid gastrostomy technique (per-oral image-guided gastrostomy, PIG). MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty PEGs and 50 RIGs performed in three centres were prospectively compared and the endoscopic findings of 200 PEGs reviewed. A fluoroscopy-guided technique was modified to place 20 F over-the-wire PEG-tubes in 60 consecutive patients. RESULTS Technical success was 98%, 100% and 100% for PEG, RIG and PIG, respectively. Antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduced stoma infection for orally placed tubes (p=0.02). Ten out of 50 (20%) small-bore RIG tubes blocked. Replacement tubes were required in six out of 50 PEGs (12%), 10 out of 50 RIGs (20%), but no PIGs (p<0.001). No procedure-related complications occurred. The function of radiologically placed tubes was significantly improved with the larger PIG (p<0.001), with similar wound infection rates. PIG was successful in 24 patients where endoscopic insertion could not be performed. Significant endoscopic abnormalities were found in 42 out of 200 PEG patients (21%), all related to peptic disease. Insignificant pathology was found in 8.5%. CONCLUSION PIG combines advantages of both traditional methods with a higher success and lower re-intervention rate. Endoscopy is unlikely to detect clinically relevant pathology other than peptic disease. PIG is a very effective gastrostomy method; it has better long-term results than RIG and is successful where conventional PEG has failed.

Woven polydioxanone biodegradable stents: a new treatment option for benign and malignant oesophageal strictures

BackgroundWe present our initial experience with a new biodegradable (BD) esophageal stent in two patients, one for a therapy-resistant benign esophageal stricture, and the other as a temporary measure during curative radiotherapy for oesophageal carcinoma. MethodsThe BD stents need to be loaded into a conventional pull-back delivery system but are then placed in a standard fashion. Pre-dilatation should be avoided to reduce the risk of migration, however if migration occurs the stents can be left to dissolve in the stomach. The stents are radiolucent but easily identified on CT with minimal artefact and thus might even aid with radiotherapy planning. ResultsBD stents offer an exciting new strategy for therapy-resistant benign strictures as well as a supportive measure for oesophageal cancer undergoing non-surgical treatment.

Management of Benign Biliary Strictures

Benign biliary strictures are most commonly a consequence of injury at laparoscopic cholecystectomy or fibrosis after biliary-enteric anastomosis. These strictures are notoriously difficult to treat and traditionally are managed by resection and fashioning of a choledocho- or hepato-jejunostomy. Promising results are being achieved with newer minimally invasive techniques using endoscopic or percutaneous dilatation and/or stenting and these are likely to play an increasing role in the management. Even low-grade biliary obstruction carries the risks of stone formation, ascending cholangitis and hepatic cirrhosis and it is important to identify and treat this group of patients. There is currently no consensus on which patient should have what type of procedure, and the full range of techniques may not be available in all hospitals. Careful assessment of the risks and likely benefits have to be made on an individual basis. This article reviews the current literature and discusses the options available. The techniques of endoscopic and percutaneous dilatation and stenting are described with evaluation of the likely success and complication rates and compared to the gold standard of biliary-enteric anastomosis.

Expandable Metal Stents for the Palliation of Malignant Gastroduodenal Obstruction

AbstractPurpose: Gastric outlet obstruction is a debilitating complication of upper gastrointestinal malignancy. We present our experience with insertion of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS). Methods: Twenty-eight patients were referred, stenting being attempted in 23. Two patients had esophageal Wallstents inserted through a gastrostomy; 21 had an endoscopic approach with enteral Wallstents. Results: One stent insertion failed, ten patients (45%) returned to a normal diet, ten patients (45%) managed semi-solid food and two patients (9%) had no significant improvement. No immediate complications were seen. One patient subsequently developed pancreatitis. Reintervention (4 stents, 1 jejunostomy, 1 gastrojejunostomy) was required in six of 22 patients (27%) for inadequate stent expansion (1), second stricture (2), stent migration (1), and tumor ingrowth (2). The mean survival was 95.4 days (SD 78.8 days, range 3–230 days). The mean follow-up time was 98.9 days (SD 86.7 days, range 3–309 days). Conclusions: SEMS are effective in palliating malignant gastric outlet obstruction. A combined endoscopic/fluoroscopic approach allows the most complete assessment of the stricture and removes the need for gastrostomy insertion. Careful assessment of the gastrointestinal tract distal to the lesion is important.

The clinical effectiveness of the gianturco oesophageal stent in malignant oesophageal obstruction

Between January 1994 and December 1996 72 patients were treated with 76 Gianturco oesophageal stents for oesophageal obstruction or perforation. The patients were followed prospectively in order to determine the effectiveness in improving dysphagia, to establish long term patency, survival times and complications. The mean dysphagia score prior to stenting was 3, improving to a mean score of 1 after stenting. Swallowing failed to improve in three patients. No serious complications were seen at stent insertion. Patients tolerated the procedure well with no complications in 63%. The most frequent immediate complication was chest pain occurring in 15 patients (21%). This settled in all patients with appropriate analgesia, however, four patients required long-term pain relief. In no cases was the chest pain due to perforation. Re-intervention was required in 16.7% of patients, the commonest cause being tumour overgrowth, and this was seen primarily in patients with long survival. The migration rate was low, despite the fact that 45 of 76 stents had been placed with the distal end in the stomach. Only four stents (5.6%) migrated completely, all of which had been deployed across the cardia. In our series the use of the Gianturco oesophageal stents for provided effective palliation of malignant oesophageal obstruction.

Obstructive Jaundice after Bilioenteric Anastomosis: Transhepatic and Direct Percutaneous Enteral Stent Insertion for Afferent Loop Occlusion

Recurrent tumour after radical pancreaticoduodenectomy may cause obstruction of the small bowel loop draining the liver. Roux-loop obstruction presents a particular therapeutic challenge, since the postsurgical anatomy usually prevents endoscopic access. Careful multidisciplinary discussion and multimodality preprocedure imaging are essential to accurately demonstrate the cause and anatomical location of the obstruction. Transhepatic or direct percutaneous stent placement should be possible in most cases, thereby avoiding long-term external biliary drainage. Gastropexy T-fasteners will secure the percutaneous access and reduce the risk of bile leakage. The static bile is invariably contaminated by gut bacteria, and systemic sepsis is to be expected. Enteral stents are preferable to biliary stents, and compound covered stents in a sandwich construction are likely to give the best long-term results. Transhepatic and direct percutaneous enteral stent insertion after jejunopexy is illustrated and the literature reviewed.

Computed tomography overestimation of esophageal tumor length: Implications for radiotherapy planning

AIM To assess the relationship between preoperative computed tomography (CT) and postoperative pathological measurements of esophageal tumor length and the prognostic significance of CT tumor length data. METHODS A retrospective study was carried out in 56 patients who underwent curative esophagogastrectomy. Tumor lengths were measured on the immediate preoperative CT and on the post-operative resection specimens. Inter- and intra-observer variations in CT measurements were assessed. Survival data were collected. RESULTS There was a weak correlation between CT and pathological tumor length (r = 0.30, P = 0.025). CT lengths were longer than pathological lengths in 68% (38/56) of patients with a mean difference of 1.67 cm (95% CI: 1.18-2.97). The mean difference in measurements by two radiologists was 0.39 cm (95% CI: -0.59-1.44). The mean difference between repeat CT measured tumor length (intra-observer variation) were 0.04 cm (95% CI: -0.59-0.66) and 0.47 cm (95% CI: -0.53-1.47). When stratified, patients not receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed a strong correlation between CT and pathological tumor length (r = 0.69, P = 0.0014, n = 37) than patients that did (r = 0.13, P = 0.43, n = 19). Median survival with CT tumor length > 5.6 cm was poorer than with smaller tumors, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION Esophageal tumor length assessed using CT does not reflect pathological tumor extent and should not be the only modality used for management decisions, particularly for planning radiotherapy.

Acute pancreatitis: an under-recognized risk of percutaneous transhepatic distal biliary intervention

OBJECTIVE Percutaneous transhepatic biliary intervention (PTBI) plays an important role in the management of biliary obstruction, and this may be complicated by acute pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of acute pancreatitis following PTBI. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients who underwent PTBI between January 1992 and December 2003 in a tertiary referral centre were identified from the hospital database. Patients who did not have their amylase measured post-procedure were excluded, as acute pancreatitis might have been missed. Acute pancreatitis was defined as hyperamylasaemia of three times or more above normal in association with abdominal pain. RESULTS Over a 12-year period, 331 patients underwent 613 procedures. Serum amylase was measured after 134 procedures (21.9%) and was elevated in 26 of those (19.4%). There was no difference in the frequency of hyperamylasaemia between proximal and distal PTBI (14/73 [19.2%] vs 12/61 [19.7%] procedures, p=NS). However, acute pancreatitis developed after 4 of 61 (6.6%) distal PTBI (stent, n=3; internal-external catheter insertion, n=1) but not after proximal PTBI (cholangiography or external drainage) (p=0.041). The attacks were mild in three of the four patients. No pancreatitis-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSION The risk of acute pancreatitis after distal PTBI is under-recognized and should be considered as a consent issue in patients scheduled for distal PTBI and when post-procedure abdominal pain ensues.

A retrospective analysis of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 microspheres in patients with unresectable hepatic malignancies.

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was undertaken of all patients who underwent SIRT at a single institution. Diagnostic and therapeutic angiograms, computed tomography (CT) images, positron-emission tomography (PET) images, and planar isotope images were analysed. The response to SIRT was analysed using radiological data and tumour markers. Overall survival, complications, and side effects of SIRT were also analysed. RESULTS The initial 12 patients were included on an intention-to-treat basis, between 21/09/2005 and 07/05/2008. All patients had advanced disease and multiple prior courses of chemotherapy. One patient did not receive yttrium-90 due to complex vascular anatomy; the remaining 11 patients underwent 13 SIRT treatment episodes following work-up angiography. A response was seen using PET in 80% of patients. Using CT, the response of the tumour to therapy in the treated hepatic segments demonstrated a 20% partial response, stable disease in 50%, and progressive disease in 30%. Estimated median survival was 229 days, with 64% of patients still alive at the time of writing. No major complications were observed, although 82% of patients experienced side-effects following SIRT, mainly nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS There have been no complications in the 12 SIRT patients. Tumour response was seen in four out of five patients who underwent PET. Objective CT response rates were mixed and are perhaps partially explained by advanced disease and limitations of using measurements to assess response. This complex and potentially hazardous service has been successfully and safely established.

Radiological balloon dilatation of post-treatment benign pharyngeal strictures

AIMS To assess the technical success, clinical outcomes and complications of radiologically guided balloon dilatation of benign strictures developing after treatment for head and neck cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-six balloon dilatations were performed in 20 patients. All dilatations were performed over a guidewire. RESULTS Technical success was 100 per cent. Fifteen of the 20 patients demonstrated clinical improvement in dysphagia scores. Improvement in dysphagia was temporary in all patients (median 102 days), with multiple dilatations usually required (total dilatations ranged from one to seven). Immediate complications were encountered in six of the 46 (13 per cent) dilatations and were all minor. Late complications occurred after two procedures (4 per cent): localised perforation (later complicated by secondary infection) and recurrence of a previous, small, pharyngo-cutaneous fistula. CONCLUSION Radiologically guided balloon dilatation is straightforward to perform and is well tolerated, but there is a small risk of perforation. Relief of symptoms is likely to be temporary, requiring multiple subsequent dilatations. A minority of patients will obtain no symptomatic relief.