Josemberg Marins Campos

International multicenter trial on clinical natural orifice surgery--NOTES IMTN study: preliminary results of 362 patients.

Objectives: Natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is evolving as a promising alternative for abdominal surgery. IMTN Registry was designed to prospectively document early results of natural orifice surgery among a large group of clinical cases. Methods: Sixteen centers from 9 countries were approved to participate in the study, based on study protocol requirements and local institutional review board approval. Transgastric and transvaginal endoscopic natural orifice surgery was clinically applied in 362 patients. Intraoperative and postoperative parameters were prospectively documented. Results: Mean operative time for transvaginal cholecystectomy was 96 minutes, compared with 111 minute for transgastric cholecystectomy. A general complication rate of 8.84% was recorded (grade I-II representing 5.8%, grade III-IV representing 3.04%). No requirement for any analgesia was found in one fourth of cholecystectomy and appendectomy patients. Conclusions: Results of clinical applications of NOTES in the IMTN Study showed the feasibility of different methods of this new minimally invasive alternative for laparoscopic and open surgery.

Endoscopic removal of eroded adjustable gastric band: lessons learned after 5 years and 78 cases

BACKGROUND One of the complications of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is intragastric erosion, leading to a revisional procedure to remove the band. Our aim was to present the procedure and results of endoscopic band removal in a 5-year multicenter experience from the Gastro Obeso Center and Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, and Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil. METHODS From 2003 to 2008, 82 patients were diagnosed with band erosion. The clinical data concerning the endoscopic procedure were prospectively recorded and retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS The average preoperative body mass index was 43.2 kg/m(2) (range 34-50). At the diagnosis of intragastric erosion, the body mass index was 24-41 kg/m(2) (average 31.8). The erosion occurred an average of 16.3 months (range 6-36) postoperatively. The symptoms included pain in 25 (31%), port infection in 21 patients (27%), and weight regain in 20 (25%), and 12 patients (15%) were asymptomatic. Endoscopic removal was possible for 78 patients (95%). In 85% of patients, the band was removed in the first session, with an average duration of 55 minutes (range 25-150). Five cases of pneumoperitoneum occurred after the procedure. Of these, 3 were treated conservatively, 1 was treated by laparoscopy, and 1 was treated by abdominal puncture using the Veress needle. CONCLUSION Endoscopic removal of eroded laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is safe and effective. It can be used as a first choice procedure in clinical practice.

Strictures after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become an important tool in the bariatric surgery armamentarium. At the second international consensus summit for LSG, a representative group of bariatric surgeons reported its use as a primary procedure, with excellent results and safety. The advantages that have made it so popular are the absence of dumping syndrome, no intestine is bypassed, there is no malabsorption of fundamental nutrients, mortality, and complication rates are lower, and weight loss so far is satisfactory. LSG has been considered a technically easier procedure compared with gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion, leading to new groups to adopt it over the latter. However, as any other procedure, LSG has complications that range from 0.7 % to 4%, some of them potentially fatal. The knowledge of their existence and their mechanisms of production is fundamental to preventing them and preserving the excellent record of safety of this technique. One of the infrequent complications of LSG is the stricture of the remnant stomach, which is constructed purposely as a narrow tube and consequently, has a risk of stenosis and obstruction. Opposite to leaks, this complication has been barely mentioned in clinical series. In addition to strictures, there are other causes of obstruction and some will be addressed in this article, which will elaborate in causes, clinical presentation, and management. It even includes technical considerations paramount to avoid mechanical obstruction of the sleeve and guarantee an adequate food intake to the patient in the long term.

Fístula gastrobrônquica como complicação rara de gastroplastia para obesidade: relato de dois casos

Gastrobronchial fistula is a rare condition as a complication following bariatric surgery. The management of this condition requires the active participation of a pulmonologist, who should be familiar with aspects of the main types of bariatric surgery. Herein, we report the cases of two patients who presented recurrent subphrenic and lung abscess secondary to fistula at the angle of His for an average of 19.5 months. After relaparotomy was unsuccessful, cure was achieved by antibiotic therapy and, more importantly, by stenostomy and endoscopic dilatation, together with the use of clips and fibrin glue in the fistula. These pulmonary complications should not be treated in isolation without a gastrointestinal evaluation since this can result in worsening of the respiratory condition, thus making anesthetic management difficult during endoscopic procedures.

Dilatação endoscópica de anastomose gastrojejunal após bypass gástrico

INTRODUCTION Roux-en-Y gastric bypass may result in stenosis of the gastrojejunal anastomosis. There is currently no well-defined management protocol for this complication. AIM Through systematic review, to analyze the results of endoscopic dilation in patients with stenosis, including complication and success rates. METHODS The PubMed database was searched for relevant studies published each year from 1988 to 2010, and 23 studies were identified for analysis. Only papers describing the treatment of anastomotic stricture after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass were included, and case reports featuring less than three patients were excluded. RESULTS The mean age of the trial populations was 42.3 years and mean preoperative body mass index was 48.8 kg/m². A total of 1,298 procedures were undertaken in 760 patients (81% female), performing 1.7 dilations per patient. Through-the-scope balloons were used in 16 studies (69.5%) and Savary-Gilliard bougies in four. Only 2% of patients required surgical revision after dilation; the reported complication rate was 2.5% (n=19). Annual success rate was greater than 98% each year from 1992 to 2010, except for a 73% success rate in 2004. Seven studies reported complications, being perforation the most common, reported in 14 patients (1.82%) and requiring immediate operation in two patients. Other complications were also reported: one esophageal hematoma, one Mallory-Weiss tear, one case of severe nausea and vomiting, and two cases of severe abdominal pain. CONCLUSION Endoscopic treatment of stenosis is safe and effective; however, further high-quality randomized controlled trials should be conducted to confirm these findings.

Cirurgia metabólica, reganho de peso e recidiva do diabete

INTRODUCTION The poor success of clinical treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM2) increased interest in metabolic surgery, which has been considered a promising alternative for the control of obese or non-obese diabetics. However, there is still no long-term follow-up to evaluate the duration of diabetes remission, and if weight regain would be associated to recurrence. AIM 1) To describe the results of diabetic patients with a BMI < 30 and < 35 kg/m² submitted to the following types of metabolic surgery: ileal interposition and sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable gastric banding, duodeno-jejunal exclusion and duodeno-jejunal bypass; 2) to evaluate the possible relapse of diabetes after occurrence of weight regain on long-term after bariatric surgery. METHOD An expositive and historical literature review about metabolic surgery in diabetic patients with BMI < 30 and < 35 kg/m² was conducted, and systematic review of the association between disease relapse and weight regain after bariatric surgery. RESULTS After analysis of 188 published papers on Medline until 2010, three papers were selected, which included 269 patients who underwent RYGB. Pre-operatory BMI was between 37 and 60 kg/m² and follow-up of three to 16 years. CONCLUSIONS 1) Two studies showed association between weight regain and recurrence of type 2 diabetes, while the third did not show this association when comparing groups with and without weight regain; 2) metabolic surgery has shown adequate control of T2DM2 in class I obese subjects; however, the non-obese group still need a long-term evaluation, considering the risk of diabetes recurrence when after weight regain.

Effectiveness of intragastric balloon for obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on randomized control trials ☆

BACKGROUND Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and many methods are currently used to reduce obesity. This systematic review shows the effectiveness of the intragastric balloon (IGB) method compared to the sham/diet (s/d) method. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate the effectiveness of the IGB method compared to the s/d method. SETTING Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, Public Hospital. METHODS After searching MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Lilacs, Scopus, and CINAHL, only enrolled randomized control trials comparing IGB/diet with s/d were analyzed. For qualitative analysis, 12 studies were selected, and 9 of these were acceptable for quantitative analysis. RESULTS The IGB/diet is more effective than s/d when comparing body mass index (BMI) loss with a mean difference of 1.1 kg/m(2) by the Students t test and 1.41 kg/m(2) by the meta-analysis, with significant differences in both. It is also more effective in weight loss (WL), with a mean difference of 2 kg by the Students t test and 3.55 kg by the meta-analysis. In the qualitative analysis of % excess WL (%EWL), the mean %EWL is 14.0% in favor of the IGB group compared to the s/d group by the Students t test; however, no significant difference was found between these groups by quantitative analysis. CONCLUSION Based on randomized control trial data alone, IGB>400 mL is more effective than sham/diet in achieving BMI loss, WL, and %EWL.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea–Hypopnea Syndrome—The Role of Bariatric and Maxillofacial Surgeries

Obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a complex disease with multifactorial etiology. It is marked by the occurrence of apnea and hypopnea events caused by repeated obstructions of the upper airways. OSAHS is strongly associated with obesity, and the prevalence of this disease in morbidly obese patients is very high. Nevertheless, not all patients with OSAHS are obese, and for this reason, there may be other anatomical predispositions to airway collapse. In obese patients, fatty deposition in the parapharyngeal region results in airway reduction and predisposes to airway collapse, worsened by neurologic loss of the normal dilator muscle tone of the neck. However, in nonobese patients, specific craniofacial characteristics such as posterior air pharyngeal space, tongue length, hyoid position, and maxillomandibular deficiencies may predispose some people to develop OSAHS. Treatment strategies for OSAHS patients vary from clinical treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliances, or medications for mild and moderate OSAHS patients, bariatric surgery for severe obese OSAHS patients to maxillomandibular advancement for obese or nonobese OSAHS patients.

Treatment of ring slippage after gastric bypass: long-term results after endoscopic dilation with an achalasia balloon (with videos).

BACKGROUND Silastic rings are used in gastric bypass procedures for the treatment of obesity, but ring slippage may lead to gastric pouch outlet stenosis (GPOS). Conventional management has been ring removal through abdominal surgery. OBJECTIVE To describe a novel, safe, minimally invasive, endoscopic technique for the treatment of GPOS caused by ring slippage after gastric bypass. DESIGN Case series. SETTING Federal University of Pernambuco and São Paulo University. PATIENTS This study involved 39 consecutive patients who were screened for inclusion. INTERVENTION Endoscopic dilation with an achalasia balloon. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Technical success and safety of the procedure. RESULTS Among the 39 patients, 35 underwent endoscopic dilation at the ring slippage site for the relief of GPOS. The 4 patients who did not undergo endoscopic dilation underwent surgical removal of the ring, based on the exclusion criteria. The endoscopic approach was successful in 1 to 4 sessions in 100% of cases with radioscopic control (n = 12). The duration of the procedures ranged from 5 to 30 minutes, and the average internment was 14.4 hours. Dilation promoted either rupture (65.7%) or stretching (34.3%) of the thread within the ring, thereby increasing the luminal diameter of the GPOS. Complications included self-limited upper digestive tract hemorrhage (n = 1) and asymptomatic ring erosion (n = 4). There were no recurrences of obstructive symptoms during the follow-up period (mean of 33.3 months). LIMITATIONS This was not a randomized, comparison study, and the number of patients was relatively small. CONCLUSION The technique described promotes the relief of GPOS with low overall morbidity and avoids abdominal reoperation for ring removal.

Laparoscopic total gastrectomy as an alternative treatment to postsleeve chronic fistula.

BACKGROUND Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has become a very common 1-stage procedure in bariatric surgery. Postsleeve chronic fistulas could be one of the possible complications and represent a true challenge for the surgeons. After the failure of more conservative treatments, including surgical and endoscopic approaches, laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) could be an alternative treatment proposal. The objective of this study was to evaluate outcomes of patients who underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy for the treatment of postsleeve chronic fistula. METHODS Retrospectively review the data from patients after LTG for postsleeve chronic fistula who had failed in all previous treatment attempts with a combination of conservative, endoscopic, and/or surgical approach. RESULTS From January 2008 to December 2012, 12 patients underwent LTG. Mean time from SG to LTG was 16 months (ranged from 6 to 30). All patients had undergone several previous treatment attempts, including endoscopic techniques (fibrin glue, clips, pneumatic dilation, and stents) and surgical procedures for abscess drainage. Surgical time ranged from 4 to 7 hours with a mean hospital stay of 6 days. Complications occurred in 2 patients (17%) with 1 revision as a result of an intestinal occlusion. There were no conversions to open surgery, anastomotic leaks, or deaths. CONCLUSIONS LTG was feasible in the management of postsleeve chronic fistulas recalcitrant to other treatment approaches with a few complications and high rate of resolution.