Satish Nagula

EUS-guided fiducial placement for image-guided radiation therapy in GI malignancies by using a 22-gauge needle (with videos )

BACKGROUND Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) is dependent on the presence of fiducial markers for target localization and tracking. EUS-guided placement of fiducial markers with a 19-gauge needle has been reported. However, the size and stiffness of the 19-gauge needle may compromise the safety and ease of fiducial placement. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of EUS-guided placement of thin flexible gold coil fiducials by using a 22-gauge needle. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, between December 2008 and November 2009. PATIENTS A total of 30 patients with GI malignancies of the mediastinum and upper abdomen who were to undergo IGRT. INTERVENTIONS EUS evaluation with a curvilinear-array echoendoscope was performed. The target lesion was identified, a 22-gauge needle preloaded with a gold coil fiducial was inserted into the lesion, and the fiducial was deployed under EUS guidance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Technical success was defined as the ability to place fiducials in the desired location. Immediate and delayed complications were also noted. RESULTS A total of 69 fiducials were placed in 12 different sites in the mediastinum and upper abdomen. Technical success was achieved in 29 out of 30 cases (97%). No intraprocedural complications were encountered. One patient developed a fever and abnormal liver function tests 12 hours after fiducial placement. LIMITATIONS Retrospective design, small case series. CONCLUSIONS EUS-guided placement of thin flexible gold coil fiducials by using a 22-gauge needle is both safe and feasible for upper GI malignancies.

Quality of Life and Symptom Control after Stent Placement or Surgical Palliation of Malignant Colorectal Obstruction

BACKGROUND Emergent surgical management of malignant large bowel obstruction (LBO) carries a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Self-expanding metal stents have emerged as an alternative for palliation of malignant LBO. However, there are few long-term studies documenting the effect of surgical palliation or colonic stents on symptoms or quality of life (QoL). STUDY DESIGN Between 2003 and 2006, patients with unresectable-for-cure malignancies presenting with LBO were enrolled in this prospective study. Patients elected to undergo stent placement or surgical palliation. Patients completed a symptom questionnaire and a QoL instrument (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal [FACT-C]) at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 after palliation. Symptoms were assessed using the Colon Obstruction Score, a novel instrument comprising nausea, vomiting, pain, distension, and bowel movement frequency scores. RESULTS Thirty patients had successful stent placement; 14 underwent surgical diversion. Colon Obstruction Scores immediately improved after both stent placement and surgery (p < 0.05 for all time points). Composite FACT-C scores progressively improved after stent placement (p = NS), with the colon symptoms subscale improving after 1 month (p < 0.05). FACT-C scores declined initially after surgery and then returned to baseline, with modest improvements seen in the Colon Symptoms subscale (p = NS). CONCLUSIONS Both stent placement and surgical diversion provide durable improvement in symptoms from LBO, as readily assessed by the Colon Obstruction Score. QoL is difficult to assess in terminal cancer patients, but colon stent placement is associated with improved overall QoL and QoL related to gastrointestinal symptoms.

Diagnostic yield and safety of jumbo biopsy forceps in patients with subepithelial lesions of the upper and lower GI tract

BACKGROUND EUS-FNA often fails to make a definitive diagnosis in the evaluation of subepithelial lesions. The addition of jumbo biopsy forceps has the potential to improve diagnostic yield, but published series are limited. OBJECTIVE To assess the likelihood of definitive diagnosis for subepithelial lesions by using jumbo biopsy forceps during EUS examination. DESIGN Pooled retrospective analysis. SETTING 6 tertiary referral centers. PATIENTS All patients having undergone EUS examination for a subepithelial lesion in which jumbo biopsy forceps were used for tissue acquisition. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Diagnostic yield of jumbo biopsy forceps use, complication rates, and comparison of diagnostic yield with that of EUS-FNA. RESULTS A total of 129 patients underwent EUS with jumbo biopsy forceps; 31 patients (24%) had simultaneous EUS-FNA. The lesion locations were stomach (n = 98), esophagus (n = 14), duodenum (n = 11), colon (n = 5), and jejunum (n = 1). The average lesion size was 14.9 mm ± 9.3 mm. Overall, definitive diagnosis was obtained in 87 of 129 patients (67.4%) by using either method. A definitive diagnosis was provided by jumbo biopsy forceps use in 76 of 129 patients (58.9%) and by FNA in 14 of 31 patients (45.1%) (P = .175). The results in third-layer lesions were definitive with jumbo biopsy forceps in 56 of 86 lesions (65.1%) and with FNA in 6 of 16 lesions (37.5%) (P = .047). For fourth-layer lesions, the results with jumbo biopsy forceps were definitive in 10 of 25 (40.0%) and with FNA in 8 of 14 (57.1%) (P = .330). Forty-five of 129 patients (34.9%) experienced significant bleeding after biopsy with jumbo forceps and required some form of endoscopic hemostasis. LIMITATIONS Retrospective study. CONCLUSIONS Jumbo forceps are a useful tool for the definitive diagnosis of subepithelial lesions. The greatest benefit appears to be with third-layer (submucosal) lesions. The risk of bleeding is significant.

Diagnostic Yield of Spiral Enteroscopy When Performed for the Evaluation of Abnormal Capsule Endoscopy Findings

Background Spiral enteroscopy (SE) has emerged as a new alternative for deep intubation of the small intestine. SE is most often used to evaluate abnormal findings on capsule endoscopy (CE). Objective Investigate the ability of SE to reproduce abnormal findings detected on preceding CE. Design Prospective study. Setting Two academic tertiary care centers. Patients Consecutive patients undergoing SE to investigate a clinically significant finding on CE. Main Outcome Measurement Ability of SE to identify findings on CE. Results Total of 56 anterograde SE procedures were performed. CE findings included arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) (n=26), masses (n=8), ulcers (n=4), polyps (n=4), abnormal mucosa (n=6), fresh blood (n=6), and stricture (n=1). Majority of the patients had CE findings located in the jejunum (41 of 56 or 73.2%). Mean depth of enteroscope insertion was 224.6±68.7 cm. SE detected relevant small bowel pathology in 32 of 56 (57.1%) patients. Findings on CE were reproduced in 30 of 56 (53.6%) cases. Reproducibility was independent of patient body mass index (P=0.38), CE indication (P=0.24), CE lesion location (P=0.29), days between CE and SE (P=0.30), and depth of insertion (P=0.81). Type of CE findings (particularly AVMs) significantly affected SE reproducibility (P=0.015). SE procedure time was inversely related to SE reproducibility (odds ratio=0.94, 95% confidence interval=0.88-0.99, P=0.02). Limitations Small sample size and potential for false-positive CE study. Conclusions SE seems to be moderately effective (57.1%) in terms of its ability to locate pathology within the small intestine. The type of small bowel pathology targeted by SE may affect its clinical utility. AVMs observed on CE can be seen at the time of SE in the majority of cases (60%).

Transpapillary drainage has no added benefit on treatment outcomes in patients undergoing EUS-guided transmural drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts: a large multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The need for transpapillary drainage (TPD) in patients undergoing transmural drainage (TMD) of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) remains unclear. The aims of this study were to compare treatment outcomes between patients with pancreatic pseudocysts undergoing TMD versus combined (TMD and TPD) drainage (CD) and to identify predictors of symptomatic and radiologic resolution. METHODS This is a retrospective review of 375 consecutive patients with PFCs who underwent EUS-guided TMD from 2008 to 2014 at 15 academic centers in the United States. Main outcome measures included TMD and CD technical success, treatment outcomes (symptomatic and radiologic resolution) at follow-up, and predictors of treatment outcomes on logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 375 patients underwent EUS-guided TMD of PFCs, of which 174 were pseudocysts. TMD alone was performed in 95 (55%) and CD in 79 (45%) pseudocysts. Technical success was as follows: TMD, 92 (97%) versus CD, 35 (44%) (P = .0001). There was no difference in adverse events between the TMD (15%) and CD (14%) cohorts (P = .23). Median long-term (LT) follow-up after transmural stent removal was 324 days (interquartile range, 72-493 days) for TMD and 201 days (interquartile range, 150-493 days) (P = .37). There was no difference in LT symptomatic resolution (TMD, 69% vs CD, 62%; P = .61) or LT radiologic resolution (TMD, 71% vs CD, 67%; P = .79). TPD attempt was negatively associated with LT radiologic resolution of pseudocyst (odds ratio, 0.11; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.8; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS TPD has no benefit on treatment outcomes in patients undergoing EUS-guided TMD of pancreatic pseudocysts and negatively affects LT resolution of PFCs.

Fully covered self-expandable metal stents for benign esophageal disease: a multicenter retrospective case series of 31 patients

failure to thrive, aspiration causing recurrent pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection, and food or foreign-body impaction.7,8 Esophagography was the primary diagnostic tool and was performed in all patients (Fig. 5). The esophagography results showed segmental stenosis at the distal third of the esophagus in all patients except 1. Esophagoscopy was performed in most patients and usually showed a nonspecific distal esophageal stenosis without inflammation. Repeated dilation of the stricture was performed in 33 patients, resulting in only transient or no relief of dysphagia. Three patients had esophageal perforation after dilation, with 1 death after a single dilation. In most of the patients, definitive treatment was performed between 1 and 3 months of age, and surgical resection was required. The diagnosis of TBRs (57 patients) could only be made by histopathological examination of the resected segment, thus underscoring the importance of EUS in the preoperative diagnosis of TBRs.

Poor Compliance with ACG Guidelines for Nutrition and Antibiotics in the Management of Acute Pancreatitis: A North American Survey of Gastrointestinal Specialists and Primary Care Physicians

CONTEXT Despite recent updates in the treatment of acute pancreatitis emphasizing enteral nutrition over parenteral nutrition as well as minimizing antibiotic usage, mortality rates from acute pancreatitis have not improved. Data has been limited regarding physician compliance to these guidelines in the United States. METHODS A 20 question survey regarding practice patterns in the management of acute pancreatitis was distributed to physicians at multiple internal medicine and gastroenterology conferences in North America between 2009 and 2010. Responses were analyzed using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS Out of 406 available respondents, 43.3% of physicians utilize total parenteral nutrition/peripheral parenteral nutrition (TPN/PPN) and 36.5% utilize nasojejunal (NJ) feedings. The preferred route of nutrition was significantly related to practice type (P<0.001): academic physicians were more likely to use NJ tube feeding than private practice physicians (52.1% vs. 19.9%) while private practitioners were more likely to utilize TPN/PPN than academic physicians (70.2% vs. 20.5%). Gastroenterologists and primary care physicians were equally non-compliant as both groups favored parenteral nutrition. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that practice type (P<0.001) was the only independent predictor of route of nutrition. Most survey respondents appropriately do not routinely utilize antibiotics for acute pancreatitis, but when antibiotics are initiated, they are for inappropriate indications such as fever and infection prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS Many North American physicians are noncompliant with current ACG practice guidelines for the use of artificial nutrition in the management of acute pancreatitis, with overuse of TPN/PPN and underutilization of jejunal feedings. Antibiotics are initiated in acute pancreatitis for inappropriate indications, although there are conflicting recommendations for antibiotics in severe acute pancreatitis. Improved compliance with guidelines is needed to improve patient outcomes.

Lumen-apposing covered self-expandable metal stents for short benign gastrointestinal strictures: a multicenter study

Background and study aim Use of the fully covered self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) for benign luminal gastrointestinal (GI) stricture (BLGS) has been limited by the migration rate. The role of the lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) for BLGS is not well defined. We assessed the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of LAMS for the treatment of BLGS. Patients and methods This was an observational, open-label, retrospective, single-arm, multicenter consecutive case series of patients undergoing LAMS placement for BLGS. Technical success was defined as successful placement of the LAMS. Short- and long-term clinical success rates were defined as symptom improvement/resolution with indwelling stent and after stent removal, respectively. All adverse events and additional interventions were recorded. Results A total of 30 patients (mean age 51.6 years; 63.3 % women) underwent LAMS placement for GI strictures (83.9 % anastomotic). Median stricture diameter and length were 4.5 mm (range 2 - 10 mm) and 8 mm (range 5 - 10 mm), respectively. Technical success was achieved in 29 patients (96.7 %), with an adverse event rate of 13.3 %. The stent migration rate was 8.0 % (2/25) on follow-up endoscopy. Short-term clinical success was achieved in 90.0 % (27/30) at a median of 60 days (interquartile range [IQR] 40 - 90 days). Most patients (19/23; 82.6 %) experienced sustained symptom improvement/resolution without the need for additional interventions at a median follow-up of 100 days (IQR 60 - 139 days) after LAMS removal. Conclusion This multicenter study demonstrated that LAMS placement represents a safe, feasible, and effective therapeutic option for patients with BLGS and is associated with a low stent migration rate. Our initial findings suggest that future prospective comparative studies are needed on the use of LAMS, endoscopic dilation, and conventional SEMS. .

Laparoscopic right colectomy vs laparoscopic-assisted colonoscopic polypectomy for endoscopically unresectable polyps: a randomized controlled trial.

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to test the null hypothesis that there is no difference in complication rates and length of stay (LOS) between laparoscopic right colectomy (LRC) and laparoscopic‐assisted colonoscopic polypectomy (LACP) for endoscopically unresectable polyps of the right colon.

The practice of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in gastroenterology: discrepancies between EBM familiarity and EBM competency

Introduction: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become increasingly important in the practice of gastroenterology and endoscopy, and the training of future gastroenterology physicians. The objectives were to assess the attitudes/opinions of gastroenterology specialists towards EBM, and evaluate possible gaps in education for certain EBM-related concepts. Methods: An internet-based survey was emailed to 4073 gastroenterology specialists. The main outcome measurements were physicians’ endorsement of EBM, impact of EBM on clinical practice, utilization of EBM-specific resources, self-assessed understanding of EBM concepts (EBM familiarity score), and actual knowledge of EBM concepts (EBM competency score). Results: A total of 337 gastroenterology specialists participated. On a sale of 1–10, there was widespread agreement that EBM improves patient care (median score = 9, interquartile range (IQR) = 7–10), and physicians should be familiar with techniques for critical appraisal of studies (median = 9, IQR = 8–10). Most (64.0%) utilized the EBM-related resource UpToDate™ regularly, as opposed to PubMed™ (47.1%) or Clinical Evidence™ (5.4%). The mean EBM familiarity score was 3.4 ± 0.6 on a scale of 1–4. Out of a maximum 49 points, the mean EBM competency score was 35 ± 4.9. There was poor concordance among EBM familiarity and competency scores (r = 0.161; p = 0.005). Academic practice (p < 0.001), research/teaching (p < 0.001), advanced degree (p = 0.012), and recent EBM training (p = 0.001) were all associated with improved EBM competency. Conclusion: The attitudes and opinions of EBM are extremely favorable among gastroenterology physicians. Although gastroenterology physicians report familiarity with most EBM-related concepts, there is poor correlation with their actual knowledge of EBM. Further educational initiatives should be undertaken to address methods in which EBM skills are reinforced among all gastroenterology practitioners.