The role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the management of iatrogenic bile duct injury after cholecystectomy.

INTRODUCTION: iatrogenic bile duct injury (IBDI) is a complication with a high morbidity after cholecystectomy. In recent years, endoscopy has acquired a fundamental role in the management of this pathology. METHODS: a retrospective study of IBDI after open cholecystectomy (OC) or laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) of patients treated in our center between 1993 and 2017 was performed. Clinical characteristics, type of injury according to the Strasberg-Bismuth classification, diagnosis, repair techniques and follow-up were analyzed. RESULTS: 46 patients were studied and IBDI incidence was 0.48%, 0.61% for LC and 0.24% for OC. A diagnosis was made intraoperatively in 12 cases (26%) and by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in 10 (21.7%) cases. The most common IBDI patient characteristics were acute cholecystitis (20/46, 43.5%), previous admission due to biliary pathology (16/46, 43.2%) and ERCP prior to cholecystectomy (7/46, 18.9%). The most frequent types of IBDI were D (17/46, 36.9%) and A (15/46, 32.6%). The most commonly used treatment was primary suture (13/46, 28.3%) followed by ERCP (11/46, 23.9%) with sphincterotomy and/or stents. In addition, ERCP was performed during the immediate postoperative period in 6 (13%) patients with a surgical IBDI repair in order to resolve immediate complications. CONCLUSION: ERCP is useful in the management of IBDI that is not diagnosed intraoperatively. This procedure facilitates the localization of the injured area of the bile duct, therapeutic maneuvers and successful outcomes in postoperative complications.

A retrospective, multicenter analysis of incidents associated with Axios™ lumen-apposing stents.

INTRODUCTION: there is controversy with regard to the risks associated with lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMSs), with significant variations between available reports. OBJECTIVES: to describe the types and proportions of complications that arise during the permanence time and removal of Axios™ LAMS. Furthermore, the relationship between patency time, therapeutic target and the presence of complications was also described. METHODS: a retrospective, multicenter case series study was performed of all patients with an implanted LAMS to access extra-luminal structures during 2017. Only technically successful cases were recorded. RESULTS: a total of 179 patients from seven sites (range, 4-68 cases/site) were included in the study, with a mean age of 64.3 years (SD: 15.8; range: 24.6-98.8 years) and 122 (68.2%) were male. Most common indications included encapsulated necrosis (58, 32.4%), pseudocysts (31, 17.3%) and gallbladder drains (26, 14.5%). Complications during LAMS stay were reported in 19 patients (10.9%); stent lumen or gastroduodenal obstruction (8, 4.5%) and bleeding (7, 3.9%) were the most common. LAMS were not removed in 86 (48%) patients due to the following reasons: a permanent stent was used (46, 53.5%), loss to follow-up (18, 20.9%), patient demise (16, 18.6%) and stent migration (6, 7%). Five (5.4%) complications were reported during stent removal, which were three bleeds and two perforations. No association was found between stent duration and complications (p = 0.67). CONCLUSION: complications secondary to LAMS insertion are uncommon but may be serious. This study found no association between complications and stent duration.

Clinical symptoms are correlated with gastrojejunal anastomosis complications only during the first year after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP) many patients complain of epigastric pain or food intolerance, leading to the performance of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy. Objective: this study aims to assess which symptomatology as reported by LRYGBP patients during follow-up suggested correlation with pathological findings of endoscopy, and which factors might play a role, taking the timing of symptom presentation into account. Materials and methods: a retrospective cohort study was performed identifying LRYGBP patients presenting with food intolerance and/or epigastric pain who had undergone endoscopy. Primary outcomes were endoscopy findings, their association with patient characteristics, and timing of symptom presentation. Results: of the 514 patients complaining of epigastric pain and/or food intolerance, 81 (15.6 %) underwent endoscopy. A gastrojejunostomy complication was found in 58 % of cases. All patients who complained about food intolerance and epigastric pain presented pathological findings. The only preoperative factor associated with a gastrojejunostomy complication was being a smoker (p = 0.021). Time between surgery and endoscopy was also a predictive factor for endoscopic pathological findings (p = 0.007); in cases of epigastric pain, symptom onset during the first year (median: 10 months) was related to increased risk of gastrojejunal complications (p < 0.05). Conclusions: endoscopies performed within one year of surgery were significantly more likely to reveal pathological findings than endoscopies performed after the first postoperative year, especially in patients experiencing epigastric pain.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Introducción: tras un baipás gástrico laparoscópico en "Y de Roux" muchos pacientes refieren dolor epigástrico o intolerancia alimenticia, lo que motiva la realización de una endoscopia digestiva alta. Objetivos: el objetivo de este estudio es intentar establecer una relación entre la sintomatología referida por los pacientes sometidos a baipás gástrico con los hallazgos endoscópicos patológicos y conocer qué factores pueden estar implicados, considerando el momento de presentación. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo de cohortes, identificando a los pacientes sometidos a baipás gástrico laparoscópico que presentan dolor epigástrico o intolerancia alimenticia durante el seguimiento y a los que se realizó una endoscopia digestiva alta. El objetivo primario es relacionar los hallazgos endoscópicos con la sintomatología y el momento de aparición. Resultados: de los 514 pacientes que presentaban dolor epigástrico o intolerancia alimenticia, 81 (15,6 %) fueron sometidos a endoscopia digestiva alta. En un 58 % de los casos se encontraron complicaciones relacionadas con la gastroyeyunostomía. En todos los pacientes que presentaban simultáneamente dolor e intolerancia aparecieron hallazgos endoscópicos patológicos. El único factor preoperatorio relacionado con las complicaciones fue el hábito tabáquico (p = 0,021). El tiempo entre la cirugía y la realización de la endoscopia también fue un factor significativamente relacionado con los hallazgos endoscópicos (p = 0,007). En los casos de dolor epigástrico durante el primer año (media: 10 meses) existía un incremento del riesgo de aparición de complicaciones de la gastroyeyunostomía (p < 0,05). Conclusiones: las endoscopias realizadas durante el primer año postoperatorio tenían más probabilidades de presentar hallazgos patológicos, sobre todo en los pacientes afectos de dolor epigástrico.