Laparoscopic-assisted gastric button placement: a valuable alternative for a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).

A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy remains the first choice when oral feeding is difficult. In some patients however an endoscopic placement of a gastrostomy tube is not possible. As an alternative, a laparoscopic-assisted insertion of a gastric button was performed to provide enteral feeding in seven patients. Enteral feeding could be resumed within one or two days after the procedure and no complications were encountered. This minimal invasive technique has certain advantages over a surgical gastrostomy by laparotomy. Therefore, a laparoscopically inserted gastric button should be considered a valuable alternative if percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is no longer possible.

Effects of intravenous supplementation with alpha-tocopherol in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition containing medium- and long-chain triglycerides.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of a lipid emulsion containing medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and supplemented with alpha-tocopherol to a conventional long-chain triglyceride (LCT) emulsion. DESIGN: Randomised double blind study. SETTING: Department of Internal Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital. SUBJECTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Twenty-four patients with an indication for total parenteral nutrition for a minimum of 10 days were randomly assigned to two groups: group E received as lipid source MCT/LCT (50/50) suplemented with 100 mg DL-alpha-tocopherol/day and group C received LCT. Blood samples were analysed at inclusion, after 4-6 and after 9-11 days. RESULTS: In group E, serum alpha-tocopherol doubled from 11.4+/-6.9 at inclusion to 20.9+/-7.9 and to 23.8+/-8.8 microg/ml after 4 and 9 days, respectively, but did not change in group C (P=0.008). Production of thiobarbituric acid-reacting substances (TBARS) after 120 min incubation with copper decreased from 66+/-34 at inclusion to 29+/-25 nmol MDA/mg LDL and VLDL-cholesterol after 4 and to 42+/-17 after 9 days (P=0.022 when compared to group C, which underwent no significant changes). Velocity of production of fluorescent products decreased in group E but not in group C (P=0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation of TPN containing MCT/LCT with 100 mg DL-alpha-tocopherol/day leads to a doubling in serum alpha-tocopherol and to a decrease in the susceptibility of LDL and VLDL to peroxidation in vitro. SPONSORSHIP: This study was partly financed by B Braun Medical NVSA, Diegem, Belgium.

Effect of intensive i.v. + oral magnesium supplementation on circulating ion levels, lipid parameters and metabolic control in Mg-depleted insulin-dependent diabetic patients (IDDM).

Magnesium depletion in diabetic patients is a frequent observation and is involved in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic complications. In this study the effect of a 10 week intensive oral + i.v. supplementation of Mg was studied in 11 depleted IDDM patients with stable metabolic control. Ionized Mg decreased and erythrocyte Mg increased significantly together with an increased storage of Mg in the body demonstrated with a classical retention test. Normalization of the Mg parameters was however not obtained. Lipid parameters and metabolic control remained unchanged.