Pre- and Post-Implant Endoscopy in Left Ventricular Assist Device Recipients: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is common in left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) patients, but the optimal screening approach before LVAD implantation is still unclear. The aim of the study was to describe our experience with pre- and post-LVAD implantation endoscopic screening and subsequent GI bleeding in this cohort. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted among all patients who underwent LVAD implantation at Saint Luke's Hospital, between 2010 and 2020. The data were reviewed to determine the yield and safety of endoscopic procedures performed within 1 month before LVAD placement and the incidence of GIB within 1 year after implantation. Results: A total of 167 LVAD patients met the inclusion criteria, and 23 underwent pre-implantation endoscopic evaluation. Angiodysplasia had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) of 9.41 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.01 - 44.09) in post-LVAD endoscopy, while there was no significant difference in bleeding from other sources such as peptic ulcer disease or diverticular bleeding. There was no difference in the incidence of GIB in patients who underwent endoscopic evaluation pre-LVAD compared to post-LVAD GIB (32.6% vs. 39.1%, P = 0.64). Endoscopy was well-tolerated in this cohort, and argon plasma coagulation was the most commonly used intervention to achieve hemostasis. Conclusions: According to our results, we recommend against routine pre-LVAD endoscopic screening. Instead, we suggest an individualized approach, where decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Biopsy Versus Aspiration for Tissue Sampling Adequacy for Molecular Testing in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is limited literature on sample adequacy for molecular testing in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma obtained via endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) fine-needle aspiration (FNA) versus EUS fine-needle biopsy (FNB). We aimed to compare these two modalities regarding sample adequacy for molecular and genomic sequencing. METHODS: We reviewed all patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent EUS at Saint Luke's Hospital from 2018 to 2021. The patients were categorized based on the method of EUS tissue acquisition, specifically FNA or FNB. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted for all cases by cytotechnologists. RESULTS: Out of 132 patients who underwent EUS-guided biopsies, 76 opted for FNA, 48 opted for FNB, and 8 opted for a combination of both. The average number of passes required for FNB and FNA was 2.58 ± 1.06 and 2.49 ± 1.07, respectively (p = 0.704), indicating no significant difference. Interestingly, 71.4% (35) of FNB-obtained samples were deemed adequate for molecular testing, surpassing the 32.1% (26) adequacy observed with FNA (p < 0.001). Additionally, 46.4% (26) of FNB-obtained samples were considered adequate for genomic testing, a notable improvement over the 23.8% (20) adequacy observed with FNA (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Although the number of passes required for cytologic diagnosis did not differ significantly between EUS-FNB and EUS-FNA, the former demonstrated superiority in obtaining samples adequate for molecular testing. Tumor surface area and cellularity were crucial parameters in determining sample adequacy for molecular testing, irrespective of the chosen tissue acquisition modality.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt With or Without Gastroesophageal Variceal Embolization for the Prevention of Variceal Rebleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The role of variceal embolization (VE) during transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation for preventing gastroesophageal variceal rebleeding remains controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to compare the incidence of variceal rebleeding, shunt dysfunction, encephalopathy, and death between patients treated with TIPS alone and those treated with TIPS in combination with VE. Methods: We performed a literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases for all studies comparing the incidence of complications between TIPS alone and TIPS with VE. The primary outcome was variceal rebleeding. Secondary outcomes include shunt dysfunction, encephalopathy, and death. Subgroup analysis was performed based on the type of stent (covered vs. bare metal). The random-effects model was used to calculate the relative risk (RR) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of outcome. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Eleven studies with a total of 1,075 patients were included (597: TIPS alone and 478: TIPS plus VE). Compared to the TIPS alone, the TIPS with VE had a significantly lower incidence of variceal rebleeding (RR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43 - 0.81, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed similar results in covered stents (RR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.36 - 0.86, P = 0.008) but there was no significant difference between the two groups in the subgroup analysis of bare stents and combined stents. There was no significant difference in the risk of encephalopathy (RR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.66 - 1.06, P = 0.13), shunt dysfunction (RR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.64 - 1.19, P = 0.40), and death (RR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.65 - 1.17, P = 0.34). There were similarly no differences in these secondary outcomes between groups when stratified according to type of stent. Conclusions: Adding VE to TIPS reduced the incidence of variceal rebleeding in patients with cirrhosis. However, the benefit was observed with covered stents only. Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate our findings.

Safety of gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients with acute coronary syndrome and concomitant gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a major concern in patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) due to the common use of both antiplatelet medications and anticoagulants. Studies evaluating the safety of gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) in ACS patients with GIB are limited by their relatively small size, and the focus has generally been on upper GIB and esophago-gastroduod-enoscopy (EGD) only. AIM: To evaluate the safety profile and the hospitalization outcomes of undergoing GIE in patients with ACS and concomitant GIB using the national database for hospitalized patients in the United States. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried to identify patients hospitalized with ACS and GIB during the same admission between 2005 and 2014. The International Classification of Diseases Code, 9th Revision Clinical Modification was utilized for patient identification. Patients were further classified into two groups based on undergoing endoscopic procedures (EGD, small intestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy, or flexible sigmoidoscopy). Both groups were compared regarding demographic information, outcomes, and comorbi-dities. Multivariate analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with mortality and prolonged length of stay. Chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables, while Student's t-test was used to compare continuous variables. All analyses were performed using SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC, United States). RESULTS: A total of 35612318 patients with ACS were identified between January 2005 and December 2014. 269483 (0.75%) of the patients diagnosed with ACS developed concomitant GIB during the same admission. At least one endoscopic procedure was performed in 68% of the patients admitted with both ACS and GIB. Patients who underwent GIE during the index hospitalization with ACS and GIB had lower mortality (3.8%) compared to the group not undergoing endoscopy (8.6 %, P < 0.001). A shorter length of stay (LOS) was observed in patients who underwent GIE (mean 6.59 ± 7.81 d) compared to the group not undergoing endoscopy (mean 7.84 ± 9.73 d, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that performing GIE was associated with lower mortality (odds ratio: 0.58, P < 0.001) and shorter LOS (-0.36 factor, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Performing GIE during the index hospitalization of patients with ACS and GIB was correlated with a better mortality rate and a shorter LOS. Approximately two-thirds of patients with both ACS and GIB undergo GIE during the same hospitalization.

Randomized sham-controlled trial evaluating efficacy and safety of endoscopic gastric plication for primary obesity: The ESSENTIAL trial.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate safety and efficacy of the pose™ procedure for obesity treatment. METHODS: Subjects with Class I to II obesity were randomized (2:1) to receive active or sham procedure, after each investigator performed unblinded lead-in cases. All subjects were provided low-intensity lifestyle therapy. Efficacy end points were the mean difference in percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) at 12 months between randomized groups, and responder rate achieving ≥5% TBWL. The primary safety end point was incidence of reported adverse events. RESULTS: Three hundred thirty-two subjects were randomized (active, n = 221; sham, n = 111); thirty-four subjects were included in the unblinded lead-in cohort. Twelve-month results were mean TBWL 7.0 ± 7.4% in lead-in, 4.95 ± 7.04% in active, and 1.38 ± 5.58% in sham groups, respectively. Responder rate was 41.55% in active and 22.11% in sham groups, respectively (P < 0.0001); mean responder result was 11.5% TBWL. The differences observed between active and sham groups for co-primary end points were statistically significant (P < 0.0001); however, super superiority margin as set forth in the study design was not met. No unanticipated adverse events or deaths occurred. Procedure-related serious adverse event rates were 5.0% (active) and 0.9% (sham), P = 0.068. CONCLUSIONS: The pose procedure was safe and resulted in statistically significant and clinically meaningful weight loss over sham through 1 year.

Massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to invasive hepatocellular carcinoma and hepato-gastric fistula.

A 36-year-old male Asian immigrant with a history of hepatitis B and hepatitis C related unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in the left lobe of the liver presented with hematemesis and severe anemia. He was diagnosed with a liver mass that was resected 8 years ago described as a benign tumor in his home country. He had received trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) four months ago after subsequent diagnosis of unresectable hepatoma, and currently was receiving chemotherapy with Sorafenib. After resuscitation, a contrast enhanced computerized tomography was performed which showed fistulization of hepatocellular carcinoma into adjacent stomach. This finding was confirmed during endoscopy with direct visualization of the fistulous opening. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) invading the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is rare. We present a case and literature review of HCC with local invasion of the stomach causing massive upper GI bleeding after receiving TACE.

Risk of bleeding after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).

BACKGROUND: Patients who undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement are often on anticoagulation and/or antiplatelet therapy with a potential thromboembolic risk if these medications are discontinued. Data on the safety of peri-procedural use of these drugs is limited. AIMS: To assess the risk and to identify any predictive factors for post-PEG bleeding, and to determine if clopidogrel increases the risk of bleeding following PEG. METHODS: A retrospective chart audit was conducted from January 1, 2002 to June 30, 2011. RESULTS: A total of 1,541 patients underwent PEG placement during this period. Gastrointestinal bleeding after PEG placement occurred in 51 cases (3.3%) and bleeding directly attributed to PEG was noted in six patients (0.4%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of variables (age, gender, length of hospitalization, indication for PEG, antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications) showed that heparin infusion (P = 0.018) and length of hospitalization (P = 0.029) were statistically significant predictors of bleeding. The mean period for cessation and resumption of clopidogrel with PEG placement were 2.2 and 1.3 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: Although PEG is classified as a high-risk endoscopic procedure, bleeding with PEG placement was rare, even with use of anticoagulation and antiplatelet medications. In selected patients on heparin infusion undergoing PEG, delaying the procedure, alternative use of low-molecular-weight heparin or close monitoring and frequent assessments should be considered. Clopidogrel did not contribute to an increase in bleeding risk, despite being held for a much shorter peri-procedural period as recommended by expert consensus.

Jejunoileal bypass: a surgery of the past and a review of its complications.

Jejunoileal bypass (JIB), popular in the 1960s and 1970s, had remarkable success in achieving weight loss by creating a surgical short bowel syndrome. Our patient had an unusual case of liver disease and provided no history of prior bariatric surgery. Later, it was recognized that he had a JIB in the 1970s, which was also responsible for the gamut of his illnesses. Patients with JIB are often not recognized, as they died of complications, or underwent reversal of their surgery or a liver-kidney transplant. Early identification with prompt reversal, and the recognition and treatment of the life-threatening consequences play a critical role in the management of such patients.

Clinicopathological predictors to predict sustained viral response rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains suboptimal, with the current pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin combination therapy providing sustained viral response (SVR) rates of 54 - 63%. The aim of this study was to identify clinical, laboratory and histological findings that can predict non-response to this treatment. METHODS: Medical records of patients who had completed PEG-IFN and ribavirin therapy for chronic HCV infection between December 2002 and November 2005 and had undergone a liver biopsy prior to starting treatment were retrospectively reviewed. Data on various clinical and biochemical parameters were extracted and liver biopsy slides were reviewed by a pathologist who was blinded to the clinical and laboratory findings. RESULTS: Of 67 patients studied (mean [SD] age 46.3 [6.3] years; 36 men), 42/57 (74%) had an early viral response (EVR) and 37/64 (58%) had an SVR. On univariate analysis, absence of EVR (p=0.0002), non-white race (p=0.008), AST/ALT ratio > or = 1.0 (p=0.008), INR > or = 1.0 (p=0.02) and presence of steatosis > or = 5% on liver biopsy (p=0.03) were associated with lack of SVR. In multivariate analysis, all of these except INR were significant independent predictors of SVR. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of EVR, non-white race, AST/ALT ratio > or = 1.0 and presence of steatosis > or = 5% on liver biopsy are independent predictors of absence of SVR in patients with chronic HCV infection receiving PEG-IFN and ribavirin combination treatment.

PEG site infections: the emergence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a major pathogen.

OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the records of 126 patients who underwent PEG insertion during a 36-month period to determine the etiology of an observed increase in PEG-related infections. METHODS: Charts were reviewed to determine predictive factors of infection, the occurrence of infection, and culture results of infected sites. Insertion was performed in all cases using a standard sterile, pull-through technique. Infections were defined as having at least two of the following conditions: peristomal erythema, induration, and purulent discharge. RESULTS: PEG infections occurred in 22 patients. During the first 12-month interval, 0 of 25 patients (0%) had PEG-related infections; during the second 12-month interval, four of 37 patients (10.8%); and during the third 12-month interval, 18 of 64 patients (28.1%) (p < 0.05). Cultures from 14 of 22 peristomal infections grew methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (nine), pseudomonads (three), and other organisms (two). One hundred twenty-four of 126 patients received prophylactic antibiotics or were receiving concomitant antibiotics. Of the infected patients, 21 of 22 (95.5%) received prophylaxis, and 11 of 22 (50%) were receiving concomitant antibiotics before PEG. In the noninfected group, 78 of 104 (75%) received prophylaxis, and 47 of 104 (45.2%) received concomitant antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus is emerging as a major pathogen in PEG site infections. Further prospective studies are needed to establish whether current prophylactic antibiotic recommendations are adequate.