Predictors for lymph node metastasis and survival of patients with T1b esophageal adenocarcinoma treated with surgery and endoscopic therapy: an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Limited data exist regarding the long-term outcomes of endoscopic therapy (ET) with or without chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for T1b esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Our aim was to identify the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in T1b EAC and assess how the chosen treatment modality affects overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). METHODS: We analyzed patients with histologically confirmed T1b EAC diagnosed between 2004 and 2018 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Focusing on T1bN0M0 staging, the patients were divided into 2 groups (ET [n = 174] and surgery [n = 769]), and OS and CSS rates were calculated. RESULTS: Of 1418 patients with T1b EAC, 228 cases (16.1%) exhibited LNM at diagnosis. Notable risk factors for LNM included poorly differentiated tumor and lesion size ≥20 mm. For T1bN0M0 cases, ET was commonly performed from 2009 to 2018 (odds ratio [OR], 4.3), especially for patients aged ≥65 years (OR, 3.1) with tumor size <20 mm (OR, 2.3). During the median 50 months of follow-up, age ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.9), ET (HR, 1.5), and CRT (HR, 1.4) were associated with poorer OS. Factors linked to decreased CSS were age ≥65 years (subhazard ratio [SHR], 1.6), poorly differentiated tumors (SHR, 1.5), and CRT (SHR, 1.5). CONCLUSIONS: In T1b EAC, tumor size ≥20 mm and poor differentiation are notable risk factors for LNM. ET exhibited comparable CSS outcomes to surgery for carefully selected T1bN0M0 lesions. CRT did not provide additional survival benefit for these lesions; however, large-scale studies are required to validate this finding.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy for management of cricopharyngeal bars (CP-POEM): a retrospective evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Cricopharyngeal bars (CPBs) are a unique etiology of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Symptomatic patients are managed with endoscopic dilation or surgical myotomy. Cricopharyngeal peroral endoscopic myotomy (CP-POEM) is an emerging technique for the management of dysphagia due to CPBs. This study evaluated technical success, clinical success, adverse events, and long-term recurrence following CP-POEM. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent POEM for management of CPBs between May 2015 and December 2020 at four tertiary care centers were included. Primary outcome was clinical success (defined as improvement of dysphagia score to ≤ 1). Secondary outcomes were technical success, rate and severity of adverse events, procedure duration, and symptom recurrence. RESULTS: 27 patients (mean age 69 years; 10 female) underwent CP-POEM during the study period. The most common presenting symptoms at the time of index procedure were dysphagia (26; 96.3 %) and regurgitation (20; 74.1 %). Clinical and technical success were achieved in all patients. Mild/moderate adverse events occurred in two patients (7.4 %). CP-POEM significantly reduced the median dysphagia score. CONCLUSIONS: CP-POEM was a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic CPBs. Although symptom recurrence was low, long-term outcome data are needed. CP-POEM should be considered as a management option for symptomatic CPBs at centers with POEM expertise.

Zenker's peroral endoscopic myotomy, or flexible or rigid septotomy for Zenker's diverticulum: a multicenter retrospective comparison.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of Zenker's diverticulum has evolved from open surgery to endoscopic techniques, including flexible and rigid endoscopic septotomy, and more recently, peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM). This study compared the effectiveness of flexible and rigid endoscopic septotomy with that of Z-POEM. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent endoscopic septotomy (flexible/rigid) or Z-POEM for Zenker's diverticulum between 1/2016 and 9/2019 were included. Primary outcomes were clinical success (decrease in Dakkak and Bennett dysphagia score to ≤ 1), clinical failure, and clinical recurrence. Secondary outcomes included technical success and rate/severity of adverse events. RESULTS: 245 patients (110 females, mean age 72.63 years, standard deviation [SD] 12.37 years) from 12 centers were included. Z-POEM was the most common management modality (n = 119), followed by flexible (n = 86) and rigid (n = 40) endoscopic septotomy. Clinical success was 92.7 % for Z-POEM, 89.2 % for rigid septotomy, and 86.7 % for flexible septotomy (P = 0.26). Symptoms recurred in 24 patients (15 Z-POEM during a mean follow-up of 282.04 [SD 300.48] days, 6 flexible, 3 rigid [P = 0.47]). Adverse events occurred in 30.0 % rigid septotomy patients, 16.8 % Z-POEM patients, and 2.3 % flexible septotomy patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in outcomes between the three treatment approaches for symptomatic Zenker's diverticulum. Rigid endoscopic septotomy was associated with the highest rate of complications, while flexible endoscopic septotomy appeared to be the safest. Recurrence following Z-POEM was similar to flexible and rigid endoscopic septotomy. Prospective studies with long-term follow-up are required.

Assessment of the learning curve for EUS-guided gastroenterostomy for a single operator.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: EUS-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) is increasingly used as an alternative to surgery and enteral stent placement to manage gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). However, no data are available on the learning curve (LC) for EUS-GE. Defining the LC is necessary to create adequate subspecialty training programs and quality assurance. METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained dataset of patients who underwent EUS-GE at 1 tertiary referral center. Primary outcome was the LC for EUS-GE defined by the number of cases needed to achieve proficiency and mastery using cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis. Moving average graphs and sequential time-block analysis were also performed to assess procedural time. Secondary outcomes included efficacy and safety of EUS-GE. RESULTS: Eighty-seven consecutive patients underwent EUS-GE, mostly for malignant GOO. For consistency, 14 patients were excluded from analysis (noncautery-assisted EUS-GE, 11; surgical anatomy, 3). The same endoscopist performed all procedures using the same freehand technique. Technical success was achieved in 68 of 73 patients (93%). Immediate adverse events occurred in 4 patients (5.5%), whereas late adverse events occurred only in 1 patient (1%), all managed conservatively or endoscopically. All immediate adverse events occurred during the first 39 cases. Clinical success (defined as resuming at least an oral liquid diet within a week) was achieved in 97% of patients. The mean procedural time was 36 minutes (standard deviation, 24). Evaluation of the CUSUM curve revealed that 25 cases were needed to achieve proficiency and 40 cases to achieve mastery. These results were confirmed with the average moving curve and sequential time-block analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We report, for the first time, data on the LC for EUS-GE. About 25 procedures can be considered as the threshold to achieve proficiency and about 40 cases are needed to reach mastery of the technique.

Impact of prior treatment on feasibility and outcomes of Zenker's peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM).

BACKGROUND: Zenker's peroral endoscopic myotomy (Z-POEM) is a novel procedure for the management of symptomatic Zenker's diverticulum. This study aims to report the technical feasibility and outcomes of Z-POEM in the management of Zenker's diverticulum after prior failed interventions. METHODS: Patients with persistent or recurrent symptoms after prior endoscopic and/or surgical intervention for Zenker's diverticulum were retrospectively included. The primary outcome was clinical success, defined as complete or near complete resolution of dysphagia (dysphagia score of 0 or 1) without the need for repeat endoscopic or surgical intervention during follow-up. RESULTS: Z-POEM was technically successful in 30/32 patients (93.8 %). Clinical success was achieved in 29/30 patients (96.7 %), and Z-POEM significantly reduced the median (interquartile range [IQR]) dysphagia score of patients from 2 (1 - 2) to 0 (0) (P < 0.001) over a median duration of follow up of 166 days (IQR 39 - 566). Four patients (12.5 %) had adverse events (two inadvertent mucosotomies and two leaks found on post-procedural esophagrams). CONCLUSION: Z-POEM is feasible, safe, and effective in the majority of patients with recurrent symptoms after prior surgical or endoscopic interventions.

Long-term efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine in a high-risk group.

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a global health problem. In an attempt to control infection, worldwide HBV vaccination programs have been established. Saudi Arabia, an endemic area for HBV infection, established an HBV immunization program in 1989. This cross-sectional study evaluates the long-term protection of HBV vaccination 14-24 years after primary immunization in a high-risk group (clinical year medical students) at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All participants had complete HBV immunization at birth or in early childhood. Hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) levels were obtained. An anti-HBs titer of <10 mIU/ml indicated no protection, while a titer of >10 mIU/ml was considered to represent protective immune status. A total of 238 students were included; they were predominantly females (n = 182, 76.5%). Mean age was 22.2 ± 1.1 years. Duration since primary vaccination was 19.8 ± 2.3 years. Female students were more likely to maintain long-term protection compared to males (62.1% and 58.8%, respectively). Anti-HBs levels were significantly low in many students after primary immunization. Testing medical students for anti-HBs levels may be warranted as they represent a high-risk population. The higher rate of vaccine failure in males than females requires further investigation as it may explain the higher prevalence of HBV in the male population.

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in the Stomach and Duodenum: Techniques, Indications, and Outcomes.

Gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is established for management of early gastric cancer (EGC). Diagnosis of EGC relies on adequate endoscopic assessment involving lesion size, histopathology, presence of ulceration, and depth of invasion. Absolute indications for endoscopic resection of EGC are if patients are presumed to have a less than 1% risk of lymph node metasta endoscopic submucosal dissectionsis, and long-term outcomes are similar to those with surgical gastrectomy. Duodenal ESD is more technically difficult and requires expertise in ESD in other locations.

Minimally Invasive Endoscopic and Surgical Management of Rectal Neoplasia.

Rectal cancer demonstrates a characteristic natural history in which benign rectal neoplasia precedes malignancy. The worldwide burden of rectal cancer is significant, with rectal cancer accounting for one-third of colorectal cancer cases annually. The importance of early detection and successful management is essential in decreasing its clinical burden. Minimally invasive treatment of rectal neoplasia has evolved over the past several decades, which has led to reduced local recurrence rates and improved survival outcomes. The approach to diagnosis, staging, and selection of appropriate treatment modalities is a multidisciplinary effort combining interventional endoscopy, surgery, and radiology tools. This review examines the currently available minimally invasive endoscopic and surgical management options of rectal neoplasia.

Rubber band-assisted closure of a mucosal defect following duodenal EMR.

Video 1Rubber band-assisted closure of a mucosal defect after duodenal EMR.

A purely endoscopic management approach for Type V Mirizzi syndrome.

Video 1A purely endoscopic management approach for Type V Mirizzi syndrome.

An Educational Needs Assessment for Patients with Liver Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Liver disease forms a global health burden and is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality. Good patient education has proven to be a key tool in disease management, providing significant benefit in knowledge and behavioral modifications. To develop effective educational tools, a good understanding of patient educational needs and preferred learning methods is necessary. Few studies have evaluated the educational needs of patients with liver disease. This study aims to assess the educational needs of patients at a large tertiary liver center. METHOD: This study was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study evaluating patient demographics,perceived and unperceived educational needs (hepatitis B and hepatitis Cknowledge) at a tertiary liver centre. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients completed the questionnaire. Most patients stated they were "extremely" or "quite" interested in learning more about their liver condition (84.9%, n=242), in either "moderate" or "a lot of" detail (94.6%, n=202). There was no association between gender, age, level of education, annual income and interest of patients in learning more about their liver condition. There was a significant association between number of clinic visits and interest to learn more (p=0.022), but there was no association between the duration of their follow-up at the clinic and their interest to learn more (p=0.243). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, patients showed great interest in learning more about their liver condition, potentially indicating a need for more educational programs. Most patients prefer reading (via internet or pamphlets/brochures) or one-to-one discussions, giving us a good sense of potentially successful educational strategies that will fit the needs of most patients.