Endoscopic submucosal dissection vs. endoscopic mucosal resection in the treatment of early Barrett's neoplasia: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic resection is the preferred approach to treat early Barrett's neoplasia, reducing the need for surgical interventions. However, the best choice between endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) or endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remains unclear. The study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of EMR vs. ESD for early Barrett's neoplasia. METHODS: An electronic search was conducted in MEDLINE, Central Cochrane, EMBASE, and LILACS until November 2023. Studies comparing ESD vs. EMR in the treatment of patients with early Barrett's neoplasia were included. This study was performed according to the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The ROBIN-I tool was used to analyze the risk of bias and GRADE to measure the quality of the evidence. RESULTS: A total of 9352 patients from 15 observational studies were included. Patients undergoing ESD had significantly higher rates of en-bloc (odds ratio [OR] 25.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 13.82, 48.74; I2 = 52%; P < 0.00001) and R0 (OR 5.10, 95% CI 3.29, 7.91; I2 = 73%; P < 0.00001) with a higher risk of adverse events, including bleeding, stricture formation, and perforation. In a subgroup analysis of patients who did not receive radiofrequency ablation, ESD had a lower recurrence rate than EMR (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.05, 0.94; I2 = 88%; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic submucosal dissection is more effective than EMR in treating early Barrett's neoplasia at the expense of higher adverse events rates.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided cholecystostomy versus percutaneous cholecystostomy (PTC) in the management of acute cholecystitis in patients unfit for surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Surgical cholecystectomy is the gold standard strategy for the management of acute cholecystitis (AC). However, some patients are considered unfit for surgery due to certain comorbid conditions. As such, we aimed to compare less invasive treatment strategies such as endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) and percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PT-GBD) for the management of patients with AC who are suboptimal candidates for surgical cholecystectomy. METHODS: A comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases was performed to identify all the studies comparing EUS-GBD versus PT-GBD for patients with AC who were unfit for surgery. A subgroup analysis was also performed for comparison of the group undergoing drainage via cautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) versus PT-GBD. The outcomes included technical and clinical success, adverse events (AEs), recurrent cholecystitis, reintervention, and hospital readmission. RESULTS: Eleven studies including 1155 patients were included in the statistical analysis. There was no difference between PT-GBD and EUS-GBD in all the evaluated outcomes. On the subgroup analysis, the endoscopic approach with cautery-enhanced LAMS was associated with lower rates of adverse events (RD = - 0.33 (95% CI - 0.52 to - 0.14; p = 0.0006), recurrent cholecystitis (- 0.05 RD (95% CI - 0.09 to - 0.02; p = 0.02), and hospital readmission (- 0.36 RD (95% CI-0.70 to - 0.03; p = 0.03) when compared to PT-GBD. All other outcomes were similar in the subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-GBD using cautery-enhanced LAMS is superior to PT-GBD in terms of safety profile, recurrent cholecystitis, and hospital readmission rates in the management of patients with acute cholecystitis who are suboptimal candidates for cholecystectomy. However, when cautery-enhanced LAMS are not used, the outcomes of EUS-GBD and PT-GBD are similar. Thus, EUS-GBD with cautery-enhanced LAMS should be considered the preferable approach for gallbladder drainage for this challenging population.

Homemade endoscopic vacuum therapy device for the management of transmural gastrointestinal defects.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) possesses a unique mechanism of action providing a less invasive alternative for the management of transmural gastrointestinal defects (TGID). This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of a novel homemade EVT (H-EVT) for the treatment of TGID. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter study including patients who underwent H-EVT for TGID between January 2019 and January 2022. Main outcomes included technical and clinical success as well as safety outcomes. Subgroup analyses were included by defect location and classification. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors for successful closure. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients were included. Technical success was achieved in all patients, with clinical success achieved in 88.89% after a mean of 3.49 H-EVT exchanges over an average of 23.51 days. After excluding 10 cases wherein it was not possible to achieve negative pressure, successful closure occurred in 95.52% of patients. Time to clinical success was less for defects caused by endoscopic (hazard ratio [HR] 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.33-1.20) compared to surgical procedures and for patients with simultaneous intracavitary and intraluminal H-EVT placement (HR 0.70; 95% CI 0.55-0.91). Location and classification of defect did not impact clinical success rate. Simultaneous placement of both an intraluminal and intracavitary H-EVT (odds ratio 3.08; 95% CI 1.19-7.95) was a significant predictor of clinical success. Three device-related adverse events (2.08%) occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the H-EVT is feasible, safe, and effective for the management of TGID.

Gastrointestinal genetic reprogramming of vitamin A metabolic pathways in response of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is one of the most performed bariatric surgical techniques. However, RYGB commonly results, as side effects, in nutritional deficiencies. This study aimed to examine changes in the expression of vitamin A pathway encoding genes in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and to evaluate the potential mechanisms associated with hypovitaminosis A after RYGB. Intestinal biopsies were obtained through double-balloon endoscopy in 20 women with obesity (age 46.9±6.2 years; body mass index [BMI] 46.5±5.3 kg/m2 [mean±SD]) before and three months after RYGB (BMI, 38.2±4.2 kg/m2). Intestinal mucosal gene microarray analyses were performed in samples using a Human GeneChip 1.0 ST array (Affymetrix). Vitamin A intake was assessed from 7-day food records and serum retinol levels were evaluated by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Our results showed the following genes with significant downregulation (p≤0.05): LIPF (-0.60), NPC1L1 (-0.71), BCO1 (-0.45), and RBP4 (-0.13) in duodenum; CD36 (-0.33), and ISX (-0.43) in jejunum and BCO1 (-0.29) in ileum. No significant changes in vitamin A intake were found (784±694 retinol equivalents [RE] pre-operative vs. 809±753 RE post-operative [mean±SD]). Although patients were routinely supplemented with 3500 international units IU/day (equivalent to 1050 µg RE/day) of oral retinol palmitate, serum concentrations were lower in the post-operative when compared to pre-operative period (0.35±0.14 µg/L vs. 0.52±0.33 µg/L, respectively - P=0.07), both within the normal range. After RYGB, the simultaneous change in expression of GI genes, may impair carotenoid metabolism in the enterocytes, formation of nascent chylomicrons and transport of retinol, resulting in lower availability of vitamin A.

Managing adverse events after endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of the biliary tract and pancreatic fluid collections: Narrative review (with video).

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided therapeutic procedures have become increasingly common in clinical practice. The development of EUS-guided fine needle aspiration cytology led to the concept of interventional EUS. However, it carries a considerable risk of adverse events (AEs), which occur in approximately 23% of the procedures performed for the drainage of pancreatic fluid collections and 2.5-37.0% of those performed for drainage of the biliary tract. Although the vast majority of AEs occurring after EUS-guided drainage are mild, a deep understanding of such events is necessary for their appropriate management. Because EUS-guided drainage is a novel procedure, there have been few studies of the topic. To our knowledge, this is the first narrative review that focuses on the management and resolution of AEs occurring after EUS-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections or the biliary tract. We also include an explanatory video.

Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux after POEM for achalasia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) demonstrated similar efficacy to surgical myotomy in the management of achalasia. However, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is common after POEM. The aim of this study is to identify factors associated with GERD after POEM. METHOD: After searching electronic databases, randomized trials and observational studies including patients with achalasia or other spastic esophageal disorders, treated by POEM, and providing GERD data were selected. GERD was evaluated by 3 methods: pH monitoring, endoscopic findings, and symptoms. For each method, an analysis was performed comparing the outcomes related to the following independent variables: full-thickness (FT) vs circular myotomy, anterior vs posterior, long myotomy vs short myotomy, naive vs previous treatment failure, previous Heller myotomy (HM) vs non-previous-HM, Type I vs II, Type I vs III, and Type II vs III. RESULTS: 2869 publications were identified, and 25 studies met criteria for inclusion in the qualitative analysis. Of these, 18 were included in the meta-analysis. According to the endoscopic findings, circular and anterior myotomy demonstrated a lower trend of GERD with borderline significance (p = 0.06; p = 0.07, respectively). In the pH monitoring and symptom analyses, circular myotomy, anterior myotomy, treatment naive, and non-HM patients were associated with a lower occurrence of GERD; however, no statistically significant difference was found. When comparing achalasia subtypes, no statistical difference was found in all analyses. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that a circular anterior approach may limit post-POEM GERD and should be considered in appropriate patients.

Pain relief in chronic pancreatitis: endoscopic or surgical treatment? a systematic review with meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Pain is one of the consequences of chronic pancreatitis (CP) that has the greatest impact on the quality of life of patients. Endoscopic and surgical interventions, by producing a decrease in intraductal pancreatic pressure, can provide pain relief. This is the first systematic review that includes only randomized clinical trials (RTCs) comparing outcomes in the short-term (less than 2 years) and long-term (more than 2 years) between these two types of interventions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive search of multiple electronic databases to identify RTCs comparing short and long-term pain relief, procedural complications, and days of hospitalization between endoscopic and surgical interventions was performed following the PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: Three RCTs evaluating a total of 199 patients (99 in the endoscopy group and 100 in the surgery group) were included in this study. Surgical interventions provided complete pain relief, with statistical difference, in the long-term (16,4% vs 35.7%; RD 0.19; 95% CI 0.03-0.35; p = 0.02; I2 = 0%), without significant difference in short-term (17.5% vs 31.2%; RD 0.14; 95% CI -0.01-0.28; p = 0.07; I2 = 0%) when compared to endoscopy. There was no statistical difference in short-term (17.5% vs 28.1%; RD 0.11; 95% CI -0.04-0.25; p = 0.15; I2 = 0%) and long-term (34% vs 41.1%; RD 0.07; 95% CI -0.10-0.24; p = 0.42; I2 0%) in partial relief of pain between both interventions. In the short-term, both complications (34.9% vs 29.7%; RD 0.05; 95% CI -0.10-0.21; p = 0.50; I2 = 48%) and days of hospitalization (MD -1.02; 95% CI -2.61-0.58; p = 0.21; I2 = 0%) showed no significant differences. CONCLUSION: Surgical interventions showed superior results when compared to endoscopy in terms of complete long-term pain relief. The number of complications and length of hospitalization in both groups were similar.

Endoscopic resection of esophageal and gastric submucosal tumors from the muscularis propria layer: submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection versus endoscopic submucosal excavation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection (STER) and endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE) are less-invasive therapeutic alternatives to surgical resection for the removal of esophageal or gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs). This study aimed to comparing STER versus ESE for the resection of esophageal and gastric SMTs from the muscularis propria. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis was reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines through December 2020. Pooled outcome measures included complete resection, en bloc resection, bleeding, perforation, adverse events, recurrence, procedure duration, and length of hospital stay. Risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) was calculated as well as Peto time-to-event analyses to determine recurrence rate. RESULTS: Five retrospective cohort studies (n = 269 STER versus n = 319 ESE) were included. There was no difference in rates of complete resection [RR: 1.01 (95% CI 0.94, 1.07)], en bloc resection [RR: 0.95 (95% CI 0.84, 1.08)], recurrence [OR: 1.18 (95% CI 0.33, 4.16)], and total adverse events [RR: 1.33 (95% CI 0.78, 2.27)]. Specific adverse events including rates of perforation [RR: 0.57 (95% CI 0.12, 2.74)] and bleeding [RR: 1.21 (95% CI 0.30, 4.88)] were not different between STER and ESE. There was a statistical difference when evaluating procedure time, with the STER group presenting significantly larger values [MD: 24.62 min (95% CI 20.04, 29.20)]. CONCLUSION: STER and ESE were associated with similar efficacy and safety; however, ESE was associated with a significantly decreased time to complete the procedure.

EUS-guided gastroenterostomy versus duodenal stent placement and surgical gastrojejunostomy for the palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is associated with significant morbidity and decreased quality of life, thereby necessitating effective and safe palliative treatment. As such, we sought to compare endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) versus duodenal stent (DS) placement and surgical gastrojejunostomy (SGJ) for palliation of malignant GOO. METHODS: Searches of electronic databases were performed to identify studies comparing EUS-GE versus DS and/or SGJ for palliative treatment of GOO. Outcomes included technical and clinical success, severe adverse events (SAEs), rate of stent obstruction (including tumor ingrowth), length of hospital stay (LOS), reintervention, and 30-day all-cause mortality. Differences in dichotomous and continuous outcomes were reported as risk difference and mean difference, respectively. RESULTS: Seven studies (n = 513 patients) were included. When compared to DS placement, EUS-GE was associated with a higher clinical success, fewer SAEs, decreased stent obstruction, lower rate of tumor ingrowth, and decreased need for reintervention. Compared to SGJ, EUS-GE was associated with a lower technical success; however, LOS was significantly decreased. All other outcomes including clinical success, SAEs, reintervention rate, and 30-day mortality were not significantly different between an EUS-guided versus surgical approach. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-GE was associated with significantly improved outcomes compared to DS placement for palliative treatment of malignant GOO. Despite SGJ possessing a higher technical success compared to EUS-GE, LOS was significantly longer with no difference in clinical success or rate of adverse events.

Endoscopic vacuum therapy versus endoscopic stenting for upper gastrointestinal transmural defects: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal fistulas, leaks, and perforations represent a high cost burden to health systems worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality rates for affected patients. Management of these transmural defects remains therapeutically challenging. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) versus endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) for treatment of upper gastrointestinal transmural defects. METHODS: Searches were performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Central Cochrane, Latin American and Caribbean Health (LILACS), and gray literature, as well as a manual search to identify studies comparing SEMS versus EVT to treat upper gastrointestinal transmural defects. Evaluated outcomes were: rates of successful closure, mortality, length of hospital stay, duration of treatment, and adverse events. RESULTS: Five studies with a total of 274 patients were included. There was a 21% increase in successful fistula closure attributed to EVT compared with the SEMS group (RD 0.21, CI 0.10-0.32; P = 0.0003). EVT demonstrated a 12% reduction in mortality compared to stenting (RD 0.12, CI 0.03-0.21; P = 0.006) and an average reduction of 14.22 days in duration of treatment (CI 8.38-20.07; P < 0.00001). There was a 24% reduction in adverse events (RD 0.24, CI 0.13-0.35; P = 0.0001. There were no statistical differences between the studied therapies regarding the length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic vacuum therapy proves to be superior in successful defect closure, mortality, adverse events and duration of treatment.

Argon plasma coagulation alone versus argon plasma coagulation plus full-thickness endoscopic suturing to treat weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a prospective randomized trial (with videos).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A significant number of patients regain weight after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Ablation with argon plasma coagulation (APC) plus endoscopic full-thickness suturing (FTS-APC) and ablation alone have been reported for treating weight regain when associated with gastrojejunostomy (GJ) dilation. However, comparative controlled data are still lacking. METHODS: This was a pilot single-center open-label randomized trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of APC alone versus FTS-APC for transoral outlet reduction. Patients with at least 20% weight regain from the nadir, and GJ ≥15 mm were considered eligible. The primary outcome was percentage total weight loss (%TWL) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of adverse events, amelioration of metabolic laboratory parameters, and improvement in quality of life and eating behavior. RESULTS: Forty patients meeting the eligibility criteria were enrolled from October 2017 to July 2018. Technical and clinical success rates were similar between the groups. At 12 months, the mean %TWL was 8.3% ± 5.5% in the APC alone group versus 7.5% ± 7.7% in the FTS-APC group (P = .71). The pre-revisional % solid gastric retention at 1 hour positively correlated with the probability of achieving ≥10% TWL at 12 months. Both groups experienced significant reductions in low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels at 12 months, and improvement in eating behavior and quality of life at 3 months. There were 2 cases of stenoses (1 from each group), which were successfully treated with endoscopic balloon dilation. CONCLUSION: APC alone is similar to FTS-APC in terms of technical and clinical outcomes within 1 year of follow-up. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03094936.).

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty in the management of weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Sleeve gastrectomy is a well-standardized surgical treatment for obesity. However, rates of weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy in long-term follow-up are relatively high. This multicenter study is the first to evaluate the use of an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) technique for the management of this population. METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study, including patients with weight regain following sleeve gastrectomy who underwent ESG for weight loss. Primary outcomes included absolute weight loss, percent total weight loss (%TWL), change in body mass index (BMI), percent excess weight loss (%EWL) at 6 and 12 months, and safety profile. Clinical success was defined as achieving ≥ 25 % EWL at 1 year, ≤ 5 % serious adverse event (SAE) rate following society-recommended thresholds, and %TWL ≥ 10 %. RESULTS: 34 patients underwent ESG after sleeve gastrectomy. Technical success was 100 %. At 1 year, 82.4 % and 100 % of patients achieved ≥ 10 %TWL and ≥ 25 % EWL, respectively. Mean (SD) %TWL was 13.2 % (3.9) and 18.3 % (5.5), and %EWL was 51.9 % (19.1) and 69.9 % (29.9) at 6 months and 1 year, respectively. Mean (SD) %TWL was 14.2 % (12.5), 19.3 % (5.3), 17.5 % (5.2), and 20.4 % (3.3), and %EWL was 88.5 % (52.8), 84.4 % (22.4), 55.4 % (14.8), and 47.8 % (11.2) for BMI categories of overweight and obesity class I, II, and III, respectively, at 1 year. No predictors of success were identified in the multivariable regression analysis. No SAEs were reported. CONCLUSION: ESG appears to be safe and effective in the management of weight regain following sleeve gastrectomy.

Randomized controlled trial of hemostatic powder versus endoscopic clipping for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite advances in pharmacological and endoscopic management of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB), mortality is still relevant. TC-325 (Hemospray-Cook Medical) is a mineral powder with adsorptive properties, designed for endoscopic hemostasis. There are still no comparative trials studying this new hemostatic modality. The objective of this research was to compare the use of TC-325 (associated with epinephrine injection) with the combined technique of endoscopic clipping and epinephrine injection for the treatment of patients with NVUGIB. METHODS: We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial with patients that presented NVUGIB with an actively bleeding lesion at the endoscopic evaluation. Patients were randomized either to the Hemospray or Hemoclip group. The randomization list was generated by a computer program and remained unknown throughout the entire trial. All patients underwent second-look endoscopy. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled. Peptic ulcer was the most frequent etiology. Primary hemostasis was achieved in all Hemospray cases and in 90% of Hemoclip group (p = 0.487). Five patients in Hemospray group underwent an additional hemostatic procedure during second-look endoscopy, while no patient in the Hemoclip group needed it (p = 0.04). Rebleeding, emergency surgery and mortality rates were similar in both groups. No toxicity, allergy events, or gastrointestinal obstruction signs were observed in Hemospray group. CONCLUSIONS: TC-325 presents similar hemostatic results when compared with conventional dual therapy for patients with NVUGIB. Hemospray's excellent primary hemostasis rate certifies it as a valuable tool in arduous situations of severe bleeding or difficult location site.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection versus transanal endoscopic surgery for the treatment of early rectal tumor: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive treatment of early-stage rectal lesion has presented good results, with lower morbidity than surgical resection. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) and transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) are the main methods of transanal surgery. However, endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been gaining ground because it allows en bloc resections with low recurrence rates. The aim of this study was to analyze ESD in comparison with transanal endoscopic surgery. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, SciELO, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Lilacs/Bireme with no restrictions on the date or language of publication. The outcomes evaluated were recurrence rate, complete (R0) resection rate, en bloc resection rate, length of hospital stay, duration of the procedure, and complication rate. RESULTS: Six retrospective cohort studies involving a collective total of 326 patients-191 in the ESD group and 135 in the transanal endoscopic surgery group were conducted. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for any of the outcomes evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: For the minimally invasive treatment of early rectal tumor, ESD and surgical techniques do not differ in terms of local recurrence, en bloc resection rate, R0 resection rate, duration of the procedure, length of hospital stay, or complication rate, however, evidence is very low.

Efficacy of digital single-operator cholangioscopy in the visual interpretation of indeterminate biliary strictures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Indeterminate biliary strictures remain a significant diagnostic challenge. Digital single-operator cholangioscopy (D-SOC) incorporates digital imaging which enables higher resolution for better visualization and diagnosis of biliary pathology. We aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of available literature in an attempt to determine the efficacy of D-SOC in the visual interpretation of indeterminate biliary strictures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electronic searches were performed using Medline (PubMed), EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. All D-SOC studies that reported the diagnostic performance in visual interpretation of indeterminate biliary strictures and biliary malignancies were included. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS)-2 was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. All data were extracted and pooled to construct a 2 × 2 table. The visual interpretation of D-SOC was compared to resected surgical specimens or clinical follow-up in the included patients. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, prevalence, positive likelihood ratio (+LR), negative likelihood ratio (-LR), and diagnostic odds ratio (OR) were calculated. The summarized receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve corresponding with the area under the curve (AUC) was also analyzed. RESULTS: The search yielded 465 citations. Of these, only six studies with a total of 283 procedures met inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity of D-SOC in the visual interpretation of biliary malignancies was 94% (95% CI 89-97) and 95% (95%CI 90-98), respectively, while +LR, -LR, diagnostic OR, and AUC were 15.20 (95%CI 5.21-44.33), 0.08 (95%CI 0.04-0.14), 308.83 (95%CI 106.46-872.82), and 0.983, respectively. The heterogeneity among 6 included studies was moderate for specificity (I2 = 0.51) and low for sensitivity (I2 = 0.17) and diagnostic OR (I2 = 0.00). CONCLUSION: D-SOC is associated with high sensitivity and specificity in the visual interpretation of indeterminate biliary strictures and malignancies. D-SOC should be considered routinely in the diagnostic workup of indeterminate biliary lesions.

Multicenter evaluation of the clinical utility of laparoscopy-assisted ERCP in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The obesity epidemic has led to increased use of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). These patients have an increased incidence of pancreaticobiliary diseases, yet standard ERCP is not possible because of surgically altered gastroduodenal anatomy. Laparoscopy-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP) has been proposed as an option, but supporting data are derived from single-center small case series. Therefore, we conducted a large multicenter study to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcomes of LA-ERCP. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with RYGB who underwent LA-ERCP in 34 centers. Data on demographics, indications, procedure success, and adverse events were collected. Procedure success was defined when all the following were achieved: reaching the papilla, cannulating the desired duct, and providing endoscopic therapy as clinically indicated. RESULTS: A total of 579 patients (median age, 51; 84% women) were included. Indication for LA-ERCP was biliary in 89%, pancreatic in 8%, and both in 3%. Procedure success was achieved in 98%. Median total procedure time was 152 minutes (interquartile range [IQR], 109-210), with a median ERCP time of 40 minutes (IQR, 28-56). Median hospital stay was 2 days (IQR, 1-3). Adverse events were 18% (laparoscopy related, 10%; ERCP related, 7%; both, 1%) with the clear majority (92%) classified as mild/moderate, whereas 8% were severe and 1 death occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our large multicenter study indicates that LA-ERCP in patients with RYGB is feasible with a high procedure success rate comparable with that of standard ERCP in patients with normal anatomy. The ERCP-related adverse events rate is comparable with conventional ERCP, but the overall adverse event rate was higher because of the added laparoscopy-related events.

Narrow band imaging versus lugol chromoendoscopy to diagnose squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the early stage esophageal cancer, changes in the mucosa are subtle and pass unnoticed in endoscopic examinations using white light. To increase sensitivity, chromoscopy with Lugol's solution has been used. Technological advancements have led to the emergence of virtual methods of endoscopic chromoscopy, including narrow band imaging (NBI). NBI enhances the relief of the mucosa and the underlying vascular pattern, providing greater convenience without the risks inherent to the use of vital dye. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the ability of NBI to diagnose squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and to compare it to chromoscopy with Lugol's solution. METHODS: This systematic review included all studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of NBI and Lugol chromoendoscopy performed to identify high-grade dysplasia and/or squamous cell carcinoma in the esophagus. In the meta-analysis, we calculated and demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood values in forest plots. We also determined summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curves and estimates of the areas under the curves for both per-patient and per-lesion analysis. RESULTS: The initial search identified 7079 articles. Of these, 18 studies were included in the systematic review and 12 were used in the meta-analysis, for a total of 1911 patients. In per-patient and per-lesion analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood values for Lugol chromoendoscopy were 92% and 98, 82 and 37%, 5.42 and 1.4, and 0.13 and 0.39, respectively, and for NBI were 88 and 94%, 88 and 65%, 8.32 and 2.62, and 0.16 and 0.12, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in only specificity values, in which case NBI was superior to Lugol chromoendoscopy in both analyses. In the per-patient analysis, the area under the sROC curve for Lugol chromoendoscopy was 0.9559. In the case of NBI, this value was 0.9611; in the per-lesion analysis, this number was 0.9685 and 0.9587, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: NBI was adequate in evaluating the esophagus in order to diagnose high-grade dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma. In the differentiation of those disorders from other esophageal mucosa alterations, the NBI was shown to be superior than Lugol.