How to select patients for antireflux surgery? The ICARUS guidelines (international consensus regarding preoperative examinations and clinical characteristics assessment to select adult patients for antireflux surgery).

OBJECTIVE: Antireflux surgery can be proposed in patients with GORD, especially when proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use leads to incomplete symptom improvement. However, to date, international consensus guidelines on the clinical criteria and additional technical examinations used in patient selection for antireflux surgery are lacking. We aimed at generating key recommendations in the selection of patients for antireflux surgery. DESIGN: We included 35 international experts (gastroenterologists, surgeons and physiologists) in a Delphi process and developed 37 statements that were revised by the Consensus Group, to start the Delphi process. Three voting rounds followed where each statement was presented with the evidence summary. The panel indicated the degree of agreement for the statement. When 80% of the Consensus Group agreed (A+/A) with a statement, this was defined as consensus. All votes were mutually anonymous. RESULTS: Patients with heartburn with a satisfactory response to PPIs, patients with a hiatal hernia (HH), patients with oesophagitis Los Angeles (LA) grade B or higher and patients with Barrett's oesophagus are good candidates for antireflux surgery. An endoscopy prior to antireflux surgery is mandatory and a barium swallow should be performed in patients with suspicion of a HH or short oesophagus. Oesophageal manometry is mandatory to rule out major motility disorders. Finally, oesophageal pH (±impedance) monitoring of PPI is mandatory to select patients for antireflux surgery, if endoscopy is negative for unequivocal reflux oesophagitis. CONCLUSION: With the ICARUS guidelines, we generated key recommendations for selection of patients for antireflux surgery.

Siewert type I and II oesophageal adenocarcinoma: sensitivity/specificity of computed tomography, positron emission tomography and endoscopic ultrasound for assessment of lymph node metastases in groups of thoracic and abdominal lymph node stations.

OBJECTIVES: In Siewert type I/II oesophageal adenocarcinoma, the sensitivity and specificity of computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET)-CT and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for assessment of the N descriptor in defined groups of lymph nodes were investigated. METHODS: CT, PET/CT, EUS images and the pathological data of 101 oesophageal adenocarcinomas submitted to primary resection were compared. The lymph nodes were identified as (a) right paratracheal/subcarinal/pulmonary ligament; (b) paraoesophageal; (c) paracardial; (d) left gastric artery, lesser curvature; (e) coeliac trunk, hepatic/splenic artery. RESULTS: Of the 2451 lymph nodes identified, 273 (11.1%) were histologically positive. Overall sensitivity, specificity and negative and positive predictive value for detection of lymph nodes metastatic were respectively: CT sensitivity 39%, specificity 86%, negative 58% and positive 74% predictive value; PET/CT sensitivity 30%, specificity 98%, negative 58% and positive 93% predictive value; EUS sensitivity 50%, specificity 81%, negative 72% and positive 62% predictive value. The sensitivity of CT, PET/CT and EUS in the thoracic nodal groups (a) and (b) was, respectively, 58.3%, 7.1% and 87.5% and 33.3%, 20% and 80%. Sensitivity was below 47% for all tests in the abdominal nodal groups. In contrast, specificity (88.6-100%) was super imposable in all nodal groups. The strength of agreement among the 3 imaging techniques was poor (kappa < 0.30) for the thoracic anatomical groups of interest: (a) lower paratracheal/subcarinal/pulmonary ligament and (b) paraoesophageal; it was moderate/good (kappa >0.30) for the abdominal N groups of interest: c, d and e. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic performance of CT, PET and EUS for assessing the N descriptor in the paracardial and abdominal stations close to the primary tumour is not satisfactory. EUS can efficiently assess the presence/absence of nodal metastases in the thoracic stations. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT03529968.

The short esophagus: intraoperative assessment of esophageal length.

OBJECTIVE: To define the frequency and predictors of short esophagus in a case series of patients undergoing antireflux surgery. METHOD: An observational prospective study from September 10, 2004, to October 31, 2006, was performed at 8 centers. The distance between the esophagogastric junction as identified by intraoperative esophagoscopy and the apex of the diaphragmatic hiatus was measured intraoperatively before and after esophageal mediastinal dissection; a distance of 1.5 cm was arbitrarily determined to categorize cases as long (>1.5 cm) or short (

Survey on chest drainage systems adopted in Europe.

The aim of this survey, promoted by the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons, was to acquire information and advice from 'the field' in order to promote development of technology for thoracic surgery and to provide information for future guidelines on chest drainage. Society members were offered a questionnaire on the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons website (November 2006) composed of seven sections comprehending 21 detailed items. The questionnaire was completed by 120 centres, 100% performed lung surgery, 91.6% mediastinal surgery, 54.1% oesophageal surgery, 10% cardiothoracic surgery. The PVC straight drain (mean 55.9%) and silicon drain (mean 38.4%), water-valve/water suction disposable chest drainage collection system (mean 43.4%), one bottle (mean 24.8%), and two bottles with suction control (mean 18.2%), were the most frequently used. After pneumonectomy 51.2% used a balanced drainage system, 9% periodical thoracocentesis, 39.8% others. In 57.5-92% drainage suction was stopped 4 postoperative days. In 17.6-60.7% drains were removed 4 postoperative days. The survey demonstrates a trend toward the use of updated technical devices, high consideration of the costs, and clinical practice based on personal preferences.