Bariatric surgery for spontaneous ovulation in women living with polycystic ovary syndrome: the BAMBINI multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. Obesity exacerbates the reproductive complications of PCOS; however, the management of obesity in women with PCOS remains a large unmet clinical need. Observational studies have indicated that bariatric surgery could improve the rates of ovulatory cycles and prospects of fertility; however, the efficacy of surgery on ovulation rates has not yet been compared with behavioural modifications and medical therapy in a randomised trial. The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery versus medical care on ovulation rates in women with PCOS, obesity, and oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea. METHODS: In this multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial, 80 women older than 18 years, with a diagnosis of PCOS based on the 2018 international evidence-based guidelines for assessing and managing PCOS, and a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or higher, were recruited from two specialist obesity management centres and via social media. Participants were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to either vertical sleeve gastrectomy or behavioural interventions and medical therapy using a computer-generated random sequence (PLAN procedure in SAS) by an independent researcher not involved with any other aspect of the clinical trial. The median age of the entire cohort was 31 years and 79% of participants were White. The primary outcome was the number of biochemically confirmed ovulatory events over 52 weeks, and was assessed using weekly serum progesterone measurements. The primary endpoint included the intention-to-treat population and safety analyses were per-protocol population. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN16668711). FINDINGS: Participants were recruited from Feb 20, 2020 to Feb 1, 2021. 40 participants were assigned to each group and there were seven dropouts in the medical group and ten dropouts in the surgical group. The median number of ovulations was 6 (IQR 3·5-10·0) in the surgical group and 2 (0·0-4·0) in the medical group. Women in the surgical group had 2.5 times more spontaneous ovulations compared with the medical group (incidence rate ratio 2·5 [95% CI 1·5-4·2], p<0·0007). There were more complications in the surgical group than the medical group, although without long-term sequelae. There were 24 (66·7%) adverse events in the surgical group and 12 (30·0%) in the medical group. There were no treatment-related deaths. INTERPRETATION: Bariatric surgery was more effective than medical care for the induction of spontaneous ovulation in women with PCOS, obesity, and oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea. Bariatric surgery could, therefore, enhance the prospects of spontaneous fertility in this group of women. FUNDING: The Jon Moulton Charity Trust.

Generative Adversarial Networks in Digital Histopathology: Current Applications, Limitations, Ethical Considerations, and Future Directions.

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) have gained significant attention in the field of image synthesis, particularly in computer vision. GANs consist of a generative model and a discriminative model trained in an adversarial setting to generate realistic and novel data. In the context of image synthesis, the generator produces synthetic images, whereas the discriminator determines their authenticity by comparing them with real examples. Through iterative training, the generator allows the creation of images that are indistinguishable from real ones, leading to high-quality image generation. Considering their success in computer vision, GANs hold great potential for medical diagnostic applications. In the medical field, GANs can generate images of rare diseases, aid in learning, and be used as visualization tools. GANs can leverage unlabeled medical images, which are large in size, numerous in quantity, and challenging to annotate manually. GANs have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in image synthesis and have the potential to significantly impact digital histopathology. This review article focuses on the emerging use of GANs in digital histopathology, examining their applications and potential challenges. Histopathology plays a crucial role in disease diagnosis, and GANs can contribute by generating realistic microscopic images. However, ethical considerations arise because of the reliance on synthetic or pseudogenerated images. Therefore, the manuscript also explores the current limitations and highlights the ethical considerations associated with the use of this technology. In conclusion, digital histopathology has seen an emerging use of GANs for image enhancement, such as color (stain) normalization, virtual staining, and ink/marker removal. GANs offer significant potential in transforming digital pathology when applied to specific and narrow tasks (preprocessing enhancements). Evaluating data quality, addressing biases, protecting privacy, ensuring accountability and transparency, and developing regulation are imperative to ensure the ethical application of GANs.

The postprandial secretion of peptide YY1-36 and 3-36 in obesity is differentially increased after gastric bypass versus sleeve gastrectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) exists as two species, PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 , with distinct effects on insulin secretion and appetite regulation. The detailed effects of bariatric surgery on PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 secretion are not known as previous studies have used nonspecific immunoassays to measure total PYY. Our objective was to characterize the effect of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on fasting and postprandial PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 secretion using a newly developed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Observational study in 10 healthy nonobese volunteers and 30 participants with obesity who underwent RYGB (n = 24) or SG (n = 6) at the Imperial Weight Centre [NCT01945840]. Participants were studied using a standardized mixed meal test (MMT) before and 1 year after surgery. The outcome measures were PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 concentrations. RESULTS: Presurgery, the fasting and postprandial levels of PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 were low, with minimal responses to the MMT, and these did not differ from healthy nonobese volunteers. The postprandial secretion of both PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 at 1 year was amplified after RYGB, but not SG, with the response being significantly higher in RYGB compared with SG. CONCLUSIONS: There appears to be no difference in PYY secretion between nonobese and obese volunteers at baseline. At 1 year after surgery, RYGB, but not SG, is associated with increased postprandial secretion of PYY1-36 and PYY3-36 , which may account for long-term differences in efficacy and adverse effects between the two types of surgery.

Bariatric-metabolic surgery for NHS patients with type 2 diabetes in the United Kingdom National Bariatric Surgery Registry.

AIM: Bariatric-metabolic surgery is approved by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for people with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (including class 1 obesity after 2014). This study analysed baseline characteristics, disease severity and operations undertaken in people with obesity and T2DM undergoing bariatric-metabolic surgery in the UK National Health Service (NHS) compared to those without T2DM. METHODS: Baseline characteristics, trends over time and operations undertaken were analysed for people undergoing primary bariatric-metabolic surgery in the NHS using the National Bariatric Surgical Registry (NBSR) for 11 years from 2009 to 2019. Clinical practice before and after the publication of the NICE guidance (2014) was examined. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine associations with T2DM status and the procedure undertaken. RESULTS: 14,948/51,715 (28.9%) participants had T2DM, with 10,626 (71.1%) on oral hypoglycaemics, 4322 (28.9%) on insulin/other injectables, and with T2DM diagnosed 10+ years before surgery in 3876 (25.9%). Participants with T2DM, compared to those without T2DM, were associated with older age (p < 0.001), male sex (p < 0.001), poorer functional status (p < 0.001), dyslipidaemia (OR: 3.58 (CI: 3.39-3.79); p < 0.001), hypertension (OR: 2.32 (2.19-2.45); p < 0.001) and liver disease (OR: 1.73 (1.58-1.90); p < 0.001), but no difference in body mass index was noted. Fewer people receiving bariatric-metabolic surgery after 2015 had T2DM (p < 0.001), although a very small percentage increase of those with class I obesity and T2DM was noted. Gastric bypass was the commonest operation overall. T2DM status was associated with selection for gastric bypass compared to sleeve gastrectomy (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: NHS bariatric-metabolic surgery is used for people with T2DM much later in the disease process when it is less effective. National guidance on bariatric-metabolic surgery and data from multiple RCTs have had little impact on clinical practice.

Tripeptide gut hormone infusion does not alter food preferences or sweet taste function in volunteers with obesity and prediabetes/diabetes but promotes restraint eating: A secondary analysis of a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled study.

AIMS: To investigate whether the elevation in postprandial concentrations of the gut hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), oxyntomodulin (OXM) and peptide YY (PYY) accounts for the beneficial changes in food preferences, sweet taste function and eating behaviour after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a randomized single-blind study in which we infused GLP-1, OXM, PYY (GOP) or 0.9% saline subcutaneously for 4 weeks in 24 subjects with obesity and prediabetes/diabetes, to replicate their peak postprandial concentrations, as measured at 1 month in a matched RYGB cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01945840). A 4-day food diary and validated eating behaviour questionnaires were completed. Sweet taste detection was measured using the method of constant stimuli. Correct sucrose identification (corrected hit rates) was recorded, and sweet taste detection thresholds (EC50s: half maximum effective concencration values) were derived from concentration curves. The intensity and consummatory reward value of sweet taste were assessed using the generalized Labelled Magnitude Scale. RESULTS: Mean daily energy intake was reduced by 27% with GOP but no significant changes in food preferences were observed, whereas a reduction in fat and increase in protein intake were seen post-RYGB. There was no change in corrected hit rates or detection thresholds for sucrose detection following GOP infusion. Additionally, GOP did not alter the intensity or consummatory reward value of sweet taste. A significant reduction in restraint eating, comparable to the RYGB group was observed with GOP. CONCLUSION: The elevation in plasma GOP concentrations after RYGB is unlikely to mediate changes in food preferences and sweet taste function after surgery but may promote restraint eating.

Apnoeic oxygenation in morbid obesity: a randomised controlled trial comparing facemask and high-flow nasal oxygen delivery.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for airway-related incidents during anaesthesia. High-flow nasal oxygen has been advocated to improve safety in high-risk groups, but its effectiveness in the obese population is uncertain. This study compared the effect of high-flow nasal oxygen and low-flow facemask oxygen delivery on duration of apnoea in morbidly obese patients. METHODS: Morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were randomly allocated to receive either high-flow nasal (70 L min-1) or facemask (15 L min-1) oxygen. After induction of anaesthesia, the patients were apnoeic for 18 min or until peripheral oxygen saturation decreased to 92%. RESULTS: Eighty patients were studied (41 High-Flow Nasal Oxygen, 39 Facemask). The median apnoea time was 18 min in both the High-Flow Nasal Oxygen (IQR 18-18 min) and the Facemask (inter-quartile range [IQR], 4.1-18 min) groups. Five patients in the High-Flow Nasal Oxygen group and 14 patients in the Facemask group desaturated to 92% within 18 min. The risk of desaturation was significantly lower in the High-Flow Nasal Oxygen group (hazard ratio=0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.11-0.65; P=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: In experienced hands, apnoeic oxygenation is possible in morbidly obese patients, and oxygen desaturation did not occur for 18 min in the majority of patients, whether oxygen delivery was high-flow nasal or low-flow facemask. High-flow nasal oxygen may reduce desaturation risk compared with facemask oxygen. Desaturation risk is a more clinically relevant outcome than duration of apnoea. Individual physiological factors are likely to be the primary determinant of risk rather than method of oxygen delivery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03428256.

Duodenal-Jejunal Bypass Liner for the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the clinical efficacy and safety of the duodenal-jejunal bypass liner (DJBL) while in situ for 12 months and for 12 months after explantation. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: This is the largest randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the DJBL, a medical device used for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Endoscopic interventions have been developed as potential alternatives to those not eligible or fearful of the risks of metabolic surgery. METHODS: In this multicenter open-label RCT, 170 adults with inadequately controlled T2DM and obesity were randomized to intensive medical care with or without the DJBL. Primary outcome was the percentage of participants achieving a glycated hemoglobin reduction of ≥20% at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included weight loss and cardiometabolic risk factors at 12 and 24 months. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the percentage of patients achieving the primary outcome between both groups at 12 months [DJBL 54.6% (n = 30) vs control 55.2% (n = 32); odds ratio (OR) 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-2.0; P = 0.85]. Twenty-four percent (n = 16) patients achieved ≥15% weight loss in the DJBL group compared to 4% (n = 2) in the controls at 12 months (OR 8.3, 95% CI: 1.8-39; P = .007). The DJBL group experienced superior reductions in systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and alanine transaminase at 12 months. There were more adverse events in the DJBL group. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of the DJBL to intensive medical care was associated with superior weight loss, improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors, and fatty liver disease markers, but not glycemia, only while the device was in situ. The benefits of the devices need to be balanced against the higher rate of adverse events when making clinical decisions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN30845205. isrctn.org; Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme, a Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) partnership reference 12/10/04.

Differential effects of bile acids on the postprandial secretion of gut hormones: a randomized crossover study.

Bile acids (BA) regulate postprandial metabolism directly and indirectly by affecting the secretion of gut hormones like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). The postprandial effects of BA on the secretion of other metabolically active hormones are not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of oral ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) on postprandial secretion of GLP-1, oxyntomodulin (OXM), peptide YY (PYY), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), glucagon, and ghrelin. Twelve healthy volunteers underwent a mixed meal test 60 min after ingestion of UDCA (12-16 mg/kg), CDCA (13-16 mg/kg), or no BA in a randomized crossover study. Glucose, insulin, GLP-1, OXM, PYY, GIP, glucagon, ghrelin, and fibroblast growth factor 19 were measured prior to BA administration at -60 and 0 min (just prior to mixed meal) and 15, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min after the meal. UDCA and CDCA provoked differential gut hormone responses; UDCA did not have any significant effects, but CDCA provoked significant increases in GLP-1 and OXM and a profound reduction in GIP. CDCA increased fasting GLP-1 and OXM secretion in parallel with an increase in insulin. On the other hand, CDCA reduced postprandial secretion of GIP, with an associated reduction in postprandial insulin secretion. Exogenous CDCA can exert multiple salutary effects on the secretion of gut hormones; if these effects are confirmed in obesity and type 2 diabetes, CDCA may be a potential therapy for these conditions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Oral CDCA and UDCA have different effects on gut and pancreatic hormone secretion. A single dose of CDCA increased fasting secretion of the hormones GLP-1 and OXM with an accompanying increase in insulin secretion. CDCA also reduced postprandial GIP secretion, which was associated with reduced insulin. In contrast, UDCA did not change gut hormone secretion fasting or postprandially. Oral CDCA could be beneficial to patients with obesity and diabetes.

Imperial Satiety Protocol: A new non-surgical weight-loss programme, delivered in a health care setting, produces improved clinical outcomes for people with obesity.

'Imperial Satiety Protocol' (I-SatPro) is a new multifaceted approach to weight loss for people with obesity (PwO), encompassing dietary advice, time-restricted eating, physical activity and coaching to support behaviour change. Participants (n = 84) attended fortnightly I-SatPro group sessions for 30 weeks, with 70% of participants completing. On completion at 30 weeks, the mean weight loss was 15.2 ± 1.1 kg (13.2 ± 0.8% from baseline, P < .0001), which was maintained to 52 weeks (16.6 ± 1.5 kg, 14.1 ± 1.2%, P < .0001). Weight loss was not associated with reduced energy expenditure. In participants with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes (n = 16), glycated haemoglobin fell from 50 to 43 mmol/mol (P < .01). Systolic blood pressure fell by 12 mmHg (P < .0001). Triglycerides fell by 0.37 mmol/L (P < .01) and high-density lipoprotein rose by 0.08 mmol/L (P < .01). Short Form-36 (SF-36) functioning and wellbeing scores increased in all domains post I-SatPro intervention. For selected PwO, I-SatPro delivers clinically meaningful weight loss, and the potential for long-term health and wellbeing improvements.

Association of bariatric surgery with all-cause mortality and incidence of obesity-related disease at a population level: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous clinical trials and institutional studies have demonstrated that surgery for the treatment of obesity (termed bariatric or metabolic surgery) reduces all-cause mortality and the development of obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, and dyslipidaemia. The current study analysed large-scale population studies to assess the association of bariatric surgery with long-term mortality and incidence of new-onset obesity-related disease at a national level. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A systematic literature search of Medline (via PubMed), Embase, and Web of Science was performed. Articles were included if they were national or regional administrative database cohort studies reporting comparative risk of long-term mortality or incident obesity-related diseases for patients who have undergone any form of bariatric surgery compared with an appropriate control group with a minimum follow-up period of 18 months. Meta-analysis of hazard ratios (HRs) was performed for mortality risk, and pooled odds ratios (PORs) were calculated for discrete variables relating to incident disease. Eighteen studies were identified as suitable for inclusion. There were 1,539,904 patients included in the analysis, with 269,818 receiving bariatric surgery and 1,270,086 control patients. Bariatric surgery was associated with a reduced rate of all-cause mortality (POR 0.62, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.69, p < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (POR 0.50, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.71, p < 0.001). Bariatric surgery was strongly associated with reduced incidence of T2DM (POR 0.39, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.83, p = 0.010), hypertension (POR 0.36, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.40, p < 0.001), dyslipidaemia (POR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.80, p = 0.010), and ischemic heart disease (POR 0.46, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.73, p = 0.001). Limitations of the study include that it was not possible to account for unmeasured variables, which may not have been equally distributed between patient groups given the non-randomised design of the studies included. There was also heterogeneity between studies in the nature of the control group utilised, and potential adverse outcomes related to bariatric surgery were not specifically examined due to a lack of available data. CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis suggests that bariatric surgery is associated with reduced long-term all-cause mortality and incidence of obesity-related disease in patients with obesity for the whole operated population. The results suggest that broader access to bariatric surgery for people with obesity may reduce the long-term sequelae of this disease and provide population-level benefits.

Lung Parenchymal and Tracheal CT Morphology: Evaluation before and after Bariatric Surgery.

Background There is significant pulmonary functional deficit related to obesity, but no prospective CT studies have evaluated the effects of obesity on the lungs and trachea. Purpose To evaluate lung parenchymal and tracheal CT morphology before and 6 months after bariatric surgery, with functional and symptomatic correlation. Materials and Methods A prospective longitudinal study of 51 consecutive individuals referred for bariatric surgery was performed (from November 2011 to November 2013). All individuals had undergone limited (three-location) inspiratory and end-expiratory thoracic CT before and after surgery, with concurrent pulmonary function testing, body mass index calculation, and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale and Epworth scoring. Two thoracic radiologists scored the CT extent of mosaic attenuation, end-expiratory air trapping, and tracheal shape. The inspiratory and end-expiratory cross-sectional areas of the trachea were measured. The paired t test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for pre- and postsurgical comparisons. Spearman correlation and logistic regression were used to evaluate correlations between CT findings and functional and symptom indexes. Results A total of 51 participants (mean age, 52 years ± 8 [standard deviation]; 20 men) were evaluated. Before surgery, air trapping extent correlated most strongly with decreased total lung capacity (Spearman rank correlation coefficient [rs] = -0.40, P = .004). After surgery, there were decreases in percentage mosaic attenuation (0% [interquartile range {IQR}: 0%-2.5%] vs 0% [IQR: 0%-0%], P < .001), air trapping (9.6% [IQR: 5.8%-15.8%] vs 2.5% [IQR: 0%-6.7%], P < .001), and tracheal collapse (201 mm2 [IQR: 181-239 mm2] vs 229 mm2 [186-284 mm2], P < .001). After surgery, mMRC dyspnea score change correlated positively with air trapping extent change (rs = 0.46, P = .001) and end-expiratory tracheal shape change (rs = 0.40, P = .01). At multivariable analysis, air trapping was the main determinant for decreased dyspnea after surgery (odds ratio, 1.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 1.2; P = .03). Conclusion Dyspnea improved in obese participants after weight reduction, which correlated with less tracheal collapse and air trapping at end-expiration chest CT. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

New insights inside the interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma-pooled analysis and review of literature.

Interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma is a rare haematological neoplasm with high debatable management protocols. The data extracted from 127 case reports published between 1981 and 2018 were analysed. The median age at diagnosis was 58 years with a male to female ratio of 1.65:1. The median OS and PFS of IDCS were 12 and 6 months, respectively, with a disease-specific mortality rate of 36.4%. Two-thirds of patients had a localised disease, while 30% had a disseminated form with 1-year mortality rates of 21.1% and 78.9%, respectively. Twenty per cent of cases were associated with other malignancies. Histologically, the proliferation of large spindle-shaped cells with fascicular growth was described in 84.3% of cases. Based on Cox-regression model, surgical resection was the only treatment modality linked to survival improvement with no recorded survival benefits of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The 1-year mortality rates in resected and non-resected disease were 17.8% and 63.2%, respectively (P < 0.0001).

Laparoscopic magnetic sphincter augmentation versus fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease: systematic review and pooled analysis.

Magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) has been proposed as a less invasive, more appealing alternative intervention to fundoplication for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes following MSA for GERD control in comparison with laparoscopic fundoplication. A systematic electronic search for articles was performed in Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for single-arm cohort studies or comparative studies (with fundoplication) evaluating the use of MSA. A random-effects meta-analysis for postoperative proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use, GERD-health-related quality of life (GERD-HRQOL), gas bloating, ability to belch, dysphagia, and reoperation was performed. The systematic review identified 6 comparative studies of MSA versus fundoplication and 13 single-cohort studies. Following MSA, only 13.2% required postoperative PPI therapy, 7.8% dilatation, 3.3% device removal or reoperation, and esophageal erosion was seen in 0.3%. There was no significant difference between the groups in requirement for postoperative PPI therapy (pooled odds ratio, POR = 1.08; 95%CI 0.40-2.95), GERD-HRQOL score (weighted mean difference, WMD = 0.34; 95%CI -0.70-1.37), dysphagia (POR = 0.94; 95%CI 0.57-1.55), and reoperation (POR = 1.23; 95%CI 0.26-5.8). However, when compared to fundoplication MSA was associated with significantly less gas bloating (POR = 0.34; 95%CI 0.16-0.71) and a greater ability to belch (POR = 12.34; 95%CI 6.43-23.7). In conclusion, magnetic sphincter augmentation achieves good GERD symptomatic control similar to that of fundoplication, with the benefit of less gas bloating. The safety of MSA also appears acceptable with only 3.3% of patients requiring device removal. There is an urgent need for randomized data directly comparing fundoplication with MSA for the treatment of GERD to truly evaluate the efficacy of this treatment approach.

Systematic review on citation classics in minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The impact an article has on a specific field is manifested by its number of citations. The aim of this systematic review was to perform a citation analysis and identify the 100 most-cited articles in the field of minimally invasive (MI) gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. METHODS: The Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge (1945-2017) was utilised to identify the top 100 most-cited articles in the field of MI GI surgery, using 19 distinct keywords. The data extracted were number of citations, time of publication, research topic, level of evidence, authorship and country of origin. RESULTS: Of the 100 most-cited articles, the number of citations ranged from 3331 to 317 citations. Most publications reported on bariatric surgery (n = 36), followed by oncology (n = 26) and hepatobiliary surgery (n = 15). The studies were published in 26 different journals with the top three journals being Annals of Surgery (n = 30), New England Journal of Medicine (n = 10) and Obesity Surgery (n = 9). The studies were conducted in 17 different countries led by the USA (n = 51), the UK (n = 9) and France (n = 6). Articles were published on all levels of evidence: level I (n = 20), Level II (n = 29), Level III (n = 8), Level IV (n = 29) and Level V (n = 14). CONCLUSION: The study revealed citation classics in the field of MI surgery. Interestingly, a high level of evidence was not significantly associated with an increased citation number.

Inferior vena cava filters for prevention of venous thromboembolism in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters for prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in bariatric surgery is a contentious issue. We aim to review the evidence for the use of IVC filters in bariatric surgical patients, describe trends in practice, and discuss challenges in developing evidence-based guidelines. BACKGROUND: The incidence of VTE in modern bariatric procedures with traditional methods of thromboprophylaxis, such as sequential calf compression devices and perioperative low molecular weight heparin, is approximately 2%. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched Medline up until July 2013 with the terms "bariatric filter" and "gastric bypass filter." Two investigators independently screened search results according to an agreed list of eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included. There were no randomized controlled trials. Data from controlled cohort studies suggest that those who undergo IVC filter insertion preoperatively may be at higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). A small cohort of patients with multiple risk factors for VTE benefitted from reduced PE-related mortality after preoperative IVC filter insertion. Data from 12 case series reporting VTE outcomes from a total of 497 patients who underwent preoperative IVC filter insertion demonstrated DVT rates of 0% to 20.8% and PE rates ranging from 0% to 6.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Published data reporting the safety and efficacy of IVC filter use in bariatric surgical patients is highly heterogeneous. There is no evidence to suggest that the potential benefits of IVC filters outweigh the significant risks of therapy.

Obese patients after gastric bypass surgery have lower brain-hedonic responses to food than after gastric banding.

OBJECTIVES: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) has greater efficacy for weight loss in obese patients than gastric banding (BAND) surgery. We hypothesise that this may result from different effects on food hedonics via physiological changes secondary to distinct gut anatomy manipulations. DESIGN: We used functional MRI, eating behaviour and hormonal phenotyping to compare body mass index (BMI)-matched unoperated controls and patients after RYGB and BAND surgery for obesity. RESULTS: Obese patients after RYGB had lower brain-hedonic responses to food than patients after BAND surgery. RYGB patients had lower activation than BAND patients in brain reward systems, particularly to high-calorie foods, including the orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, caudate nucleus, nucleus accumbens and hippocampus. This was associated with lower palatability and appeal of high-calorie foods and healthier eating behaviour, including less fat intake, in RYGB compared with BAND patients and/or BMI-matched unoperated controls. These differences were not explicable by differences in hunger or psychological traits between the surgical groups, but anorexigenic plasma gut hormones (GLP-1 and PYY), plasma bile acids and symptoms of dumping syndrome were increased in RYGB patients. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of these differences in food hedonic responses as a result of altered gut anatomy/physiology provides a novel explanation for the more favourable long-term weight loss seen after RYGB than after BAND surgery, highlighting the importance of the gut-brain axis in the control of reward-based eating behaviour.

3D Reconstruction and Virtual Reality Is an Acceptable and Feasible Method for Addressing Body Image in Bariatric Metabolic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Patients living with obesity continue to experience body image dissatisfaction following bariatric metabolic surgery. The underlying reasons are poorly understood but may be due to unmet expectations. Negative body image perception following metabolic surgery leads to poorer psychological and clinical outcomes. This study aims to establish the acceptability and feasibility of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and virtual reality (VR) as a method of providing psychological support to bariatric patients to improve body image satisfaction and interventional outcomes. METHODS: Seven participants were recruited from the Imperial Weight Centre. 3D photographs were captured and processed to produce two 3D reconstructed images with 15% and 25% total weight loss. Participants were shown their images using VR and participated in peer group workshops. RESULTS: Six participants were retained until the end of the study. Five out of six participants agreed the images provided them with a more accurate representation of their body changes and overall appearance following bariatric metabolic surgery. All participants strongly agreed with the group setting and felt VR facilitated discussions on body image. Overall, all participants felt that the use of VR and 3D reconstruction is beneficial in supporting patients to adjust to changes in their body image after bariatric metabolic surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to explore and demonstrate that 3D reconstruction and VR is an acceptable and feasible method providing patients with a realistic expectation of how their body will change following significant weight loss, potentially improving body image satisfaction after surgery, as well as psychological and interventional outcomes.

Risk Factors for Chronic Abdominal Pain After RYGB: Are Patients Adequately Selected Beforehand?

PURPOSE: Chronic abdominal pain after RYGB is a known issue. Identifying the potential patient-related and modifiable risk factors might contribute to diminish the risk for this undesirable outcome. METHODS: A single-center retrospective cohort study with prospective data collection was conducted with inclusion of all patients who underwent RYGB surgery between 2015 and 2021. Data from the NBSR and medical records were used. Patients with chronic abdominal pain were defined when pain lasting or recurring for more than 3 to 6 months. RESULTS: Six hundred sixty-four patients who underwent RYGB surgery were included with a median follow-up of 60.5 months. Forty-nine patients (7.3%) presented with chronic abdominal pain. Postoperative complications (OR 13.376, p = 0.020) and diagnosis of depression (OR 1.971, p = 0.037) were associated with developing abdominal pain. On the other hand, ex-smokers (OR 0.222, p = 0.040) and older age (0.959, p = 0.004) presented as protective factors. CONCLUSION: Postoperative complications and diagnosis of depression are risk factors for chronic pain after RYGB. The role of the bariatric MDT remains crucial to select these patients adequately beforehand.