Preoperative cardiac and pulmonary assessment in bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Morbidly obese patients have a high prevalence of known and unknown cardiopulmonary diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the value of cardiopulmonary tests routinely performed before bariatric surgery. METHODS: The population studied included 67 women and 10 men, aged 39 +/- 10 years, with a body mass index of 43 +/- 4 kg/m2. All patients, candidates for laparoscopic gastric banding, underwent after clinical evaluation: resting electrocardiography (ECG), Doppler-echocardiography, exercise stress testing, Epworth Sleepness Scale, and polysomnography, spirometry, blood gases, and chest x-ray. RESULTS: The ECG demonstrated conduction or ST-T wave abnormalities in 48 patients (62%). Prolongation of the QT interval >10% was found in 13 patients (17%). Stress tests were negative in 56 patients (73%) and were not interpretable in the remaining 21 patients (27%). Doppler-echocardiography showed hypertrophy of the left ventricular posterior wall in 47 patients (61%) without any consequences on perioperative management. Polysomnography showed an obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in 31 patients (40%), leading to preoperative continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in 17 patients (22%). Nevertheless, the Epworth Sleepness Scale was pathological in only 17 patients (22%). Ten patients (13%) presented minor chest x-ray alterations. Spirometry demonstrated an obstructive respiratory syndrome in 13 patients (17%) and a restrictive syndrome in five patients (6%). Hypoxemia <80 mmHg was observed in 21 patients (27%) and hypercapnia >45 mmHg in six patients (8%), without any consequences on the management of the perioperative period. CONCLUSION: We recommend the preoperative assessment by clinical evaluation, ECG, and polysomnography. For patients with cardiac or pulmonary histories and/or ECG abnormalities, we recommend echocardiography, spirometry, and blood gases.

[Multidisciplinary management of gastroplasty candidates: example of Avicenne Hospital]. / Parcours multidisciplinaire du candidat à une gastroplastie: l'exemple de l'hôpital Avicenne.

The decision to perform gastroplasty must be made by a multidisciplinary team. This organization ensures compliance with good practice guidelines. Multidisciplinary management after surgery is also essential but patients' adhesion to follow-up is relatively poor.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for a super-super-obese patient with situs inversus totalis.

Situs inversus totalis is a rare defect which can present difficulties in the management in laparoscopic surgery due to the mirror-image anatomy. Herein, we report a patient with situs inversus totalis and super-super-obesity (BMI 76 kg/m2). We performed successful laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Technical details of this operation, with situs inversus totalis, are presented. There were no major difficulties compared to patients with usual anatomy. There are potential diseases associated with situs inversus and obesity; therefore, a careful investigation, including a chest x-ray and cardiac and abdominal ultrasounds should be performed before surgery. Sleeve gastrectomy is an adequate procedure in super-super-obese patients with situs inversus totalis.

Long-term prognostic value of detection of circulating colorectal cancer cells using CGM2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay.

BACKGROUND: The criteria commonly used for prognosis of colorectal cancer remain histoprognostic and are based on primarily TNM classification. The lack of discrimination of purely histoprognostic criteria is evidenced by the development of different outcomes in similarly staged patients. The aim of this work was to study the long-term prognostic value of preoperative detection of circulating enterocytes in the blood of colorectal cancer patients using the CGM2 reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. METHODS: A nested RT-PCR with specific primers for CGM2 was used preoperatively to detect circulating enterocytes in 121 patients (64 men, 57 women; mean age, 70 years) with colorectal neoplasms. RESULTS: Circulating enterocytes were detected in 58/121 (48%) patients. The positivity rate was not correlated with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging (stage I, 11/28 (39%); stage II, 13/34 (38%); stage III, 15/23 (65%); stage IV, 17/32 (53%); sterilized (after radiotherapy, no residual neoplasm) 2/4 (50%); not significant [NS]), but circulating enterocytes were detected more frequently in patients with metastatic lymph nodes (60% vs 41%, P = .06). Overall 5-year survival rates (mean +/- SD) were 40 +/- 13% and 45 +/- 13% for patients without and with circulating enterocytes, respectively (P = NS). Similarly, recurrence-free survival rates were 71 +/- 4% versus 72 +/- 14% (P = NS). Using univariate analysis, AJCC stage (P < .0001) was correlated with survival. AJCC stage (P = .007) and obstructive neoplasms (P = .043) were correlated with recurrence-free survival. Using multivariate analysis, AJCC stage was correlated with survival and recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative detection of circulating enterocytes using CGM2 RT-PCR assay provides no specific prognostic information and cannot be used as a decision criterion for adjuvant therapy.

[Treatment of super super morbid obesity by sleeve gastrectomy]. / Traitement de la super super obésité morbide par gastrectomie longitudinale.

UNLABELLED: INTEREST OF WORK: The longitudinal or "sleeve" gastrectomy was recently introduced into the therapeutic arsenal of the bariatric surgeon. It is a restrictive procedure that reduces stomach capacity by 75%. We present here a preliminary experience with four patients. METHODS: Four patients with super super obesity (body mass index (BMI)>60 kg/m2) underwent longitudinal or "sleeve" gastrectomy. Their average preoperative weight was 173 kg (range: 147-190 kg) and mean BMI 65 kg/m2 (range: 61-67 kg/m2). RESULTS: The average post-operative follow-up was 6 months (range: 2-12 months). Average weight loss at 6 months was 40 kg (range: 20-60 kg) and average decrease in BMI at 6 months 16.3 kg/m2 (range: 6-23 kg/m2). We noted a postsurgical complication in only one patient (subdiaphragmatic abscess treated with drainage). PERSPECTIVES: These preliminary results suggest that the sleeve gastrectomy is associated with few perioperative complications and offers rapidly effective treatment for super super morbid obesity. Long-term results require further investigation.

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis: 17 cases collected in 4 hospitals in the northeastern suburb of Paris.

UNLABELLED: Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis and its diagnosis can be difficult. AIMS: To analyze the diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of gastrointestinal tuberculosis. METHODS: Retrospective study from 17 cases collected in 4 hospitals in Seine Saint-Denis between 1987 and 2002. RESULTS: Seventeen cases and 19 localizations were collected: small intestine (N = 7), ileocecum (N = 6), colon (N = 4) and gastroduodenum (N = 2). Two patients had two localizations. Mean age was 43.9 years. Subjects from immigrant populations (76.5%) were preferentially affected. Twenty-three percent of patients (13 tested) were infected by human immunodeficiency virus. Weight-loss and general weakness (88%), abdominal pain (88%), fever (59%), nausea/vomiting (53%) were the predominant symptoms. The delay in diagnosis was 82 days (range: 7-180) and time before specific treatment 31.6 days (range: 7-90). Histological evidence of caseating granuloma was found in six patients. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in six. Digestive imaging was abnormal in 15 patients. Mesenteric lymph nodes were the most common associated site of tuberculosis (N = 8, 47%). Mean duration of treatment was 8.2 months (range: 6-12). Thirteen patients were cured, three died and one was lost to follow up. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is not an uncommon diagnosis in the north-eastern Parisian area, especially among immigrant populations and immunodeficient patients. The most frequent localizations are the small intestine and ileocecum. Diagnosis can be made by pathology and/or bacteriology on endoscopic and/or surgical biopsy samples.

[A probable case of alveolar echinococcosis in Normandy, France]. / Un cas probable d'échinococcose alvéolaire en Normandie.

Echinococcus multilocularis induced liver infection was diagnosed in a Moroccan patient. Diagnosis was based on CT scan results and Western Blot test. Contamination probably occurred in France, in the Cherbourg area where the patient travelled frequently and ate wild berries. This case and other recently reported cases outside the usual endemic areas (Besançon and the Massif Central) suggest that the Echinococcus multilocularis epidemic has moved towards the west of France. French gastroenterologists should be aware of this parasitic disease.