Sarcopenia versus clinical frailty scale in predicting the risk of postoperative mortality after emergency laparotomy: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare predictive significance of sarcopenia and clinical frailty scale (CFS) in terms of postoperative mortality in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy METHODS: In compliance with STROCSS statement standards, a retrospective cohort study with prospective data collection approach was conducted. The study period was between January 2017 and January 2022. All adult patients with non-traumatic acute abdominal pathology who underwent emergency laparotomy in our centre were included. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality and secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and 90-day mortality. The predictive value of sarcopenia and CFS were compared using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1043 eligible patients were included. The risk of 30-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, and 90-day mortality were 8%, 10%, and 11%, respectively. ROC curve analysis suggested that sarcopenia is a significantly stronger predictor of 30-day mortality (AUC: 0.87 vs. 0.70, P<0.0001), in-hospital mortality (AUC: 0.79 vs. 0.67, P=0.0011), and 90-day mortality (AUC: 0.79 vs. 0.67, P=0.0009) compared with CFS. Moreover, multivariable binary logistic regression analysis identified sarcopenia as an independent predictor of mortality [coefficient: 4.333, OR: 76.16 (95% CI 37.06-156.52), P<0.0001] but not the CFS [coefficient: 0.096, OR: 1.10 (95% CI 0.88-1.38), P=0.4047]. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is a stronger predictor of postoperative mortality compared with CFS in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. It cancels out the predictive value of clinical frailty scale in multivariable analyses; hence among the two variables, sarcopenia deserves to be included in preoperative predictive tools.

Effect of intraoperative botulinum toxin injection on delayed gastric emptying and need for endoscopic pyloric intervention following esophagectomy: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression analysis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intraoperative botulinum toxin (BT) injection on delayed gastric emptying (DGE) and need for endoscopic pyloric intervention (NEPI) following esophagectomy. In compliance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement standards, a systematic review of studies reporting the outcomes of intraoperative BT injection in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer was conducted. Proportion meta-analysis model was constructed to quantify the risk of the outcomes and direct comparison meta-analysis model was constructed to compare the outcomes between BT injection and no BT injection or surgical pyloroplasty. Meta-regression was modeled to evaluate the effect of variations in different covariates among the individual studies on overall summary proportions. Nine studies enrolling 1070 patients were included. Pooled analyses showed that the risks of DGE and NEPI following intraoperative BT injection were 13.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.9-18.6%) and 15.2% (95% CI: 7.9-22.5%), respectively. There was no difference between BT injection and no BT injection in terms of DGE (odds ratio [OR]: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.20-1.61, P = 0.29) and NEPI (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 0.42-7.12, P = 0.45). Moreover, BT injection was comparable to pyloroplasty in terms of DGE (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.35-2.08, P = 0.73) and NEPI (OR: 8.20, 95% CI: 0.63-105.90, P = 0.11). Meta-regression suggested that male gender was negatively associated with the risk of DGE (coefficient: -0.007, P = 0.003). In conclusion, level 2 evidence suggests that intraoperative BT injection may not improve the risk of DGE and NEPI in patients undergoing esophagectomy. The risk of DGE seems to be higher in females and in early postoperative period. High quality randomized controlled trials with robust statistical power are required for definite conclusions. The results of the current study can be used for hypothesis synthesis and power analysis in future prospective trials.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation in low grade dysplastic Barrett's esophagus.

BACKGROUND: Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a premalignant condition characterized by replacement of the esophageal lining with metastatic columnar epithelium, and its management when complicated by low grade dysplasia (LGD) is controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with LGD. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched for studies including patients with BE-associated LGD receiving RFA (January 1990 to May 2017). The outcome measures were complete eradication of intestinal metaplasia (CE-IM) and dysplasia (CE-D), rates of progression to high grade dysplasia (HGD) or cancer, and recurrence. RESULTS: Eight studies including 619 patients with LGD (RFA = 404, surveillance = 215) were analyzed. After a median follow-up of 26 months (range 12 - 44 months), the overall pooled rates of CE-IM and CE-D after RFA were 88.17 % (95 % confidence interval [CI] 88.13 % - 88.20 %; P < 0.001) and 96.69 % (95 %CI 96.67 % - 96.71 %; P < 0.001), respectively. When compared with surveillance, RFA resulted in significantly lower rates of progression to HGD or cancer (odds ratio [OR] 0.07, 95 %CI 0.02 - 0.22). The pooled recurrence rates of IM and dysplasia were 5.6 % (95 %CI 5.57 - 5.63; P < 0.001) and 9.66 % (95 %CI 9.61 - 9.71; P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: RFA safely eradicates IM and dysplasia and reduces the rates of progression from LGD to HGD or cancer in the short term.

Colonic Interposition After Adult Oesophagectomy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Conduit Choice and Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Colonic interposition is a second-line option after oesophagectomy when a gastric neo-oesophagus is not viable. There is no consensus on the optimum anatomical colonic conduit (right or left), or route of placement (posterior mediastinal, retrosternal or subcutaneous). The aim of this review was to determine the optimum site and route of neo-oesophageal conduit after adult oesophagectomy. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Library (January 1985 to January 2017) were systematically searched for studies which reported outcomes following colonic interposition in adults. The outcome measures were overall morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Twenty-seven observational studies involving 1849 patients [1177 males; median age (range) 60.5 (18-84) years] undergoing colonic interposition for malignant (n = 697) and benign (n = 1152) pathology were analysed. Overall pooled morbidity of left vs. right colonic conduit was 15.7% [95% CI (11.93-19.46), p < 0.001] and 18.7% [95% CI (15.58-21.82), p < 0.001] respectively. Overall pooled mortality of left vs. right colonic conduit was 6.5% [95% CI (4.55-8.51), p < 0.001] and 10.1% [95% CI (7.35-12.82), p < 0.001] respectively. Retrosternal route placement was associated with the lowest overall pooled morbidity and mortality of 9.2% [95% CI (6.48-11.99), p < 0.001] and 4.8% [95% CI (3.74-5.89), p < 0.001] respectively. CONCLUSION: Left colonic conduits placed retrosternally were safest.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of SurgicalTreatment of Non-Zenker's Oesophageal Diverticula.

BACKGROUND: Oesophageal diverticula are rare outpouchings of the oesophagus which may be classified anatomically as pharyngeal (Zenker's), mid-oesophageal and epiphrenic. While surgery is indicated for symptomatic patients, no consensus exists regarding the optimum technique for non-Zenker's oesophageal diverticula. The aim of this study was to determine the outcome of surgery in patients with non-Zenker's oesophageal diverticula. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library (January 1990 to January 2016) were searched for studies which reported outcomes of surgery in patients with non-Zenker's oesophageal diverticula. Primary outcome measure was the rate of staple line leakage. RESULTS: Twenty-five observational studies involving 511 patients (259 male, median age 62 years) with mid-oesophageal (n = 53) and epiphrenic oesophageal (n = 458) diverticula who had undergone surgery [thoracotomy (n = 252), laparoscopy (n = 204), thoracoscopy (n = 42), laparotomy (n = 5), combined laparoscopy and thoracoscopy (n = 8)] were analysed. Myotomy was performed in 437 patients (85.5%), and anti-reflux procedures were performed in 342 patients (69.5%). Overall pooled staple line leak rates were reported in 13.3% [95% c.i. (11.0-15.7), p < 0.001] and were less common after myotomy (12.4%) compared with no myotomy (26.1%, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: No consensus exists regarding the surgical treatment of non-Zenker's oesophageal diverticula, but staple line leakage is common and is reduced significantly by myotomy.

Management of achalasia in the UK, do we need new guidelines?

AIM: It is recommended that management of complex benign upper gastrointestinal pathology is discussed at multi disciplinary team (MDT) meetings. American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) guidelines further recommend that treatment delivery is provided by high volume centres, with objective post-procedural investigations, in order to improve patient outcomes. We aimed to survey the current UK practice in the management of achalasia. METHODS: 443 Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) specialist surgeons throughout the UK were sent a surveymonkey.com questionnaire about the management of achalasia. RESULTS: 100 responses were received. The majority of patients with achalasia are referred directly to surgeons (80%) and only 15% of units have a MDT meeting for discussing such patients. Diagnosis was mainly with oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) and contrast swallow, and only 61% of units have access to high resolution manometry (HRM). 89% of younger patients were offered surgery initially, whilst in the elderly surgery was offered as first line treatment in 55%. Partial fundoplication was carried out by 91% of responders as part of the operation, and 58% responders carry out an intraoperative OGD. The average number of operations carried out per annum is 4 per responder. Most responders (66%) did not perform routine post-intervention investigations and follow-up varied from none to lifelong. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis and management of achalasia within the UK is relatively standardised, although there remains limited access to HRM. Discussion at benign MDTs however is poor and follow-up differs widely. UK guidelines may help to make these more uniform.

The postoperative radiological features of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Obesity is rapidly becoming one of the major challenges for health care systems. Surgery has proved to be one of the most effective methods of helping patients to achieve sustainable weight loss. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a relatively new bariatric surgical technique. A staple line is placed in a line parallel to the lesser curve of the stomach, excluding up to 85% of the volume of the stomach. The excluded stomach is then resected leaving a 'tube' of residual stomach. Radiologists may be asked to perform and interpret imaging studies in the postoperative period and should be familiar with the normal appearances and common complications. Postoperative radiological investigations will typically be for suspected leak or obstruction. A water soluble contrast upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series should be performed in both suspected leak and obstruction if the patient is conscious and able to swallow. A normal postoperative UGI series will show free flow of contrast into the gastric remnant, which will be tubular with no spillage of contrast beyond the staple line, which is located on the caudal aspect of the gastric remnant. Stenosis or obstruction of the stomach may occur if the stomach remnant is too tight or torsion of the stomach. Stenosis is usually treated endoscopically with dilation and torsion is treated surgically. Leaks are often treated with covered stents which may be placed with endoscopic or radiological guidance. Collections may be drained under fluoroscopic, ultrasound or computed tomography guidance.