The Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Balloon Dilatation in the Treatment of Functional Post-Sleeve-Gastrectomy Stenosis.

Background and Objectives: Functional gastric stenosis, a consequence of sleeve gastrectomy, is defined as a rotation of the gastric tube along its longitudinal axis. It is brought on by gastric twisting without the anatomical constriction of the gastric lumen. During endoscopic examination, the staple line is deviated with a clockwise rotation, and the stenosis requires additional endoscopic manipulations for its transposition. Upper gastrointestinal series show the gastric twist with an upstream dilatation of the gastric tube in some patients. Data on its management have remained scarce. The objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of endoscopic balloon dilatation in the management of functional post-sleeve gastrectomy stenosis. Patients and Methods: Twenty-two patients with functional post-primary-sleeve-gastrectomy stenosis who had an endoscopic balloon dilatation between 2017 and 2023 were included in this retrospective study. Patients with alternative treatment plans and those undergoing endoscopic dilatation for other forms of gastric stenosis were excluded. The clinical outcomes were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of balloon dilatation in the management of functional gastric stenosis. Results: A total of 45 dilatations were performed with a 30 mm balloon in 22 patients (100%), a 35 mm balloon in 18 patients (81.82%), and a 40 mm balloon in 5 patients (22.73%). The patients' clinical responses after the first balloon dilatation were a complete clinical response (4 patients, 18.18%), a partial clinical response (12 patients, 54.55%), and a non-response (6 patients, 27.27%). Nineteen patients (86.36%) had achieved clinical success at six months. Three patients (13.64%) who remained symptomatic even after achieving the maximal balloon dilation of 40 mm were considered failure of endoscopic dilatation, and they were referred for surgical intervention. No significant adverse events were found during or following the balloon dilatation. Conclusions: Endoscopic balloon dilatation is an effective and safe minimally invasive procedure in the management of functional post-sleeve-gastrectomy stenosis.

Does Hepatitis C Virus Treatment by Directly Acting Antivirals Obligate Shifting Patients with Type 2 Diabetes from Oral Hypoglycemic Drugs to Insulin Therapy?

Purpose: The aim of the present work was to investigate whether hepatitis C virus treatment by directly acting antivirals obligate shifting patients with type 2 diabetes from oral hypoglycemic drugs to insulin therapy. Methods: This was a prospective study including 92 treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and type 2 diabetes who were eligible for treatment with directly acting antivirals (sofosbuvir + daclatasvir ± ribavirin). Patients in the study were divided into two groups; group 1 included 22 patients on insulin therapy and group 2 included 70 patients on oral antidiabetic medications. Patients were advised to keep on their anti-diabetic treatment. Results: All our patients achieved sustained virologic response with significantly lower HbA1c 12 weeks after the end of therapy (p. values 0.001 for group 1 and group 2). There was no statistically significant difference in HbA1c level post-treatment between both groups (p. value 0.352). Conclusion: Achievement of sustained virologic response using interferon free, directly acting antivirals-based regimen was associated with significantly lower HbA1c 12 weeks after the end of therapy. The type of treatment used for type 2 diabetes (oral drugs or insulin) did not affect improved glycemic control observed after achieving sustained virologic response.

Diabetic kidney disease in patients newly diagnosed with type-2 diabetes mellitus: Incidence and associations.

The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in adults is increasing all over the world. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most common complications of DM. The aim of the present work is to study chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients newly diagnosed with type 2 DM as regards incidence and associations. This is a comparative cross-sectional study. The study included 153 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 DM over the past six months. DKD was diagnosed if urinary albumin to creatinine ratio >30 mg/g in two out of three-morning urine samples collected within three to six months and/or estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 using 2009 CKD-Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine equation. DKD was present in 45.75% of patients. In our study, 54.9% of patients had microalbuminuria, 39.2% had macroalbuminuria, and 5.9% had severely increased albuminuria. As regards eGFR, 5.2% of patients had eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Regression analysis showed that increased levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and glycated hemoglobin were associated with an increased likelihood of developing nephropathy while nonsmoking and elevated high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were associated with a reduction in that likelihood. DKD was present in a substantial proportion of our patients at diagnosis. Routine screening for DKD is recommended in all patients early at the onset itself of diagnosis with type 2 DM.