Favourable long-term survival of patients with esophageal cancer treated with extended transhiatal esophagectomy combined with en bloc lymphadenectomy: results from a retrospective observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although considered complex and challenging, esophagectomy remains the best potentially curable treatment option for resectable esophageal and esophagogastric junction (AEG) carcinomas. The optimal surgical approach and technique as well as the extent of lymphadenectomy, particularly regarding quality of life and short- and long-term outcomes, are still a matter of debate. To lower perioperative morbidity, we combined the advantages of a one-cavity approach with extended lymph node dissection (usually achieved by only a two-cavity approach) and developed a modified single-cavity transhiatal approach for esophagectomy. METHODS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of an extended transhiatal esophageal resection with radical bilateral mediastinal en bloc lymphadenectomy (eTHE). A prospective database of 166 patients with resectable cancers of the esophagus (including adenocarcinomas of the AEG types I and II) were analyzed. Patients were treated between 2001 and 2017 with eTHE at a tertiary care university center. Relevant patient characteristics and outcome parameters were collected and analyzed. The primary endpoint was 5-year overall survival. Secondary outcomes included short-term morbidity, mortality, radicalness of en bloc resection and oncologic efficacy. RESULTS: The overall survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 84, 70, and 61.0%, respectively. The in-hospital mortality rate after eTHE was 1.2%. Complications with a Clavien-Dindo score of III/IV occurred in 31 cases (18.6%). A total of 25 patients (15.1%) had a major pulmonary complication. The median hospital stay was 17 days (interquartile range (IQR) 12). Most patients (n = 144; 86.7%) received neoadjuvant treatment. The median number of lymph nodes resected was 25 (IQR 17). The R0 resection rate was 97%. CONCLUSION: In patients with esophageal cancer, eTHE without thoracotomy resulted in excellent long-term survival, an above average number of resected lymph nodes and an acceptable postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Tailored access to the hepatobiliary system in post-bariatric patients: a tertiary care bariatric center experience.

BACKGROUND: In bariatric surgery patients, pancreaticobiliary access via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is technically challenging and the optimal approach for the evaluation and treatment of biliary tree-related pathologies has been debated. Besides laparoscopy-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP) as standard of care, EUS-directed transgastric ERCP (EDGE) and hepaticogastrostomy (HGS) with placement of a fully covered metal stent have emerged as novel techniques. The objective of this study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of three different endoscopic approaches (LA-ERCP, EDGE, and HGS) in bariatric patients. METHODS: In this retrospective review, consecutive patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG) who underwent from 2013 to 2019 a LA-ERCP, an EDGE, or a HGS at a tertiary care reference center for bariatric surgery were analyzed. Patient demographics, type of procedure and indication, data regarding cannulation and therapeutic intervention of the common bile duct (procedure success), and clinical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients were included. Indications for LA-ERCP, EDGE, or HGS were mostly choledocholithiasis (78.9%) and in a few cases papillitis stenosans. Eight patients (57.1%) with LA-ERCP underwent concomitant cholecystectomy. Procedure success was achieved in 100%. Adverse events (AEs) were identified in 15.7% of patients (all ERCP related). All AEs were rated as moderate and there were no serious AEs. CONCLUSION: This case series indicates that ERCP via a transgastric approach (LA-ERCP, EDGE, or HGS) is a minimally invasive, effective, and feasible method to access the biliary tree in bariatric patients. These techniques offer an appealing alternative treatment option compared to percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and drainage- or deep enteroscopy-assisted ERCP. In bariatric patients who earlier had a cholecystectomy, EUS-guided techniques were the preferred treatment options for biliary pathologies.

Mental Illness Has a Negative Impact on Weight Loss in Bariatric Patients: a 4-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Mental health disorders are highly prevalent among bariatric surgery patients. Bariatric surgery induces weight loss with continuous health improvements. However, long-term follow-up data on weight loss and quality of life data of patients who have a mental illness after bariatric surgery are scarce, and it is not clear whether mental illness is associated with more pronounced weight regain. The aim was to investigate the impact of preoperative mental illness on the course of long-term weight changes after bariatric surgery. METHODS: Patients with sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) between 2005 and 2013 with a follow-up of at least 3 years were included. The study population was divided into two groups: patients with mental illness (MI) and patients without (No-MI). Weight loss outcomes over time were compared using mixed models up to 4 years after surgery. RESULTS: In total, 254 patients (RYGB 61.0%, SG 39%) were included. The distribution of baseline characteristics was similar between the MI (n = 108) and No-MI groups (n = 146). The most prevalent mental illness was depressive disorder (63.9%). In the MI group, the percent of total weight loss (%TWL) was significantly smaller over the study period. After 36 months, the predicted mean group-difference of %TWL was 4.6% (95% CI 1.9, 7.2; p = 0.001), and the predicted odds ratio for weight regain was 4.9 (95% CI 1.6, 15.1) for patients in the MI group. CONCLUSION: Preoperative mental illness leads to lower long-term weight loss and an increased risk of weight regain after bariatric surgery.

The effect of bariatric surgery on the direct oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban: the extension study.

BACKGROUND: Thromboembolic disease is a potentially serious complication in bariatric surgery patients. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have been investigated in orthopedic surgery patients. DOAC data after bariatric surgery are still limited to the early postsurgical period. Whether postsurgical midterm adaptations due to anatomic and physiologic alterations influence drug pharmacology is currently not known. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of weight loss and type of bariatric surgery on midterm postsurgical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters of rivaroxaban. SETTING: University hospital. METHODS: In this monocentric study, bariatric patients received a single oral dose of rivaroxaban (10 mg) 6 to 8 months after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass (RYGB). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were assessed and compared with prebariatric surgery results. RESULTS: We included 6 RYGB and 6 SG patients. Percent excess weight loss was 71.4% (interquartile range 56.4, 87.9) in the SG group and 76.6% (64.5, 85.7) in the RYGB group. Rivaroxaban mean areas under the curve 6 to 8 months after the bariatric procedure (922.4 µg × h/L, coefficient of variation 43.2) were comparable to those measured preoperatively (952.6 µg × h/L, 16.8). There was no relevant difference between the 2 surgical procedure groups. Rivaroxaban led to a decrease of prothrombin fragments F1+2 over 12 hours after oral intake confirming in vivo efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Significant weight loss and altered anatomy after RYGB and SG procedures do not appear to affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of prophylactic rivaroxaban. A single dose of Rivaroxaban was well tolerated and considered safe in this trial.

C-Reactive Protein on Postoperative Day 1: a Predictor of Early Intra-abdominal Infections After Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Early intra-abdominal infections (IAI) compromise short-term outcomes in bariatric surgery. The timely detection of IAI is challenging but essential to prevent major sequelae of such complications. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a reliable marker for detecting IAI after colorectal surgery. In bariatric surgery, data on CRP as a marker for IAI are limited, particularly for postoperative day one (POD1). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess CRP on POD1 as a predictor for early IAI (within 7 days following surgery) in patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). METHODS: Patients with bariatric surgery between 08/2010 and 06/2017 were included. The predictive capacity of CRP for early IAI was determined using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: In 523 patients (68.5% female, LSG = 358, LRYGB = 165), 16 (3%) early IAI were observed. ROC analysis revealed a significant predictive capacity of POD1 CRP for early IAI, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 81.2 and 94.3%, respectively, at a CRP cut-off value of 70 mg/L. In patients with confirmed early IAI, 81.3% had a CRP level ≥ 70 mg/L (LSG 85.7%, LRYGB 77.8%). The negative predictive value for a CRP level < 70 mg/L was 99.4% overall and was 100 and 98% for LSG and LRYGB, respectively. CONCLUSION: In patients with a CRP level < 70 mg/L on POD1, early IAI can be excluded with high accuracy in bariatric patients. Thus, early postoperative CRP may be used to assess the risk of early IAI in enhanced recovery programs.

Three-Year Outcomes of Revisional Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass after Failed Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Case-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: While previous studies suggest laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) as a reasonable treatment approach to address weight loss failure after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), data focusing on long-term outcomes are still lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate weight and comorbidity outcomes comparing revisional LRYGB (rLRYGB) with primary LRYGB (pLRYGB). METHODS: Retrospective single-centre case-matched analysis was conducted at a bariatric tertiary referral centre. Between January 2009 and July 2013, 239 patients were entered into a prospective database, and 32 patients undergoing rLRYGB (cases) were matched with 32 patients undergoing pLRYGB (controls) for sex, age and BMI. The end point was data at 3 years of follow-up. Thirty-one patients (12.9%) were lost to follow-up during the study period. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in patient demographics or median BMI (kg/m2) for pLRYGB or rLRYGB (42.8 ± 12.1 vs. 42.3 ± 11.5, respectively; p = 0.748). Coexisting comorbidities were rated similarly in both groups. At 3 years, the percentage of excess weight loss (74.4 ± 23.3 vs 52.0 ± 26, respectively; p = 0.007) was higher for pLRYGB than rLRYGB, while similar improvements of coexisting comorbidities could be observed. CONCLUSION: rLRYGB is a feasible and practical surgical approach that allows effective weight loss at 3 years of follow-up and alleviates refractory reflux symptoms. Although weight loss is lower compared to pLRYGB, resolution or improvement of coexisting comorbidities appears similar. Therefore, rLRYGB seems to be a reliable procedure to address failure after LSG.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single doses of rivaroxaban in obese patients prior to and after bariatric surgery.

AIMS: Venous thromboembolism is an important cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in bariatric surgery. Studies of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are not available in this surgical field. The objective of this phase 1 clinical trial was to investigate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) parameters of rivaroxaban in bariatric patients. METHODS: In this single-centre study, obese patients received single oral doses of rivaroxaban (10 mg) 1 day prior to and 3 days after bariatric surgery. PK and PD parameters were assessed at baseline and during 24 h after drug ingestion. RESULTS: Six Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients and six sleeve gastrectomy patients completed the study. Mean rivaroxaban area under plasma concentration-time curve, peak plasma concentration, time to peak plasma concentration and terminal half-life were 971.9 µg·h l-1 (coefficient of variation: 10.6), 135.3 µg l-1 (26.7), 1.5 h and 13.1 h (34.1) prior to and 1165.8 (21.9), 170.0 (15.9), 1.5 and 8.9 (44.6) postsurgery for SG patients and 933.7 µg·h l-1 (22.3), 136.5 µg l-1 (10.7), 1.5 h und 13.8 h (46.6) prior to and 1029.4 (7.4), 110.8 (31.8), 2.5 and 15 (60.0) postsurgery for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients, respectively. Prothrombin fragments (F1 + 2) decreased during the first 12 hours and increased thereafter in the pre- and the postbariatric setting. Thrombin-antithrombin complexes dropped within 1-3 h in the prebariatric setting and remained low after surgery until they increased at 24 h postdose. Rivaroxaban was well tolerated and no relevant safety issues were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery does not appear to alter PK of rivaroxaban in a clinically relevant way. Effective prophylactic postbariatric anticoagulation is supported by changes in PD.

Wernicke Encephalopathy: a Future Problem Even After Sleeve Gastrectomy? A Systematic Literature Review.

Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a serious complication of bariatric surgery with significant morbidity and mortality. A few cases have been reported in the literature, mainly in patients after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Since sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has become a more established and popular bariatric procedure, WE is expected to appear more frequently after SG. We performed a literature review on WE after SG, and 13 cases have been found to be sufficiently documented. The risk of WE needs to be considered in patients with a prolonged vomiting episode and any type of neurological symptoms, independent of the presence of any surgical complications.