Endoscopic transluminal necrosectomy in necrotising pancreatitis: a systematic review

Objective

We performed a systematic review to assess the outcome of endoscopic transluminal necrosectomy in necrotising pancreatitis with additional focus on indication, disease severity, and methodological quality of studies.

Design

We searched the literature published between January 2005 and June 2013. Cohorts, including patients with (infected) necrotising pancreatitis, undergoing endoscopic necrosectomy were included. Indication, disease severity, and methodological quality were described. The main outcomes were mortality, major complications, number of endoscopic sessions, and definitive successful treatment with endoscopic necrosectomy alone.

Results

After screening 581 papers, 14 studies, including 455 patients, fulfilled the eligibility criteria. All included studies were retrospective analyses except for one randomized, controlled trial. Overall methodological quality was moderate to low (mean 5, range 2–9). Less than 50 % of studies reported on pre-procedural severity of disease: mean APACHE-II score before intervention was 8; organ failure was present in 23 % of patients; and infected necrosis in 57 % of patients. On average, four (range 1–23) endoscopic interventions were performed per patient. With endoscopic necrosectomy alone, definitive successful treatment was achieved in 81 % of patients. Mortality was 6 % (28/460 patients) and complications occurred in 36 % of patients. Bleeding was the most common complication.

Conclusions

Endoscopic transluminal necrosectomy is an effective treatment for the majority of patients with necrotising pancreatitis with acceptable mortality and complication rates. It should be noted that methodological quality of the available studies is limited and that the combined patient population of endoscopically treated patients is only moderately ill.     

缺血预处理程序中心肌环磷酸腺苷含量及环磷酸腺苷依赖蛋白激酶活性的变化

目的:制备大鼠在体缺血再灌注模型,观察缺血预处理程序中心肌环磷酸腺苷含量及环磷酸腺苷依赖蛋白激酶活性的变化。方法:实验于2005-03/2006-10在解放军沈阳军区总医院医学实验动物中心和全军心血管研究所实验室完成。实验分组:选用健康雌性SD大鼠36只,根据预适应程序分为第1,2,3次缺血,第1,2,3次再灌注,每一时间点6只大鼠。实验过程:用手术套管法造成左冠状动脉主干缺血及再灌注。所有实验动物在实验程序结束后,取出心脏迅速置液氮保存备用。实验评估:用放射免疫法测环磷酸腺苷水平,生化法测环磷酸腺苷依赖蛋白激酶活性变化。结果:36只大鼠均进入结果分析。①环磷酸腺苷含量:第1次再灌注组低于第1次缺血组[(0.325±0.015),(0.395±0.024)pmol/g,t=6.06,P<0.001],第2次再灌注组低于第2次缺血组[(0.523±0.017),(0.708±0.067)pmol/g,t=6.56,P<0.001],第3次再灌注组低于第3次缺血组[(0.567±0.031),(0.712±0.038)pmol/g,t=7.24,P<0.001]。②环磷酸腺苷依赖蛋白激酶活性:第1次再灌注组低于第1次缺血组[(10.115±1.000),(16.351±0.849)pkat/g,t=11.12,P<0.001],第2次再灌注组低于第2次缺血组[(11.877±2.213),(14.869±0.619)pkat/g,t=3.31,P<0.01],第3次再灌注组低于第3次缺血组[(11.745±0.987),(14.766±0.329)pkat/g,t=7.09,P<0.001]。③缺血预处理程序中心肌环磷酸腺苷含量及环磷酸腺苷依赖蛋白激酶活性随缺血及再灌注呈周期性波动。在5min缺血预处理时表现为明显增高,而在间隔的再灌注程序中恰呈相反改变,有明显下降的趋势。结论:环磷酸腺苷及环磷酸腺苷依赖蛋白激酶的周期性波动变化可能是激发心肌缺血预处理的机制之一,环磷酸腺苷可能在预处理保护作用中起一些作用。     

One hundred years of the Association of Surgeons in the Netherlands. III. Gastrointestinal surgery

On 27 February 1989 the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Gastro-Intestinale Chirurgie [Netherlands Association for Gastrointestinal Surgery] was founded. The aim--improvement of quality by integrating scientific and clinical work--was already formulated 10 years previously by the Gastrointestinal Surgery Working Group. The integration proceeded carefully; the Netherlands Association for Gastrointestinal Surgery began as a chapter of the Association of Surgeons in the Netherlands and as a working group within the Dutch Gastroenterology Association. Meanwhile new techniques have been investigated and introduced and surgical oncology is a growing area of collaboration with the Dutch Association for Surgical Oncology. In the future minimally invasive interventions and robot surgery will come to the fore, reflux disease and inflammatory bowel diseases will decrease as an operative indication and early diagnosis will play a greater role.     

Treatment of severely delayed gastric emptying

For the drug treatment of gastroparesis, domperidone, metoclopramide and cisapride may be prescribed as prokinetics. Positive effects on the rate of emptying of the stomach, dyspeptic symptoms and quality of life are best documented for cisapride. Simultaneous use of cisapride with substances that inhibit the metabolism of cisapride or that may lengthen the QT interval, is contraindicated because of the risk of arrhythmias. Erythromycin is a powerful prokinetic, but because of its antibiotic effects it is usually prescribed only for a brief period. For patients who in spite of drug treatment have persistent unacceptable symptoms and keep losing weight, invasive treatment should be considered. The first step is then insertion of a jejunal tube, followed, if necessary, by antrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction. The next step is subtotal gastrectomy with Roux-Y reconstruction, this may result in abatement of the symptoms, which, however, rarely disappear altogether.     

Regional myocardial dysfunction: evaluation of patients with prior myocardial infarction with fast CT

A prototype ultrafast cine computed tomographic (CT) scanner, designed specifically for cardiac imaging, was used to evaluate a preliminary series of patients with prior myocardial infarction (n = 21) and a control group without coronary artery disease (n = 5). Multilevel 50-msec CT scan exposures were obtained during peripheral intravenous bolus injections of contrast medium. A comparison was made between cine-CT scans and standard left ventriculographic images in assessing segmental left ventricular motion. Results indicate that cine CT, performed at sufficiently rapid speeds (20 scans per second) to allow useful analysis of regional ventricular wall motion, can provide adequate image quality. Analysis of 110 segments revealed a good correlation (90.9%) between the two techniques in characterizing normal from abnormal regional wall motion. Cine CT, based on this initial study, demonstrates considerable potential for evaluating not only cardiac chamber dimensions but also segmental wall dynamics.     

Timing and choice of intervention in necrotising pancreatitis

Three patients, men aged 49, 62 and 33 years, were admitted with acute abdominal symptoms due to necrotising pancreatitis. They underwent multiple interventions during a hospital stay of several months, but ultimately recovered completely. In case of infected (peri-)pancreatic necrosis, intervention is required. Good clinical judgement in the differentiation between the septic inflammatory-response syndrome, sepsis and infected necrosis as the cause of the clinical condition is important. Because of the different intervention strategies, treatment by a team comprising a radiologist, gastroenterologist, intensive care specialist and gastrointestinal surgeon is required. Randomised studies on intervention in infected pancreatic necrosis are lacking. In 2002, to improve the treatment of patients with acute (necrotising) pancreatitis via a combination of research, consultation and centralisation, the Dutch Acute Pancreatitis Study Group was formed.     

Results and complications after ileal pouch anal anastomosis: a meta-analysis of 43 observational studies comprising 9,317 patients

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the literature of ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) regarding complications and functional outcome, to provide audit data for individual surgeons and units to assess their own performance against and also to serve as reference standard for the assessment of novel alternatives. BACKGROUND: IPAA is the standard restorative procedure for ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). This operation is, however, associated with distinct rates of failure, complications and fecal incontinence. METHODS: A meta-analysis on pooled incidences of complications of IPAA was conducted. Medline search and cross-reference search identified studies on IPAA (n > or = 50). Two authors independently performed the data extraction on study characteristics, diagnosis, type of operation, pouch-related complications, pouch failure and functional results. In case of disagreement consensus was reached by joint review of the study. Estimates of pouch-related complications, pouch failure and functional results are described as pooled percentages with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: The initial search based on 1,206 abstracts yielded 43 studies eligible for further analysis. Indications for IPAA were UC in 87.5%, FAP in 8.9% and other diagnoses in 3.6%. The median follow-up was 36.7 months. Pouch failure was 6.8%, increasing to 8.5% in case of follow-up of more than 60 months. Pelvic sepsis occurred in 9.5%. Severe, mild and urge fecal incontinence were reported in 3.7, 17, and 7.3%, respectively. No effect of experience, duration of follow-up and type of surgical technique on the incidence of pouch failure and pelvic sepsis was demonstrable. CONCLUSIONS: Current techniques for restorative surgery after proctocolectomy are associated with non-negligible complication rates and leave room for improvement and continuation of development of alternative procedures.     

Ileo-neorectal anastomosis: medium- and long-term follow-up of 37 patients

BACKGROUND: Ileo-neorectal anastomosis (INRA), an alternative restorative procedure, was developed to reduce the pouch-related complication rate with an (at least) equal functional result. METHODS: For this surgical outcome, data of all INRA patients, including bowel function and complications, were prospectively recorded. The reservoir capacity was determined repeatedly by physiologic tests. The anal sphincter complex was assessed by manometry and ultrasound examination. Evaluation of the neorectal mucosa was performed by endoscopy. RESULTS: An INRA procedure was carried out in 39/53 selected patients (47 ulcerative colitis and 6 familial adenomatous polyposis). Fourteen UC cases were converted to ileal pouch anal anastomosis or proctectomy only, because of impossibility to completely remove the rectal mucosa or short of length of the rectal stump. The median operation time for INRA was 323 min (range 240-518), with 1,400 ml blood loss (400-4,500). The reservoirs were permanently defunctioned in 2 patients--one because of reclassification into Crohn's disease, and one with pouchitis refractory to medical treatment. In 18 out of 37 cases, web-like stenoses occurred at the mucosa-anal level, which were treated by single (9) or repeated (5) dilatation or surgical stenoplasty (2). No pouch-related complications like pelvic sepsis, fistula or sexual dysfunction occurred. Thirteen patients had episodes of 'pouchitis', successfully treated with antibiotics, and 7 other cases, with functioning reservoirs, also had proximal 'non-specific' (i.e. no histological criteria of Crohn's disease found) small bowel inflammation. The median bowel frequency decreased from 15x/24 h initially to 7x/24 h at 2 years. Continence was perfect in 24/37 cases. Twelve out of 37 cases had occasional nocturnal soiling and passive nocturnal fecal incontinence was reported by 2/37 patients. The neorectal compliance volume recovered from 12.5 ml kPa after subtotal colectomy and 11 ml/kPa at 6 months after INRA to a neorectal compliance of 24 ml/kPa at 2 years' follow-up (p < 0.002; Wilcoxon signed rank test). CONCLUSION: The INRA procedure shows a low complication rate and reasonable functional results, there was however a considerable conversion rate in these first 53 cases and a high incidence of reclassification to CD.