Greater curve approach for laparoscopic gastric bypass: total stapler gastrojejunostomy

BACKGROUND: Gastric bypass is an established bariatric procedure that has undergone multiple modifications to improve its effectiveness. The side-to-side stapled technique is well recognized, but closure of the gastrotomy/enterotomy by the stapler can potentially narrow the Roux limb. Because of this, many surgeons will hand suture the closure of the gastrotomy/enterotomy. To obviate this difficulty, we inserted the linear stapler from the stomach's greater curvature, using a double-stapled anastomosis that minimized the need for hand suturing. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 307 patients undergoing this technique for laparoscopic gastric bypass. The weight loss and 30-day morbidity and mortality were tabulated and compared with those in other published series. RESULTS: Of the 307 patients, none died postoperatively. The overall 30-day morbidity rate was 15%. Two leaks from the gastrojejunostomy and 2 from the jejunojejunostomy (1.2%) developed. The mean percentage of excess weight loss was 34% at 3 months, 52% at 6 months, 73% at 1 year, 71% at 2 years, and 69% at 3 years. CONCLUSION: The greater curve approach avoids Roux limb obstruction, minimizes the need for hand suturing, and uses standard trocar incisions. Our short-term follow-up results are similar to those of series of other techniques.     

胃癌大肠转移的X线钡灌肠表现

目的:分析胃癌大肠转移的X线钡灌肠表现。方法:104例胃癌入院术前检查发现结肠转移或胃癌术后转移入院治疗的病例。分析钡灌肠初次发现大肠转移征象的年龄、发现胃癌原发病变距初次发现大肠转移的间隔时间、转移病变的发生部位和病变造成的X线钡灌肠图像上的肠管变形和粘膜面的改变。结果:104例胃癌结肠转移,男67例,女37例。胃癌术前检查中发现结肠转移者32例,术后发现的大肠转移中,多数转移发生在手术后3年内(占91.3%)。胃癌原发灶的肉眼形态BorrmannⅢ型(28例)和BorrmannⅣ型(65例)者占89.4%,组织学中以低分化腺癌和印戒细胞癌为主要成分者占91.3%。X线钡灌肠检查显示大肠转移的好发部位为横结肠(80),其次为直肠(50)。转移灶可累及多节段肠管,其中横结肠中1/3段(47),横结肠左1/3(44),横结肠右1/3(39)和直肠腹膜返折之上(39)。X线显示肠管单侧变形者227处,双侧变形者96处。黏膜面表现为梳齿状黏膜纹聚集改变253处,颗粒结节状改变23处,外压性改变20处,弥漫性改变62处。结论:胃癌大肠转移的好发部位为横结肠和直肠,结肠黏膜面的梳齿状黏膜纹聚集为胃癌大肠转移的主要X线钡剂灌肠表现。     

Predicting Stricture in Morbidly Obese Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: A Logistic Regression Analysis

Gastrojejunostomy stricture after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass occurs in 3 to 27% of morbidly obese patients in the USA. We questioned whether preoperative patient characteristics, including demographic attributes and comorbid disease, might be significant factors in the etiology of stricture. In this study from November 2001 to February 2006 (51 months), at a high-volume bariatric center, of the 1,351 patients who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass, 92 developed stricture (6.8%). All but two were treated successfully by endoscopic dilation. All patients stopped nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications 2 weeks prior to surgery and did not restart them. The operative procedure included the use of a 21-mm transoral circular stapler to create the gastrojejunostomy; the Roux limb was brought retrogastric, retrocolic. In an effort to reduce our center’s stricture rate, late in the study, U-clips used at the gastrojejunostomy were replaced by absorbable sutures, and postoperative H₂ antagonists were added to the treatment protocol. The change to absorbable polyglactin suture proved to be significant, resulting in a lower stricture rate. The addition of H₂ antagonists showed no significant effect. Following the retrospective review of the prospective database, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with the development of stricture. Gastroesophageal reflux disease and age were each shown to be statistically significant independent predictors of stricture following laparoscopic gastric bypass. Presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, May 20–24, Los Angeles, CA (poster presentation).     

二羧乙基锗倍半氧化物的抗大鼠实验性胃溃疡作用及其作用机理研究

二羧乙基锗倍半氧物(Dicarboxyethyl GermaniumSesquioxide,DEG)是人工合成的有机锗化合物。它能对抗Shay幽门结扎性溃疡的形成,使胃液中PGE_2含量增加,胃蛋白酶活性和游离酸度明显降低。DEG还能对抗消炎痛型,五肽胃泌素型和酒精型溃疡的形成,促进醋酸型溃疡的愈合,但对应激型和利血平型溃疡无对抗作用。DEG的主细胞分泌功能比对照组明显减弱。实验结果表明,DEG的抗溃疡作用可能与增加胃内PGE_2含量、抑制胃液分泌和促进蛋白质合成有关。     

Travel distance, age, and sex as factors in follow-up visit compliance in the post-gastric bypass population

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus regarding the optimal rate of follow-up in the post-bariatric surgery patient population. METHODS: The records of all patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from 2001 to 2003 were reviewed. Using patient zip codes, travel distances were calculated between the patients' places of residence and our clinic. Patients were then assigned to 1 of 3 cohorts according to the following distances: (1) < 50 miles, (2) 50 to 100 miles, and (3) > 100 miles. Patient compliance with follow-up appointments at 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months was analyzed. Linear trends were identified using the Mantel-Haenszel test. Age and sex were analyzed as possible predictors of compliance using the chi(2) test. P values < .05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The study group comprised 150 patients (127 females and 23 males). The 3 cohorts contained 115, 21, and 14 patients, respectively. All patients in each cohort were compliant with the 3-week follow-up appointment. Although there were differences in compliance between cohorts at each of the remaining appointments, only the 9-month (70.3% vs 61.9% vs 35.7%) visit showed statistical significance (P = .035). The 6-month visit trended toward significance (85.2% vs 76.2% vs 64.3%; P = .088). Males were more likely to be compliant with the 12-month follow-up (P = .040). When controlling for sex, travel distance was also a predictor of compliance at this follow-up visit (P = .024). Age was not predictive of compliance (P = .827). CONCLUSION: Based on our findings, we conclude that travel distance from the clinic does not significantly affect compliance at the initial follow-up, 3-month, and 12-month appointments. However, distance does tend to affect compliance at the 6-month appointment and significantly affects compliance at the 9-month appointment. Males are more likely to be compliant at the 12 month follow-up visit. We must continue to strive for 100% follow-up in our post-bariatric surgery patients.     

Short term correlates of the Neuro Emotional Technique for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms: A pilot case series

Introduction As many as one quarter of all cancer survivors report traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences. While the majority of these patients do not meet the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there is growing evidence that subsyndromal symptoms can significantly contribute to functional impairment and negative health outcomes. Treatment options for the hallmark symptoms of traumatic stress—unpleasant, intrusive thoughts and avoidant behaviors—have not been well investigated for the cancer survivorship population. Materials and methods Seven female cancer survivors with traumatic stress symptoms from cancer-related experiences and no other major psychopathology, were enrolled to receive three sessions of Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), a brief, targeted treatment that combines traditional desensitization principles with complementary modalities. Results Psychological outcome measures (Impact of Event Scale (IES) and Subjective Units of Distress (SUD) and physiological measures (Heart Rate (HR) and Skin Conductance Level (SCL) demonstrated the following changes: 71% on IES, 88% SUD, 74% on HR, and 65% on SCL following the intervention. Statistically significant changes were observed for all four parameters, and effect size g for proportion improved were 0.50 each for IES, SUD, and HR, and 0.20 for SCL. Conclusions These cases suggest feasibility of the NET intervention for cancer-related traumatic stress and the potential for change in symptoms and physiological reactivity. Further investigation is needed to determine the specific and long-term effects of such an approach. Implications for cancer survivors Traumatic stress from cancer-related experiences might represent a constellation of symptoms that are amenable to brief, targeted interventions. This study was supported by the O.N.E. Research Foundation     

Laparoscopic repair of a perforated marginal ulcer 2 years after gastric bypass

The authors present the case of a 43-year-old women who underwent a laparoscopic gastric bypass in 2003 for morbid obesity. They report that 2 years later, she had maintained significant weight loss, but had developed acute abdominal pain, followed by nausea and emesis. In the emergency room, she had diffuse tenderness, tachycardia, and leukocytosis. After initial resuscitation, a computed tomography was performed, which showed free air above the liver and thickened small bowel loops. She was brought emergently to the operating room for laparoscopy. At surgery, turbid fluid and inflamed small bowel loops were seen. A perforated marginal ulcer was discovered in the Roux limb, approximately 2 cm distal to the gastrojejunal anastomosis. The perforation was oversewn primarily and patched with omentum. The repair was tested by intraoperative endoscopy. A gastrostomy tube also was placed within the gastric remnant for enteral access. The patient did extremely well postoperatively, and had an uneventful postoperative course. She was discharged on postoperative day 4. The gastrostomy tube was removed at 1 month, and at this writing, she remains well since surgery. An upper endoscopy at 2 months was completely normal, and the Helicobacter pylori test results were negative. The gastric pouch had not significantly enlarged since initial surgery, as indicated by both endoscopy and barium study. Marginal ulcer is reported to be 0.6% to 16% after laparoscopic gastric bypass [1]. Etiologies include gastrogastric fistula, excessively large gastric pouch containing antral mucosa, H. pylori infection, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory use, and smoking [2]. Unfortunately, none of these applied to the reported patient. Because her exact etiology remains unknown, she at this writing continues to receive proton pump inhibitor therapy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

福建省原发性肝癌遗传因素分析

为了探讨遗传因素与福建省原发性肝癌的关系,应用多种对照配对的病例对照研究方法,对100个原发性肝癌和200个对照家系进行了遗传流行病学分析。结果显示,原发性肝癌先证者一、二级亲属患病率明显高于对照组患病率,分离比为0.04146～0.08654,遗传度加权均值为63.52±4.22％。提示原发性肝癌系多基因遗传病,遗传易感性是原发性肝癌的危险因素之一,原发性肝癌的发生是遗传和环境多种因素共同作用的结果。     

肝硬化门脉高压性胃粘膜损害52例临床分析

本文对５２例肝硬化门脉高压性胃粘膜损害患者临床分析表明，肝功能损害与胃粘膜病变有显著相关性，而与胃底食道静脉曲张没有显著相关性。同一组病人中ＰＨＧ与ＧＥＶ的发生率虽有差异，但认为这种差异的临床意义不大。结合文献对ＰＨＧ的发生机理和诊断治疗进行了讨论     

The Influence of a New Timing Strategy of Band Adjustment on the Vomiting Frequency and the Food Consumption of Obese Women Operated with Laparoscopic Adjustable Silicone Gastric Banding (LAP-BAND)

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a new timing strategy of band adjustment on the short-term outcome of obese women operated with adjustable silicone gastric banding. Subjects: The outcome of 30 women without binge-eating disorder operated with laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding with a wider intraoperatory band calibration (LAP-BAND) was compared to that of 30 body mass index-matched women without binge-eating disorder previously operated with adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) applied by laparotomy with the usual intraoperatory band calibration. The patients were evaluated 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Measurements: (1) weight loss; (2) total daily energy intake; (3) percent as liquid, soft or solid food; (4) vomiting frequency; (5) rate of postoperative percutaneous band adjustments; (6) rate of band-related complications. Results: Both the weight loss and the daily energy intake did not differ between patients with LAP-BAND and patients with ASGB. After surgery, the patients with LAP-BAND ate more solid food and less liquid food than the patients with ASGB. Vomiting frequency was higher in patients with ASGB than in patients with LAP-BAND. The total number of percutaneous band adjustments was higher in women with LAP-BAND than in women with ASGB. Band inflation because of weight stabilization was performed in six (20.0%) women with ASGB and in 19 (63.3%) women with LAP-BAND. Neostoma stenosis occurred in one women with ASGB, but in none of the women with LAP-BAND. One patient with LAP-BAND presented band slippage. Conclusions: The wider intraoperatory band calibration performed in patients with LAP-BAND did not reduce the short-term efficacy of adjustable silicone gastric banding. This new timing strategy of band adjustment required more postoperative percutaneous band inflations, but it improved the eating pattern of the patients (low vomiting frequency and high intake of solid food).