Peroral endoscopic myotomy vs laparoscopic myotomy and partial fundoplication for esophageal achalasia: A single-center randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Achalasia is a rare benign esophageal motor disorder characterized by incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The treatment of achalasia is not curative, but rather is aimed at reducing LES pressure. In patients who have failed noninvasive therapy, surgery should be considered. Myotomy with partial fundoplication has been considered the first-line treatment for non-advanced achalasia. Recently, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), a technique that employs the principles of submucosal endoscopy to perform the equivalent of a surgical myotomy, has emerged as a promising minimally invasive technique for the management of this condition. AIM: To compare POEM and laparoscopic myotomy and partial fundoplication (LM-PF) regarding their efficacy and outcomes for the treatment of achalasia. METHODS: Forty treatment-naive adult patients who had been diagnosed with achalasia based on clinical and manometric criteria (dysphagia score ≥ II and Eckardt score > 3) were randomized to undergo either LM-PF or POEM. The outcome measures were anesthesia time, procedure time, symptom improvement, reflux esophagitis (as determined with the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire), barium column height at 1 and 5 min (on a barium esophagogram), pressure at the LES, the occurrence of adverse events (AEs), length of stay (LOS), and quality of life (QoL). RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the LM-PF and POEM groups regarding symptom improvement at 1, 6, and 12 mo of follow-up (P = 0.192, P = 0.242, and P = 0.242, respectively). However, the rates of reflux esophagitis at 1, 6, and 12 mo of follow-up were significantly higher in the POEM group (P = 0.014, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively). There were also no statistical differences regarding the manometry values, the occurrence of AEs, or LOS. Anesthesia time and procedure time were significantly shorter in the POEM group than in the LM-PF group (185.00 ± 56.89 and 95.70 ± 30.47 min vs 296.75 ± 56.13 and 218.75 ± 50.88 min, respectively; P = 0.001 for both). In the POEM group, there were improvements in all domains of the QoL questionnaire, whereas there were improvements in only three domains in the LM-PF group. CONCLUSION: POEM and LM-PF appear to be equally effective in controlling the symptoms of achalasia, shortening LOS, and minimizing AEs. Nevertheless, POEM has the advantage of improving all domains of QoL, and shortening anesthesia and procedure times but with a significantly higher rate of gastroesophageal reflux.

Low-Cost Single-Port (LoCoSP) Device for a Transcervical Approach in Minimally Invasive Transhiatal Esophagectomy.

Esophagectomy remains the preferred option to achieve curative treatment in advanced esophageal cancer, but the choice of surgical approach remains controversial. A transthoracic approach may improve lymph node dissection, but it has considerable morbidity and respiratory complications. Transhiatal access has been demonstrated as an efficient means of minimizing post-operative complications. Minimally invasive transhiatal esophagectomy may reduce operative trauma and morbidity as well as enhance postoperative recovery with no compromise in cancer recurrence or survival. Nevertheless, it has a technical limitation in terms of cervical esophagus dissection. Thus, a low-cost single-port device was developed to complete upper mediastinal dissection by a transcervical approach during minimally invasive transhiatal esophagectomy. This device uses a nasogastric tube, a number-eight sterile glove, a sterile sponge, and 3 permanent 5-mm trocars. The step-by-step process of transhiatal esophagectomy and the development of this device are described. This technique allows for the dissection of the upper mediastinum, as well as the esophagus over the aortic arch and behind the superior portion of the trachea. The harvesting of lymph nodes along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve and paratracheals was improved.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy is related to better outcomes in early adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction tumors.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic esophagectomy is related to an extended lymphadenectomy, and a high number of retrieved lymph nodes, compared to the transhiatal approach; however, its association with an improvement in overall survival (OS) is debatable. AIM: To compare thoracoscopic esophagectomy with transhiatal esophagectomy in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEGJ) in terms of survival, number of lymph nodes, and complications. METHODS: In total, 147 patients with AEGJ were selected retrospectively from 2002 to 2019, and divided into Group A for thoracoscopic esophagectomy, and group B for transhiatal esophagectomy. OS, disease-free survival, postoperative complications, and number of nodes, were similarly evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty (88%) were male; the mean age was 64 years. Group A had a mean age of 61.1 years and group B 65.7 years (P = 0.009). Concerning the extent of lymphadenectomy, group A showed a higher number of retrieved lymph nodes (mean of 31.89 ± 8.2 vs 20.73 ± 7; P < 0.001), with more perioperative complications, such as hoarseness, surgical site infections, and respiratory complications. Although both groups had similar OS rates, subgroup analysis showed better survival of transthoracic esophagectomy in patients with earlier diseases. CONCLUSION: Both methods are safe, having similar morbidity and mortality rates. Transthoracic thoracoscopic esophagectomy allows a more extensive resection of the lymph nodes and may have better oncological outcomes during earlier stages of the disease. Prospective studies are warranted to better evaluate these findings.

Anti-reflux surgery for controlling respiratory symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients have a higher prevalence of airway symptoms, such as chronic cough, wheezing, and hoarseness. The therapeutic management of patients with these symptoms is controversial. Therefore, this study aims to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy of anti-reflux surgery for controlling respiratory symptoms related to GERD. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. Extraction of the data concerning proportions of participants who were not free of respiratory symptoms related to GERD (cough, wheezing, hoarseness) or not substantially improved at follow-ups (failure to cure) was performed. Of the 3,424 initially screened articles, 68 studies were included for systematic review and 61 were included for meta-analysis, with a cumulative sample size of 3,869 patients. Of all the included patients, after anti-reflux surgery, the general symptoms improvement was 80% (95% CI 75.2-84%). The numbers needed to harm (NNH) and the numbers needed to treat (NNT) were 15.21 and 1.23, respectively. Of the included patients, 83.4% (95% CI 78.3-87.5%) patients reported improvement in cough symptoms after surgery. For the wheezing symptom, 71.5% (95% CI 62.9-78.8%) reported improvement after surgery. Moreover, surgery presented better results in improving respiratory symptoms than medical therapy (risk difference: -0.46; 95% CI -0.77, -0.16). Physicians should strongly consider surgical anti-reflux procedures for controlling respiratory symptoms in GERD patients after proper patient selection. Anti-reflux surgery has shown high efficacy in improving respiratory symptoms related to GERD, even when compared to medical therapy.

Predictive factors of recurrence in adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction in the multimodal era.

INTRODUCTION: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEGJ) represents a poor prognostic tumor. We evaluated the recurrence pattern and risk factors associated with recurrence in patients undergoing surgical resection by AEJG. METHODS: Recurrences were categorized as locoregional, peritoneal, or distant. These three recurrence groups and a non-recurrence group were compared, and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for each one was obtained. RESULTS: We analyzed 188 patients with curative surgical treatment. Recurrence was observed in 72 (38.3%) patients. Locoregional recurrence was observed in 17 (23.6%); 20 (27.8%) peritoneal recurrence and 35 (48.6%) distant metastasis. DFS was 9, 5, and 8 months, and OS was 21.8, 13.2, and 20.8, respectively. Tumors larger than 5 cm are risk factors for peritoneal recurrence (OR:2.88, p = 0.012). Positive lymph nodes were related to distant metastasis (OR:9.15, p = 0.040), and lymphatic invasion for locoregional recurrence (OR:3.81, p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: AEGJ is associated with high rates of early recurrence.

Transhiatal laparoscopic esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy guided by green-indocyanine imaging for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical treatment for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEGJ) has been long-established, from resection margins to the extension of lymphadenectomy [1,2,4]. The addition of cyanine dye, namely indocyanine green (ICG), to identify suspicious lymph nodes (LN) and evaluate organ vascularization may improve results and outcomes [3]. VIDEO: A 58-year-old female patient with Siewert type II AEGJ was administered mFLOX neoadjuvant treatment. After three cycles, she underwent surgical treatment. The day before surgery, an upper endoscopy was performed to inject 0.2 ml ICG 0.5 cm from the proximal and distal tumor margins. The patient underwent laparoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy due to a 4 cm distal esophagus compromised margin. We describe the primary steps of the procedure and demonstrate the role of the ICG in the lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Surgery was carried out laparoscopically with a cervical approach (McKeown access), and posterior mediastinal gastric tube reconstruction and cervical gastroplasty were performed. During the standard lymphadenectomy, we observed an ICG-positive LN in station 10, which was found positive in the subsequent pathology examination. After these findings, we performed an extended lymphadenectomy through the splenic hilum. The final pathologic assessment was T3N2 (two perigastric and one positive LN at station 10 among 60 retrieved LN). The operative time was 360 min. The patient started a liquid diet on the seventh postoperative day, and she was discharged on the tenth postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: ICG may be helpful to guide both extended lymphadenectomy and distal margin evaluation in transhiatal laparoscopic esophagectomy.

A case report of esophageal heterotopic pancreas presenting as recurrent mediastinal abscess, treated by minimally invasive esophagectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Heterotopic pancreas is a rare congenital anomaly. We report a case of esophageal heterotopic pancreas complicated by recurrent mediastinal abscess and treated by minimally invasive resection. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 31-year-old woman was admitted with a history of recurrent chest pain, dysphagia, and heartburn. CT scan revealed focal confined collection in the lower mediastinum surrounding esophagus. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed a subepithelial lesion. The patient was treated by minimally invasive esophagectomy and made an uneventful postoperative recovery. DISCUSSION: The management of subepithelial lesions would depend on their size, ability to exclude other etiologies and their associated symptoms. The patient, in this case, was obviously symptomatic and accurate differentiation from malignant etiologies could not be accurately made. CONCLUSION: Although pancreatic heterotopia is rare, it should be remembered in the differential diagnosis of various gastrointestinal lesions.

Self-expandable metal stent for malignant esophagorespiratory fistula: predictive factors associated with clinical failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Malignant esophagorespiratory fistulas (MERFs) usually are managed by the placement of self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) but with conflicting results. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with clinical failure after SEMS placement for the treatment of MERFs. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database used at a tertiary-care cancer hospital, with patients treated with SEMS placement for MERFs between January 2009 and February 2016. Logistic regression was used to identify predictive factors for clinical outcomes and to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI). The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and comparisons were made by using the log-rank test. RESULTS: A total of 71 patients (55 male, mean age 59 years) were included in the study, and 70 were considered for the final analysis (1 failed stent insertion). Clinical failure occurred in 44% of patients. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 3 or 4 and fistula development during esophageal cancer treatment were associated with an increased risk of clinical failure. ECOG status of 3 or 4, pulmonary infection at the time of SEMS placement, and prior radiation therapy were predictive factors associated with lower overall survival. Dysphagia scores improved significantly 15 days after stent insertion. The overall stent-related adverse event rate was 30%. Stent migration and occlusion caused by tumor overgrowth were the most common adverse events. CONCLUSION: SEMS placement is a reasonable treatment option for MERFs; however, ECOG status of 3 or 4 and fistula development during esophageal cancer treatment may be independent predictors of clinical failure after stent placement.