Percutaneous or Endoscopic Treatment of Peripheral Bile Duct Leaks: Initial Experience with an Innovative Approach of Microcatheter-Delivered Argon Plasma Coagulation.

PURPOSE: Biliary ductal injuries are challenging to treat, and often lead to severe morbidity and mortality. The first-line approach involves endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with sphincterotomy and, in case of refractory leakage, long-lasting percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, endoscopic or percutaneous injection of sclerosing agents and/or coiling can be used. We describe a treatment procedure using microcatheter-mediated percutaneous or endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three patients (7-year-old male, 14-year-old male, 81-year-old female) with refractory postsurgical and/or post-traumatic bile leaks underwent percutaneous (n = 2) or endoscopic (n = 1) APC through a detachable microcatheter. RESULTS: The procedure was technically feasible in all patients. Postoperative imaging showed complete occlusion of biliary leakage. The technique was uneventful intraoperatively with no adverse events occurring during recovery or follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our initial experience demonstrates that refractory bile duct leaks may be successfully treated with microcatheter-mediated APC endoscopically or percutaneously. Further research is needed to confirm the safety, efficacy, and clinical indications for this innovative technique.

Endoscopic stenting for gastroduodenal outlet obstruction of a malignant origin, real life experience in a single center

AIM: to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of self-expandable metal stent placement for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). METHODS: a retrospective, analytic cohort study at a single, tertiary-care center. RESULTS: thirty-six patients that underwent stent placement for GOO of malignant origin were identified during the study period. Technical success was achieved in 36 (100 %) patients and clinical success was achieved in 31 patients (86.1 %). Before the procedure, 17 (54.8 %) patients had a gastric outlet obstruction score (GOOSS) of 0, which is a complete inability of oral intake. Twenty-three patients were alive 30 days after the procedure, two (8.6 %) patients had a GOOSS of 1, ten (43.3 %) had a GOOSS of 2 and eleven (47.9 %) had a GOOSS of 3. Abdominal pain was present in all 31 patients before the procedure and only seven (22.6 %) patients continued with abdominal pain 24 hours after the procedure. During follow-up, ten (30.3 %) patients developed complications related to the stents and none of them was fatal. Additional therapy due to partial occlusion of the stent was necessary in three patients. The stents functional duration had a median of 72 days (IQR 25-75 15-105 days) and was closely related to overall survival. CONCLUSION: palliative stenting for gastroduodenal obstruction is a safe, feasible and effective therapy to treat patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction

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Endoscopic stenting for gastroduodenal outlet obstruction of a malignant origin, real life experience in a single center.

AIM: to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of self-expandable metal stent placement for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). METHODS: a retrospective, analytic cohort study at a single, tertiary-care center. RESULTS: thirty-six patients that underwent stent placement for GOO of malignant origin were identified during the study period. Technical success was achieved in 36 (100 %) patients and clinical success was achieved in 31 patients (86.1 %). Before the procedure, 17 (54.8 %) patients had a gastric outlet obstruction score (GOOSS) of 0, which is a complete inability of oral intake. Twenty-three patients were alive 30 days after the procedure, two (8.6 %) patients had a GOOSS of 1, ten (43.3 %) had a GOOSS of 2 and eleven (47.9 %) had a GOOSS of 3. Abdominal pain was present in all 31 patients before the procedure and only seven (22.6 %) patients continued with abdominal pain 24 hours after the procedure. During follow-up, ten (30.3 %) patients developed complications related to the stents and none of them was fatal. Additional therapy due to partial occlusion of the stent was necessary in three patients. The stents functional duration had a median of 72 days (IQR 25-75 15-105 days) and was closely related to overall survival. CONCLUSION: palliative stenting for gastroduodenal obstruction is a safe, feasible and effective therapy to treat patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction.

Cirugía endoscópica transluminal NOTES: resultados experimentales iniciales / Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): initial experimental results

Introducción: La aparición de la cirugía endoscópica transorificial (NOTES) y de nuevos prototipos para su realización nos llevó a diseñar un programa de cirugía experimental. Material y métodos: Se ha realizado durante 1 año cirugía de NOTES en cerdas, cumpliendo la normativa europea de experimentación animal. Se han practicado 90 intervenciones sin supervivencia animal. En este estudio se ha evaluado: a) complejidad de las vías de acceso (transgástrica, transvaginal, transesofágica y transumbilical); b) técnicas de ayuda para la orientación temporoespacial, y c) posibilidades técnicas de cierre de los orificios viscerales (clips, t-bars®, clips de Obesco® y sutura por endoscopia). Las intervenciones practicadas mediante uno o dos endoscopios han sido: anexectomía, colecistectomía, biopsia de adenopatías mediastínicas, pancreatectomía distal y gastroyeyunostomía. Resultados: Esta experiencia nos ha permitido conocer una serie de aspectos técnicos imprescindibles para el desarrollo del NOTES: a) el neumoperitoneo con CO2 es más seguro para la entrada; b) el tamaño del orificio es importante para limitar la contaminación; c) la entrada con punción y dilatación con guía es más segura; d) la buena localización de la salida gástrica facilita el abordaje de las vísceras a disecar; e) la hemorragia intrabdominal es de difícil control; f) el cierre con garantías absolutas de fuga no existe, los clips no lo garantizan, los t-bars® y clips de Obesco® y la sutura endoscópica pueden funcionar, y g) la posibilidad de utilizar endoscopios que triangulan facilita la disección. Conclusiones: La NOTES requiere de un equipo multidisciplinario con cirujanos laparoscopistas y endoscopistas. La realización de NOTES pura es compleja; posiblemente las formas híbridas o la vía transumbilical sean fases intermedias (AU)

Introduction: The advent of natural orifice endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and new prototypes for performing this surgical procedure led us to design an experimental animal surgical programme. Material and method: NOTES was performed over a period of one year, in sows, following the European guidelines on the use of experimental animals. Ninety operations were performed with no animals surviving. The following aspects were assessed: 1. Access route complexity (transgastric, transvaginal, transesophageal and transumbilical). 2. Support measures for temporal/spatial orientation. 3. Technical possibilities for visceral orifice closure (clips, T-bars®, Obesco® clips and endoscopic suture). Resections of fallopian tubes, ovaries, gallbladder, mediastinal lymph nodes, tail of the pancreas and gastrojejunal derivations were performed with one or two endoscopes. Results: This experience enabled us to highlight a series of technical aspects essential for these techniques: 1. Pneumoperitoneum with CO2 is safer for entry. 2. Orifice size is important to limit contamination. 3. Puncture entry and guided dilation is safer. 4. Good gastric exit location makes it easier to approach viscera to be resected. 5. Intra-abdominal haemorrhage is difficult to control. 6. Leak-free closure cannot be guaranteed with clips, but t-bars® and Obesco® clips may be effective. 7. Endoscopes that permit triangulation may facilitate the dissection and endoscopic suture. Conclusions: NOTES requires a multidisciplinary team comprising laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeons. Pure NOTES is complex and hybrid forms or transumbilical route could be intermediate steps (AU)

[Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES): initial experimental results]. / Cirugía endoscópica transluminal NOTES: resultados experimentales iniciales.

INTRODUCTION: The advent of natural orifice endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and new prototypes for performing this surgical procedure led us to design an experimental animal surgical programme. MATERIAL AND METHOD: NOTES was performed over a period of one year, in sows, following the European guidelines on the use of experimental animals. Ninety operations were performed with no animals surviving. The following aspects were assessed: 1. Access route complexity (transgastric, transvaginal, transesophageal and transumbilical). 2. Support measures for temporal/spatial orientation. 3. Technical possibilities for visceral orifice closure (clips, T-bars, Obesco clips and endoscopic suture). Resections of fallopian tubes, ovaries, gallbladder, mediastinal lymph nodes, tail of the pancreas and gastrojejunal derivations were performed with one or two endoscopes. RESULTS: This experience enabled us to highlight a series of technical aspects essential for these techniques: 1. Pneumoperitoneum with CO(2) is safer for entry. 2. Orifice size is important to limit contamination. 3. Puncture entry and guided dilation is safer. 4. Good gastric exit location makes it easier to approach viscera to be resected. 5. Intra-abdominal haemorrhage is difficult to control. 6. Leak-free closure cannot be guaranteed with clips, but t-bars and Obesco clips may be effective. 7. Endoscopes that permit triangulation may facilitate the dissection and endoscopic suture. CONCLUSIONS: NOTES requires a multidisciplinary team comprising laparoscopic and endoscopic surgeons. Pure NOTES is complex and hybrid forms or transumbilical route could be intermediate steps.