Long-term results after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in a large monocentric series.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has gained great popularity as a stand-alone bariatric procedure because short- and mid-term outcomes in terms of weight loss and resolution of co-morbidities have been very positive. However, long-term results from large series still are sparse. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of SG in a large series of patients undergoing SG as a stand-alone procedure. SETTING: University hospital in Italy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 182 patients undergoing SG between 2006 and 2008 in the authors' institution. Long-term outcomes at 6 and 7 years were analyzed in terms of weight loss and co-morbidities resolution. RESULTS: Mean initial body mass index (BMI) was 45.9±7.3 kg/m(2). Major postoperative complications occurred in 8 patients (5.4%): 4 leaks, 2 bleeding, 1 abdominal collection, and 1 dysphagia. All complications were managed conservatively. One hundred forty-eight patients (81.4%) completed the 72-month (6-year) follow-up. Thirty-seven patients (25%) reached a follow-up of 84 months. At year 6 follow-up the mean BMI and the mean percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) were 30.2 kg/m(2) and 67.3%, respectively. Mean total body weight loss was 44.9 kg, while a %EWL >50 was registered in 123 patients (83.1%). Preoperative BMI did not significantly influence postoperative %EWL. Remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms occurred in 83.8%, 59.7%, 75.6%, and 64.7% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: %EWL and resolution of co-morbidities appear to be sustained 6 and 7 years after SG. Preoperative BMI is not predictive for weight loss outcomes.

Dietary therapy: a new strategy for management of chronic pelvic pain.

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) can be identified as a chronic nociceptive, inflammatory and neuropathic pain characterised by spontaneous pain and an exaggerated response to painful and/or innocuous stimuli. This pain condition is extremely debilitating and usually difficult to treat. Currently, the main approaches to treatment include counselling supported by reassuring ultrasound scanning or psychotherapy, attempting to provide reassurance using laparoscopy to exclude serious pelvic pathology, hormonal therapy and neuroablative treatment to interrupt nerve pathways. Dietary supplementation has been suggested as a means to treat chronic medical illnesses that are poorly responsive to prescription drugs or in which therapeutic options are limited, costly or carry a high side-effect profile. A comprehensive search of the PubMed database was performed using the search terms 'chronic pelvic pain', 'oxidative stress', 'antioxidants' and 'dietary therapy'. The systematic review focuses on both randomised and non-randomised controlled trials from 2005 onwards, in which CPP was the end point. Given the complexity and not well-understood aetiology of CPP, its treatment is often unsatisfactory and limited to partial symptom relief. Dietary therapy with antioxidants improves function of the immune system and in fighting free radical damage. Agents with antioxidant activity are able to improve CPP without undesired effects and any important metabolic changes associated with hormonal suppression therapy. In conclusion, dietary therapy with antioxidants could be considered as a new effective strategy in the long term for CPP, and may be better accepted by patients. Further randomised trials with larger series and long-term follow-up to confirm these observations are needed.