Small bowel strictures.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Strictures of the small bowel are an underdiagnosed entity with significant morbidity because of obstruction and risk of perforation and penetrating disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent advances in imaging, enteroscopy, and therapeutic advances particularly in Crohn's disease have enabled gastroenterologists to target and individualize management of small bowel strictures, preventing untimely surgery and complications. SUMMARY: All patients with obstructive symptoms, suspected small bowel disease, and negative panendoscopy should be evaluated for small intestinal strictures with cross-sectional imaging and considered for capsule endoscopy. Furthermore, the role of device-assisted enteroscopy, initially employed as a diagnostic tool, has evolved into triaging and delivering further medical and interventional treatments.

Short-term outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity: does staple line reinforcement matter?

BACKGROUND: Stand-alone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been found to be effective in producing weight loss but few large, one-center LSG series have been reported. Gastric leakage from the staple line is a life-threatening complication of LSG, but there is controversy about whether buttressing the staple line with a reinforcement material will reduce leaks. We describe a single-center, 518-patient series of LSG procedures in which a synthetic buttressing material (GORE® SEAMGUARD® Bioabsorbable Staple Line Reinforcement) was used in the most recently treated patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent LSG in our unit between September 2007 and December 2011. Patients treated before August 2009 did not receive the staple line reinforcement material (n = 186), whereas all patients treated afterward did (n = 332). RESULTS: The percentages of excess weight loss in the 518 patients (mean age, 41 years; 82% female; mean preoperative body mass index, 44 kg/m(2)) were 67% (79% follow-up rate) at 6 months postoperatively, 81% (64%) at 1 year, and 84% (30%) at 2 years. Type 2 diabetes resolved in 71 % of patients (91/128). Patients given reinforcement material had baseline characteristics similar to those in the no-reinforcement-material group, but had no postoperative staple line leaks or bleeding. The no-reinforcement group had three leaks (p = 0.045) and one case of bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: LSG resulted in substantial short-term weight loss. Use of the bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement material may decrease leaks after LSG.

Biphasic calcium phosphate contained within a polyetheretherketone cage with and without plating for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the properties of a combination bone graft consisting of biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage in one- and two-level surgery. METHODS: Over a 12-month time period, a prospective single surgeon series of 75 patients were included in the study and 58 patients selected based on adequate data points. From these 58 patients, 32 were supplemented with anterior plate fixation and 26 patients without plating. Duration of clinical follow-up was a mean of 12.4 months (range, 6-26 months) in the Plated Group and 10.5 months (range, 6-21 months) in the Non-Plated Group. RESULTS: A 100% fusion rate with nil graft related complications was achieved in the Plated group compared with 96.2% fusion and 11.5% subsidence rates reported in the Non-Plated group. Patients in both groups experienced statistically significant improvement in pain and functional outcomes compared to their pre-operative status; however, there was no significant difference in outcome between the Plated and Non-Plated Groups. CONCLUSIONS: Biphasic calcium phosphate ceramic contained within a PEEK cage is an effective implant for use in anterior cervical surgery with high fusion rates and good clinical outcome.