Intraoperative diagnosis and treatment of Achalasia using EndoFLIP during Heller Myotomy and Dor fundoplication.

BACKGROUND: Manometry is the gold standard diagnostic test for achalasia. However, there are incidences where manometry cannot be obtained preoperatively, or the results of manometry is inconsistent with the patient's symptomatology. We aim to determine if intraoperative use of EndoFLIP can provide a diagnosis of achalasia and provide objective information during Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication. METHODS: To determine the intraoperative diagnostic EndoFLIP values for patients with achalasia, we determined the optimal cut-off points of the distensibility index (DI) between patients with a diagnosis of achalasia and patients with a diagnosis of hiatal hernia. To evaluate the usefulness of EndoFLIP values during Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication, we obtained a cohort of patients with EndoFLIP values obtained after Heller myotomy and after Dor fundoplication as well as Eckardt score before and after surgery. RESULTS: Our analysis of 169 patients (133 hiatal hernia and 36 achalasia) showed that patients with DI < 0.8 have a >99% probability of having achalasia, while DI > 2.3 have a >99% probability of having hiatal hernia. Patients with a DI 0.8-1.3 have a 95% probability of having achalasia, and patients with a DI of 1.4-2.2 have a 94% probability of having a hiatal hernia. There were 40 patients in the cohort to determine objective data during Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication. The DI increased from a median of 0.7 to 3.2 after myotomy and decreased to 2.2 after Dor fundoplication (p < 0.001). The median Eckardt score went down from a median of 4.5 to 0 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that intraoperative use of EndoFLIP can facilitate the diagnosis of achalasia and is used as an adjunct to diagnose achalasia when symptoms are inconsistent. The routine use of EndoFLIP during Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication provides objective data during the operation in a group of patients with excellent short-term outcomes.

A novel EndoFLIP marker during hiatal hernia repair is associated with short-term postoperative dysphagia.

BACKGROUND: Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) provides an objective measure of the distensibility index (DI) during different parts of hiatal hernia repair. However, the absolute DI measure above a cut-off after creating a barrier alone has not shown a relationship to dysphagia after surgery. We wanted to determine if the change in DI with volume change is associated with dysphagia. METHODS: We included patients who had hiatal hernia repair with EndoFLIP values, including two values taken at the end of the surgical case with different volumes of fluid in the balloon (30 mL and 40 mL). We compared the absolute and change in DI during hiatal hernia repair and performed an analysis to determine if there was a correlation with short-term clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Most of the patients underwent Toupet fundoplication (n = 56, 54%), followed by magnetic sphincter augmentation (LINX, n = 28, 27%) and Nissen fundoplication (n = 19, 18%). There was a significant reduction in the DI from the initial DI taken after mobilization of the hiatus (3 mm2/mmHg) and after the creation of the barrier (1.4 mm2/mmHg, p < 0.001). A minority of patients had a decrease or no change in the DI with an increase in balloon volume increased from 30 to 40 mL (n = 37, 36%). Overall, after 1 month, there was a significant decrease in the GERD-HRQL score from 23 to 4 (p < 0.001) and bloat score from 3 to 2 (p = 0.003) with a non-significant decrease in the dysphagia score from 1 to 0 (p = 0.11). Patients who had a decreased or unchanged DI with an increase in the balloon volume from 30 to 40 mL had a significant decrease in their dysphagia score by 2 points (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The decreased or unchanged DI with an increase in the balloon volume on EndoFLIP is associated with a significant reduction in dysphagia after surgery. The decrease in DI denotes the esophagus's ability to create higher pressure relative to the change in the cross-sectional area with a larger bolus across the gastroesophageal junction. This measure may be a new marker that can predict short-term outcomes in patients undergoing hiatal hernia repair.

Surgical Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation for Ventricular Arrhythmias: A Systematic Review.

Ventricular arrhythmias are potentially life-threatening disorders that are commonly treated with medications, catheter ablation and implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Adult patients who continue to be symptomatic, with frequent ventricular arrhythmia cardiac events or defibrillation from ICD despite medical treatment, are a challenging subgroup to manage. Surgical cardiac sympathetic denervation has emerged as a possible treatment option for people refractory to less invasive medical options. Recent treatment guidelines have recommendedcardiac sympathectomy for ventricular tachycardia (VT) or VT/fibrillation storm refractory to antiarrhythmic medications, long QT syndrome, and catecholaminergic polymorphic VT, with much of the data pertaining to pediatric literature. However, for the adult population, the disease indications, complications, and risks of cardiac sympathectomy are less understood, as are the most effective surgical cardiac denervation techniques for this patient demographic. This systematic review navigates available literature evaluating surgical denervation disease state indications, techniques, and sympathectomy risks for medically refractory ventricular arrhythmia in the adult patient population.

Factors associated with home opioid use after thoracic surgery.

Objective: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) with a pre-emptive pain management program has been shown to decrease opioid prescriptions after thoracic surgery. We sought to determine which patient or procedural factors were associated with the need for prescription opioid medications after thoracic surgical procedures. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of a postoperative pain survey at the time of follow-up in combination with procedural and patient characteristic data. We then performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression to determine factors associated with prescription opioids use. Results: Two hundred twenty-eight patients completed questionnaires at a median of 37 days after surgery. Most patients received minimally invasive surgery (n = 213, 93%) with the 2 most common types of operations being foregut (n = 92, 40%) and pulmonary resection (n = 80, 35%). Thirty-nine percent of patients (n = 89) were taking chronic pain medications preoperatively, with 15% on chronic opioids medication (n = 33). After surgery, 166 patients (72%) did not take opioids at home. Multivariate analysis showed any chronic opioid medications before surgery (odds ratio, 28.8; 95% confidence interval, 9.13-90.8, P < .001) were associated with opioid use postoperatively. In contrast, increase in age was associated with a decrease in opioid use (odds ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.93-0.99, P = .01). Conclusions: ERAS with pre-emptive pain management was associated with patients avoiding opioid prescriptions during recovery. The patient factor of preoperative opioid pain medication(s) and younger age is a significant factor for the patient needing opioids at home after surgery instead of procedural factors. Patient characteristics should be considered when tailoring the patient's pain management after thoracic surgical procedures.

Short-term outcome of routine use of EndoFLIP during hiatal hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) technology is a tool that can be used to provide intraoperative objective real-time feedback during hiatal hernia repair. We wanted to determine the implication of initial distensibility index (DI) after mobilization of hiatus and final DI after creation of barrier in short-term clinical outcomes. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on the intraoperative use of EndoFLIP during hiatal hernia repair at a single institution from 2017 to 2019. We analyzed the initial DI and final DI with the short-term clinical outcomes. RESULTS: There were 163 patients who had Nissen (n = 16), Toupet (n = 79) or magnetic sphincter augmentation (n = 68) with (n = 158) or without (n = 5) hiatal hernia repair with median initial DI was 3.2 mm2/mmHg. We used 3 mm2/mmHg as the cutoff for low (n = 84) vs. high (n = 79) initial DI group. There was no difference in DeMeester score (p = 0.76), the peristalsis on manometry (p = 0.13), type of hiatal hernia (p = 0.98), and GERD-HRQL score prior to surgery (p = 0.73) between the groups. There was significantly higher final DI in the high initial DI group compared to low initial DI group; however, there was no significant difference in the GERD-HRQL score at 1-3 months (p = 0.28). All of the patients had a final DI > 0.5 mm2/mmHg at the end of the case with median final DI of 1.6 mm2/mmHg. None of these patients required steroids (0%) and only one patient (0.6%) required EGD and dilatation as well as re-operation for dysphagia within 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The initial DI was associated with final DI, but it did not correlate with improvement in short-term GERD-HRQL score. Final DI maintained above the cutoff value led to most of the patients not to require intervention for dysphagia. Use of the EndoFLIP can provide objective data during the operation and prevent severe dysphagia after repair.

Impact of da Vinci Xi robot in pulmonary resection.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to evaluate the impact of a da Vinci Xi surgical robot on perioperative outcomes after pulmonary resections. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected STS data was performed at a single institution for patients who underwent elective lung resections from 2012 to 2019. Patient outcomes were compared at three different time periods: before the adoption of the robot technology (predominately VATS), during the initial robot experience (the first 18 months), and after the mature robot experience (the second 18 months). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling was performed to determine the factors associated with perioperative complications. RESULTS: Five hundred and four patients underwent pulmonary resection between the three time periods: 220 patients (43.7%) had surgery prior to the first use of the robot (predominately VATS), 126 patients (25%) had surgery during the initial experience with robot, and 158 patients (31.1%) had surgery during the mature robot experience. There were significantly less post-operative complications (15.2% vs. 34.9% vs. 39.1%, P<0.001), shorter median length of stay (2 vs. 3 vs. 4 days, P<0.001), and lower hospital readmission rates (1.9% vs. 4% vs. 11.8%, P<0.001) in the mature robot period compared to the initial robot period and the predominately VATS period, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the robot was associated with a decrease in post-operative complications (OR 0.36; 95% CI, 0.23-0.57, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of a da Vinci Xi robot in our institution was associated with improved outcomes in patients having pulmonary resections.

Pre-emptive pain management program is associated with reduction of opioid prescription after minimally invasive pulmonary resection.

BACKGROUND: We developed and implemented a pre-emptive pain management program wherein providers agreed to have non-opioid pain medication as a standard pain management strategy at discharge accompanied by patient education about the program. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study of prospectively collected data of patients who underwent minimally invasive pulmonary resection. We compared the outcomes among patients who were managed with pre-emptive pain management program with enhanced recovery after surgery (Pre-emptive), enhanced recovery program after surgery alone (ERAS) and standard care (control). RESULTS: Of the 443 patients, 132 patients (30%) were in the pre-emptive pain management group, 90 (20%) patients were in the ERAS only group and 221 (50%) in the control group. There were significantly fewer complications (15.9% vs. 23.3% vs. 38%, P<0.001), shorter median length of hospital stay (2 vs. 3 vs. 3 days, P<0.001), lower 30-day readmission rates (2.3% vs. 3.3% vs. 11.3%, P=0.002), and fewer opioid prescriptions at discharge (17.4% vs. 76.7% vs. 83.7%, P<0.001) in the pre-emptive pain management group compared to the ERAS and control groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the pre-emptive pain management program (OR 0.06; 95% CI, 0.03, 0.11, P<0.001) and robotic surgery (OR 0.52; 95% CI, 0.3, 0.88, P=0.02) were associated with lower odds of patients being discharged to home with opioid prescriptions. The median pain score in the pre-emptive pain group at 30 days after surgery was 1.5 on a pain scale of 1-10. CONCLUSIONS: The pre-emptive pain management program was associated with a decrease in opioid prescriptions after elective pulmonary resections. Successful implementation of this program can lead to significant decreases in the amount of prescription opioids in the community.

Robot-assisted hiatal hernia repair demonstrates favorable short-term outcomes compared to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair.

BACKGROUND: We postulated that the use of robotics may improve outcomes in hiatal hernia repair. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected Society of Thoracic Surgery database at a single institution of patients who underwent elective hiatal hernia repair from 2012 to 2017 using either laparoscopy or the da Vinci Xi robot. We compared patient characteristics and outcomes and then performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression modeling to determine the factors associated with postoperative morbidity. RESULTS: There were 293 consecutive patients who underwent elective hiatal hernia repair using either a laparoscopic (n = 151) or a robotic (n = 142) technique. There were no significant differences in age, gender, BMI, smoking history, presence of comorbidity, or hiatal hernia type. Seventy percent of the cases were a repair of either type III or type IV hiatal hernia. There were significantly higher ASA III and IV (7.9% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.03), higher Toupet fundoplication (83.4% vs. 44.4%, P < 0.001), and lower redo-repair (7.3% vs. 20.4%, P = 0.001) in the laparoscopic group compared to the robotic group. The hospital length of stay was significantly shorter (1.3 ± 1.8 vs. 1.8 ± 1.5 days, P = 0.003) and there were significantly lower rates of complications (6.3 vs. 19.2%, P = 0.001) after robotic compared to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair. There was no difference in readmission rate and mortality. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that older age and laparoscopic technique were associated with higher complications after surgery. CONCLUSION: The use of the Da Vinci Xi robot in our institution was associated with improved outcomes compared to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair despite a higher incidence of re-operative cases in the robotic group. Thus, short-term outcomes of Da Vinci Xi robot-assisted hiatal hernia repair are not inferior to laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair. Further studies are needed to determine if Da Vinci Xi robot provides superior short-term and long-term outcome in treatment of symptomatic hiatal hernia.

Preemptive pain-management program is associated with reduction of opioid prescriptions after benign minimally invasive foregut surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The opioid crisis is partly due to opioids prescribed after elective surgery. We sought to determine if a preemptive pain-management program would be associated with opioid-free discharge after benign foregut surgery. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study of prospectively collected data was conducted at a single institution of patients who underwent elective minimally invasive benign foregut surgery. We compared the outcomes among patients who were managed with standard care (control), enhanced recovery after surgery alone, or a preemptive pain-management program with enhanced recovery after surgery. RESULTS: Among 414 patients, there were significantly fewer opioid medication prescriptions at discharge (9.6% vs 85.2% vs 87%, P < .001) and fewer postoperative complications (3.2% vs 14.8% vs 15.1%, P = .004) in the preemptive pain-management group (n = 94), enhanced recovery after surgery alone (n = 81), and the control group (n = 239), respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the preemptive pain-management program was a factor associated with a decrease in opioid medication prescriptions at discharge (odds ratio, 0.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.03; P < .001), as well as a decrease in complications after surgery (odds ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.06-0.79; P = .02). Moreover, in the preemptive pain-management group, average self-reported pain level in a subset of patients at 30 days after surgery was 0.9 ± 1.4 on a 0- to 10-point pain scale. CONCLUSIONS: The preemptive pain-management program was associated with opioid-free discharge after minimally invasive foregut surgery. This study provides a strategy to reduce opioid prescriptions after foregut surgery and, if implemented nationally, could decrease the amount of opioids used in the community.

Da Vinci Xi robot decreases the number of thoracotomy cases in pulmonary resection.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive pulmonary resection has been shown to provide superior outcomes compared to open thoracotomy. We sought to determine if adding a robot to a general thoracic surgery practice would decrease the total number of open thoracotomy cases. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database from 2012-2017. We grouped patients before and after the date of first robot usage with the vascular stapler in pulmonary resections. We analyzed the number of patients who underwent either an elective thoracotomy or were converted to thoracotomy from a planned minimally invasive approach. RESULTS: There were 389 patients who underwent pulmonary resection between the two time periods. There were 220 patients (56.6%) from 2012-2015 prior to the first use of the robot with vascular stapler and 169 patients (43.4%) from 2016-2017 after the addition of the robot. During the pre-robot time period, 194 of 220 cases (88.2%) were performed with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) while during the post-robot time period, 118 of 169 cases (69.8%) were performed with the robot. A significantly higher number of patients (41 total, 19%) required a thoracotomy in the pre-robot time period compared to the post-robot time period (8 total, 5%, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that adding a robot to the general thoracic surgery program could decrease up to 75% the odds of having thoracotomy [odds ratio=0.25 (95% CI 0.12-0.55, P<0.001)]. CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of a robot with a vascular stapler may decrease the number of patients who require a thoracotomy. Potential explanations include an improved ability to perform complex minimally invasive pulmonary resections.

Using electromagnetic navigation for intraoperative rib fracture localization during rib plating: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: The precise localization of fractured ribs represents one of the primary challenges of surgical rib fixation. Computed tomography (CT) provides the facture's general location, but it is difficult to use the imaging alone to properly place a surgical incision. We used electromagnetic navigation to identify the exact location of the fracture on the patient's skin. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 64-year-old man fell and suffered multiple left-sided nonunion rib fractures (4th to 9th). He was initially treated with a chest tube and analgesia, but he developed chronic pain from the injury. On the CT scan of the chest, the rib fractures were displaced and on exam, the ribs were mobile with reproducible pain and clicks on palpation. We used electromagnetic navigation to determine the fracture's exact location on the skin during the operation, which aided in the location of the incision. The patient had open reduction and internal fixation of the broken ribs using rib plates. The patient had relief from his chronic pain after the surgery. DISCUSSION: The localization of the rib fracture on a patient's skin can be performed using a physical exam, landmarks from the CT scan, or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) procedure. Each of the techniques sacrifices either time or accuracy during the operation. The electromagnetic navigation can provide precise localization of the fracture without sacrificing too much time during the operation. CONCLUSION: The use of electromagnetic navigation to identify the fracture on a patient's skin provides quick and accurate intraoperative localization for surgical rib fixation.

Computed tomography criteria for the use of advanced localization techniques in minimally invasive thoracoscopic lung resection.

BACKGROUND: The significant improvement of patient outcomes from minimally invasive lung surgery has led to the development of advanced lung nodule localization techniques to help manage patients with small suspicious lung nodules or to help resect patients with small pulmonary metastases. However, there are no clear computed tomography (CT) criteria to guide the use of advanced localization techniques for this group of patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who had undergone initial wedge resection of single or multiple lung nodules. We collected demographics, surgical information and surgical outcomes as well as CT scan features. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine which factors were most predictive of the need for advanced localization techniques. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients (73%) were resected by direct identification alone while 17 patients (27%) required advanced localization techniques. Of those requiring advanced localization, 11 patients had cone beam CT, 3 patients had transbronchial localization using electromagnetic navigation and 3 patients had preoperative CT guided wire localization. Patients requiring advanced localization had significantly smaller lung nodules at 0.8 cm compared to 1.4 cm (P=0.01), nodules that were further away from the pleura at 1.3 cm compared 0.1 cm (P<0.001) and were more likely to have ground glass nodules (P=0.01) compared to patients who were resected by direct identification alone. Multiple logistic regression confirmed that nodule size, distance to pleura and ground glass attenuation were predictive factors for requiring advanced localizing techniques. Every patient was treated with minimally invasive lung resection. A 1.3-cm or greater solitary pulmonary nodule less than 5 mm from the pleura can be removed without advanced techniques with a 96% success rate. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, in patients undergoing resection of a suspicious primary or metastatic lung nodule, advanced localization techniques should be considered in those with small non-solid nodules, which are not near the pleural surface on CT scan.

Enhanced recovery after thoracic surgery reduces discharge on highly dependent narcotics.

BACKGROUND: There is large prescription drug epidemic in United States. We want to determine if ERATS (enhanced recovery after thoracic surgery) program can reduce discharge on highly dependent narcotics. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on patients who underwent lung resection and foregut procedures on thoracic surgery service over an 8-month time period. Patients underwent preoperative conditioning instructions, multimodal non-narcotic pharmaceutical usage, total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and minimizing highly addictive narcotics during the post-operative period. We gathered information on demographics, indication and type of surgery, morbidity, mortality and length of stay. We also recorded the type of pain medication patients were given as a prescription based on the Drug Enforcement Agency's classification schedule. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients underwent lung resection and 54 patients underwent foregut surgery. There were no mortalities in either group. Ten percent of patients after lung surgery and 6% after foregut surgery had a greater than grade II complication. The median length of stay after lung resection was 2 days and foregut surgery was 1 day. Only 10% of patients went home after lung resection and 2% after foregut surgery with a prescription for schedule II narcotics. We found that patients who were on schedule II narcotics prior to surgery all went home with schedule II narcotics. CONCLUSIONS: We found that ERATS program for thoracic surgical cases can reduce the number of patients going home with highly dependent narcotics. This strategy will decrease the availability of highly addictive prescription drugs in the community.

Tailored Fundoplication With Endoluminal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe Allows for Successful Minimally Invasive Hiatal Hernia Repair.

Endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) can provide real time information about characteristics of the gastroesophageal junction. We performed retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on use of EndoFLIP during minimally invasive hiatal hernia repair to tailor the size of the crural closure and size of the fundoplication. We then determined whether it provides good reflux control without significant dysphagia. Forty patients underwent minimally invasive hiatal hernia repair with fundoplication. After fundoplication, the average minimal diameter (Dmin) decreased to 5.97±0.6 from 8.92±1.93 mm, and distensibility index decreased to 1.26±0.38 from 2.88±1.55 mm/mm Hg (P<0.0001). After 1 month, none of the patients had reflux or significant dysphagia. EndoFLIP can be used to tailor fundoplication with good functional outcome. Further studies are needed to understand the long-term consequences of tailored fundoplication.

Routine use of mesh during hiatal closure is safe with no increase in adverse sequelae.

BACKGROUND: Primary laparoscopic hiatal repair with fundoplication is associated with a high recurrence rate. We wanted to evaluate the potential risks posed by routine use of onlay-mesh during hiatal closure, when compared to primary repair. METHODS: Utilizing single-institutional database, we identified patients who underwent primary laparoscopic hiatal repair from January 2005 through December 2014. Retrospective chart review was performed to determine perioperative morbidity and mortality. Long-term results were assessed by sending out a questionnaire. Results were tabulated and patients were divided into 2 groups: fundoplication with hiatal closure + absorbable or non-absorbable mesh and fundoplication with hiatal closure alone. RESULTS: A total of 505 patients underwent primary laparoscopic fundoplication. Mesh reinforcement was used in 270 patients (53.5%). There was no significant difference in the 30-day perioperative outcomes between the 2 groups. No clinically apparent erosions were noted and no mesh required removal. Standard questionnaire was sent to 475 patients; 174 (36.6%) patients responded with a median follow-up of 4.29 years. Once again, no difference was noted between the 2 groups in terms of dysphagia, heartburn, long-term antacid use, or patient satisfaction. Of these, 15 patients (16.9%, 15/89) in the 'Mesh' cohort had symptomatic recurrence as compared to 19 patients (22.4%, 19/85) in the 'No Mesh' cohort (p = 0.362). A reoperation was necessary in 6 patients (6.7%) in the 'Mesh' cohort as compared to 3 patients (3.5%) in the 'No Mesh' cohort (p = 0.543). CONCLUSIONS: Onlay-mesh use in laparoscopic hiatal repair with fundoplication is safe and has similar short and long-term results as primary repair.

Clinical outcomes following self-expanding metal stent placement for esophageal salvage.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) for esophageal salvage in patients who would otherwise require esophageal/conduit resection. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients who had SEMS placed from January 2010 to December 2015. Patient demographics, esophageal stent characteristics, and outcomes were assessed in our patient cohort. RESULTS: Our study included a total of 83 patients. A total of 148 SEMS were placed, with 121 partially covered SEMS (pcSEMS) and 27 fully covered SEMS (cSEMS). A stent was placed more than once in 42.2% of the patients. Median duration of stent placement was 23 days. Indications for SEMS placement included esophageal leak after esophageal resection (45.8%), spontaneous esophageal perforation (22.9%), iatrogenic esophageal perforation (20.5%), and esophageal obstruction (9.6%). Complications from SEMS placement included 6 stent migrations and 1 esophageal perforation. Of the 6 stents that migrated, 2 were pcSEMS and 4 were cSEMS. In a patient who underwent stent placement for a stricture refractory to dilation, a perforation at the distal end was discovered 2 days after stent removal. The perforation healed after the second SEMS placement. Ultimately, 15 patients (18.1%) had to undergo a subsequent esophagectomy or takedown of their conduit with an overall 81.9% salvage of native esophagus or conduits. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the successful use of SEMS in patients with anastomotic leaks, perforations, and recalcitrant strictures.

Management of gastric conduit dehiscence with self-expanding metal stents: a case report on salvaging the gastric conduit.

BACKGROUND: Three-hole minimally invasive esophagectomy (3HMIE) is one of the most radical procedures in gastrointestinal surgery. It involves thoracoscopic dissection of the esophagus followed by creation of a gastric conduit in the abdomen with anastomosis in the neck, and is associated with significant morbidity. Gastric conduit dehiscence is one of the most morbid complications following esophagectomy. Historically, the standard of care in this situation has been conduit diversion with delayed esophageal reconstruction. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we report two patients with a timely diagnosis of gastric conduit dehiscence of staple line after 3HMIE who were salvaged successfully with endoscopic placement of self-expanding metal stents. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic stents may be used in selected cases of gastric conduit dehiscence after 3HMIE to salvage the conduit.