Treatment of anastomotic leaks with metallic stent after esophagectomies.

The diagnosis and the treatment of anastomotic leak after esophagectomy are the keys to reduce the morbidity and mortality after this surgery. The stent plays an important role in the treatment of the leakage and in the prevention of reoperation. We have analyzed the database of the section of the esophagogastric surgery of Donostia University Hospital from June 2003 to May 2012. It is a retrospective study of 113 patients with esophagectomy resulting from tumor, and 24 (21.13%) of these patients developed anastomotic leak. Of these 24 patients, 13 (54.16%) have been treated with a metallic stent and 11 (45.84%) without a stent. The average age of the patients was 55.69 and 62.45 years, respectively. All patients treated with and without a stent have been males. Eight (61.5%) stents were placed in the neck and five (38.5%) in the chest. However, among the 11 fistulas treated without a stent, 9 patients had cervical anastomosis (81.81%) and 2 patients (18.18%) had anastomosis in the chest. Twelve patients (92.30%) with a stent preserve digestive continuity, and 10 patients (90.90%) were treated without a stent. One patient died in the stent group and one in the nonstent group. The treatment with metallic stent of the anastomotic leak after esophagectomy is an option that can prevent reoperation in these patients, but it does not decrease the average of the hospital stay. The stent may be more useful in thoracic anastomotic leaks.

Selective sphincteroplasty of the papilla in cases at risk due to atypical anatomy.

AIM: To analyze the indications, efficacy and safety of sphincteroplasty in our centre. METHODS: A retrospective study of sphincteroplasty in 53 cases of papilla at high risk was performed in 2004-2006. The procedure consisted of duodenoscopy with Olympus TJF 145 Videoduodenoscope, approach to the biliary tract using a catheter with a guidewire, and dilatation of the papilla with a dilatation balloon catheter using a syringe with a manometer for control of the filling pressure. RESULTS: The indications included intradiverticular papilla in 26 patients (49%), stenosis of a previous sphincterotomy in 19 patients (35.8%), small size of the papilla in 4 patients (7.5%), Billroth II gastrectomy in 3 patients (5.6%), and coagulopathy in one patient (1.9%). The efficacy was 97.8%, with all the calculi extracted from the common bile duct in 84.4% of the patients, even though 21 of the patients (39.6%) had calculi with a diameter equal to or greater than 10 mm. Seven patients (13.2%) presented complications: haemorrhage in 1 patient (1.9%) and mild pancreatitis in 6 patients (11.3%). The mean hospital stay in case of complications was of 3 +/- 0.63 d. CONCLUSION: Sphincteroplasty is highly effective, with a complication rate similar to that of sphincterotomy, furthermore, the complications are of low clinical importance. The use of the 10 mm balloon makes it possible to extract calculi with a diameter of over 15 mm and to extract more than 3 calculi without increasing the rate of complications and reduces the need to resort to lithotripsy or rescue sphincterotomy.