The laparoscopic ileal interposition via either a sleeve gastrectomy or diverted sleeve gastrectomy seems to be a promising procedure for the control of T2DM and the metabolic syndrome. A longer follow-up period is needed.

The authors report on a group of 114 patients with common bile duct (CBD) stones who were treated by laparoscopic surgery. Management through the cystic duct was considered the first option. Choledochotomy was used for those patients in which the cystic approach was not possible or was unsuccessful. Transcystic lithotripsy was considered for patients with CBD stones in disproportion with the size of the cystic duct. Laparoscopic antegrade sphincterotomy was indicated as a drainage procedure. The transcystic approach was used in 89.5% of the patients; choledochotomy was used in 6.2%; and both ways were used in 4.3%. Different procedures were used, including mechanical and electrohydraulic lithotripsy, choledochotomy with T-tube or endoprostheses drainage, laparoscopic sphincterotomy, end-to-end common bile duct anastomosis, and choledochoduodenum anastomosis. One of the patients was in the 21st week of pregnancy. The laparoscopic approach to choledocholithiasis was successfully performed in 94.8% of the patients. Mean hospital stay was 1.7 days. There was a 6.2% incidence of complications and the mortality rate was 0.9%. In 84.3% of the patients, the transcystic approach was used successfully, with a complication rate of 4.9% and a mean hospital stay of 1.6 days. Three patients were converted to open surgery early in this series. Thus far, one patients has presented residual CBD stones. The results obtained suggest that laparoscopic common bile duct exploration is a technically feasible procedure, with low complication and mortality rates, although it requires adequate selection of patients and a variety of techniques and types of equipment.

Laparoscopic II-DSG was an effective operation in controlling T2DM in a nonobese (BM < 30 kg/m2) population. Associated diseases and related complications were also improved. A longer follow-up period is needed.

There was a significant hormonal change following laparoscopic ileal interposition. These alterations may explain the promising good results associated to these operations for the treatment of T2DM in the nonmorbidly obese population.

Laparoscopic II-SG and II-DSG seem to be promising procedures for the control of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. A longer follow-up period is needed.

Nineteen patients underwent laparoscopic reoperations for failed or complicated antireflux operations from a total of 248 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease who had been operated on by this approach. Sixteen had been submitted to open surgery and three to laparoscopic surgery over a period ranging from 5 days to 31 years before the study. Three patients had been submitted to two open antireflux surgeries previously. Seventeen patients had recurrent reflux esophagitis after different types of surgeries, and two patients presented with gastric strangulation after fundoplication. The causes of recurrence were: slipped total fundoplications (3), disruption of total and partial fundoplications (6), too-tight total fundoplication (1), too-low (gastric) partial fundoplication (1), Allison procedure (1), partial fundoplication and paraesophageal hernia (2), and unknown (3). The laparoscopic approach was used in 18 patients and a laparoscopic-thoracoscopic approach in 1. The procedures included laparoscopic total fundoplications (11), partial fundoplications (4), transhiatal esophagectomy (1), Collis-Nissen (1), Roux-en-Y gastrectomy and thoracoscopic vagotomy (1), and intrathoracic fundoplication (1). One patient was converted to open surgery. Intraoperative complications included 1 pneumothorax, 1 gastric perforation, and 1 esophageal perforation during the introduction of a Maloney dilator. Mean operative time was 210 min, ranging from 140 to 320 min. Mean hospital stay was 3.1 days after treatment of failed operations and 22 days after treatment of complications. Postoperative complications included subcutaneous infection (1), gastric fistula (1), and liver hematoma (1). The results have been excellent and good in 84.3% of the patients after a mean follow-up of 13 months. We concluded that laparoscopic reoperations are technically feasible with good preliminary results provided that the mandatory expertise is available.

Foregut injury resulting from esophagogastric intubation during laparoscopic surgery is more common than expected. Risk factors include esophageal anatomy, intrinsic pathologic changes of the esophagus, and inexperience. Prevention must focus on close communication between the surgeon and anesthesiologist and safe techniques of dilator insertion.

The authors describe the technique and results of laparoscopic antegrade sphincterotomy. The procedure was performed in 42 selected cases of choledocholithiasis. The indications for attempting laparoscopic antegrade sphincterotomy included impacted stones in the papilla, multiple common bile duct stones, one or more common hepatic or intrahepatic stones, dilated common bile duct requiring a drainage procedure, suspicion of papillary stenosis, whenever numerous fragments are found after lithotripsy, and as an adjunct procedure when the surgeon cannot completely remove all the stones in the bile ducts. No major complications or mortality was observed. One patient had a selflimited drop in the hematocrit and four patients presented with transitory mild hyperamylasemia that returned to normal levels in 72 hours. Laparoscopic antegrade sphincterotomy added an average of 17 minutes to the laparoscopic operation. The mean postoperative stay was 1.4 days. The results of this study conclude that laparoscopic antegrade sphincterotomy is an option of great therapeutic value for selected cases when drainage of the biliary tract concomitant to the treatment of choledocholithiasis is necessary. Copyright© 1997 by W B. Saunders CompanyGurrently, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the procedure of choice in the treatment of patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis.' For those 10 to 15 patients with suspected or proven choledocholithiasis in association, the best treatment remains a challenge for the laparoscopic surgeon.2The controversy in choosing the appropriate approach for patients with cholelithiasis and common bile duct stones (CBD) is related to the clinical presentation and associated disease processes, presence of complications, difficulty in obtaining a precise preoperative diagnosis, and availability of equipment, as well as expertise of the surgical team. Many treatment modalities have been proposed, including conversion to open surgery, pre or postoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatgraph (ERCP), intraoperative endoscopy with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES), and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration. Current evaluation of the results of ERCP and ES for CBD stones demonstrates a 90% to 95% success rate and 5% to 10% incidence of major complications. Mortality is less than 1%. The development of late complications such as papillary stenosis, recurrent CBD stones, and cholangitis ranges from 5% to 10%.3-6 Intraoperative ERCP and sphincterotomy during laparoscopic cholecystectomy has the advantage of treating both gallbladder and CBD stones in a single procedure, technical feasibility, and probably a lower incidence of pancreati tiS.7 The disadvantages include the need of special equipment in the operative room, presence of an experienced endoscopist, the supine position of the patient, and abdominal distension mandated by the laparoscopic procedure.Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration, both transcystic and through a choledochotomy, is currently associated with a high success rate and low morbidit...