An inlet patch is a congenital anomaly consisting of ectopic gastric mucosa at or just distal to the upper esophageal sphincter. Most inlet patches are largely asymptomatic, but in problematic cases complications related to acid secretion such as esophagitis, ulcer, web and stricture may occur. The diagnosis of inlet patch is strongly suggested on barium swallow where the most common pattern consists of two small indentations on the wall of the esophagus. The diagnosis of inlet patch is confirmed via endoscopy with biopsy. At endoscopy, the lesion appears salmon-coloured and velvety and is easily distinguished from the normal grey-white squamous epithelium of the esophagus. The prominent margins correlate with the radiological findings of indentations and rim-like shadows on barium swallow. Histopathology provides the definitive diagnosis by demonstrating gastric mucosa adjacent to normal esophageal mucosa. No treatment is required for asymptomatic inlet patches. Symptomatic cases are treated with proton pump inhibitors to relieve symptoms related to acid secretion. Strictures and webs are treated with serial dilatation and should be biopsied to rule out malignancy.

Background: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a relatively new bariatric procedure with a number of advantages compared with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. However, SG also has a number of disadvantages and associated risks. We sought to examine perioperative complications and outcomes of laparoscopic SG (LSG) in a single major Canadian bariatric surgery centre (Victoria, BC).

Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction, occurring when one or more large gallstones erode through the gallbladder and into the intestinal lumen. The presentation is often nonspecific with intermittent symptoms, confounding diagnosis, and delaying treatment. The traditional treatment is through open enterolithotomy. Thus far only 30 of over 400 case reports on MEDLINE describe laparoscopic enterolithotomy. In this article we describe a successful total laparoscopic approach to the treatment of gallstone ileus.

We have shown that it is feasible to run a high volume CTC service in a general hospital given hospital support and funding. The benefits in this group of over 2000 patients included avoidance of colonoscopy in over 70% of patients, detection of significant polyps or cancer in approximately 20% of patients, and identification of clinically important conditions in 7%-18% depending on the definition used. The estimated costs including capital, operating, and professional fees were in the range of $400.