Gastrobronchial fistula (GBF) is a serious complication following bariatric surgery, whose treatment by thoracotomy and/or laparotomy involves a high morbidity rate. We present the outcomes of endoscopic management for GBF as a helpful technique for its healing process. This is a multicenter retrospective study of 15 patients who underwent gastric bypass (n = 10) and sleeve gastrectomy (n = 5) and presented GBF postoperatively (mean of 6.7 months). Ten patients developed lung abscess and were treated by antibiotic therapy (n = 10) and thoracotomy (n = 3). Abdominal reoperation was performed in nine patients for abscess drainage (n = 9) and/or ring removal (n = 4) and/or nutritional access (n = 6). The source of the GBF was at the angle of His (n = 14). Furthermore, 14 patients presented a narrowing of the gastric pouch treated by 20 or 30 mm aggressive balloon dilation (n = 11), stricturotomy or septoplasty (n = 10) and/or stent (n = 7). Fibrin glue was used in one patient. We performed, on average, 4.5 endoscopic sessions per patient. Endotherapy led to a 93.3% (14 out of 15) success rate in GBF closure with an average healing time of 4.4 months (range, 1-10 months), being shorter in the stent group (2.5 × 9.5 months). There was no recurrence during the average 27.3-month follow-up. A patient persisted with GBF, despite the fibrin glue application, and decided to discontinue it. GBF is a highly morbid complication, which usually arises late in the postoperative period. Endotherapy through different strategies is a highly effective therapeutic option and should be implemented early in order to shorten leakage healing time.

Background Sleeve gastrectomy is a well-standardized surgical treatment for obesity. However, rates of weight regain after sleeve gastrectomy in long-term follow-up are relatively high. This multicenter study is the first to evaluate the use of an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) technique for the management of this population. Methods This was a multicenter retrospective study, including patients with weight regain following sleeve gastrectomy who underwent ESG for weight loss. Primary outcomes included absolute weight loss, percent total weight loss (%TWL), change in body mass index (BMI), percent excess weight loss (%EWL) at 6 and 12 months, and safety profile. Clinical success was defined as achieving ≥ 25 % EWL at 1 year, ≤ 5 % serious adverse event (SAE) rate following society-recommended thresholds, and %TWL ≥ 10 %. Results 34 patients underwent ESG after sleeve gastrectomy. Technical success was 100 %. At 1 year, 82.4 % and 100 % of patients achieved ≥ 10 %TWL and ≥ 25 % EWL, respectively. Mean (SD) %TWL was 13.2 % (3.9) and 18.3 % (5.5), and %EWL was 51.9 % (19.1) and 69.9 % (29.9) at 6 months and 1 year, respectively. Mean (SD) %TWL was 14.2 % (12.5), 19.3 % (5.3), 17.5 % (5.2), and 20.4 % (3.3), and %EWL was 88.5 % (52.8), 84.4 % (22.4), 55.4 % (14.8), and 47.8 % (11.2) for BMI categories of overweight and obesity class I, II, and III, respectively, at 1 year. No predictors of success were identified in the multivariable regression analysis. No SAEs were reported. Conclusion ESG appears to be safe and effective in the management of weight regain following sleeve gastrectomy.

Aggressive endoscopic dilation for food intolerance is a safe and minimally invasive method that promotes symptom improvement. It avoided reoperation in 96.8 % of patients and led to a low rate of weight regain.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is defined by the abnormal presence of gastric content in the esophagus, with 10% incidence in the Western population, being fundoplication one treatment option. Aim: To evaluate the early (six months) and late (15 years) effectiveness of laparoscopic fundoplication, the long term postoperative weight changes, as well as the impact of weight gain in symptoms control. Methods: Prospective study of 40 subjects who underwent laparoscopic Nissen’s fundoplication. Preoperatively and early postoperatively, clinical, endoscopic, radiologic, manometric and pHmetric evaluations were carried out. After 15 years, clinical and endoscopic assessments were carried out and the results compared with the early ones. The presence or absence of obesity was stratified in both early and late phases, and its influence in the long-term results of fundoplication was studied, measuring quality of life according to the Visick criteria. Results: The mean preoperative ages, weight, and body mass index were respectively, 51 years, 69.67 kg and 25.68 kg/m2. The intraoperative and postoperative complications rates were 12.5% and 15%, without mortality. In the early postoperative period the symptoms were well controlled, hernias and esophagitis disappeared, the lower esophageal sphincter had functional improvement, and pHmetry parameters normalized. In the late follow-up 29 subjects were assessed. During this period there was adequate clinical control of reflux regardless of weight gain. In both time periods Visick criteria improved. Conclusion: Fundoplication was safe and effective in early and late periods. There was late weight gain, which did not influence effective symptoms control.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Obesity has been growing in Brazil and in the world. It is reaching epidemic proportions, and bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for patients with this disease. Among the procedures described in the literature, ileal surgeries such as biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) and single-anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with sleeve gastrectomy (SADI-S) present better long-term results in terms of weight loss and comorbidities control. However, there are concerns regarding long term nutritional problems with these procedures. In this case report the aim is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of preserving an extended duodenal bulb segment, in the SADIS-S procedure, when there are difficulties in dissecting the retrobulbar region, as occurred here, due to fibrosis in this area. This assures the maintenance of the proposed surgical technique, in such a situation. The dissection and transection of the duodenum was done 7 cm distally to the pylorus, under endoscopic view, proximally to the papillae, where the tissue was normal. Additionally, due the importance of the duodenal mucosa on minerals and trace elements absorption and the release of important hormones in this region, this case report elicits the evaluation of the impact of this technical modification, which occurred casually, in the nutritional, hormonal and metabolic results, long term. In this case report, the extended duodenal length has demonstrated reasonable weight loss, adequate comorbidities control and good nutritional status, so far. These aspects must be evaluated in the long term, by clinical trials.