Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology最新文献

Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) is an established technique for the treatment of rectal wall defects and especially anastomotic leaks. A wide range of EVT devices, both handmade and commercially available, allow for their successful placement even in small defects and difficult localizations. Reported success rates range between 85 and 97 %, while periintervenional morbidity is low and major adverse events are very rare. EVT has proven its effectiveness in the lower gastrointestinal tract and is now considered first line treatment for pelvic anastomotic leaks. This narrative review summarizes the current literature on EVT in the lower gastrointestinal tract, focusing on its indications, technical aspects and results, and offers tips and tricks for its clinical applications.

Spontaneous, iatrogenic or surgical perforation of the whole gastrointestinal wall can lead to serious complications, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Optimal patient management requires early clinical appraisal and prompt imaging evaluation. Both radiologists and referring clinicians should recognize the importance of choosing the ideal imaging modality and the usefulness of oral and rectal contrast medium. Surgeons and radiologists should be familiar with CT and fluoroscopy findings of the normal and pathologic anatomy after esophageal, stomach or colon surgery. Specifically, they should be able to differentiate innocuous from clinically-relevant, life-threatening postoperative complications to guide appropriate treatment. Advantages of esophagram, CT-esophagram, CT after rectal contrast enema and other imaging modalities are discussed.

This state-of-the-art review explores the intricacies of anastomotic leaks following oesophagectomy and gastrectomy, crucial surgeries for globally increasing esophageal and gastric cancers. Despite advancements, anastomotic leaks occur in up to 30 % and 10 % of oesophagectomy and gastrectomy cases, respectively, leading to prolonged hospital stays, substantial impact upon short- and long-term health-related quality of life and greater mortality. Recognising factors contributing to leaks, including patient characteristics and surgical techniques, are vital for preoperative risk stratification. Diagnosis is challenging, involving clinical signs, biochemical markers, and various imaging modalities. Management strategies range from non-invasive approaches, including antibiotic therapy and nutritional support, to endoscopic interventions such as stent placement and emerging vacuum-assisted closure devices, and surgical interventions, necessitating timely recognition and tailored interventions. A step-up approach, beginning non-invasively and progressing based on treatment success, is more commonly advocated. This comprehensive review highlights the absence of standardised treatment algorithms, emphasizing the importance of individualised patient-specific management.

Colorectal anastomotic leakage (CAL) remains a feared complication after colorectal surgery and requires prompt detection and proper treatment. With the upswing of fast-track recovery programs in recent years this challenge has increased, as clinical features may only arise after discharge. Therefore, identification of the best diagnostic tools is of utmost importance, also since early treatment is associated with high success rates. Diagnostic tools range from general screening tools to invasive procedures to assess the severity of the leak. Laboratory tests, in particular the inflammation biomarkers C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, have a significant role in the detection of CAL after colorectal surgery. As these biomarkers are unspecific for CAL, additional imaging should be performed when blood levels are elevated. The golden standard for the detection of AL after colonic resections is a computed tomography (CT-scan). If tolerated, a contrast medium should be administered rectally to enhance diagnostic accuracy. When suspicion of CAL remains high despite negative previous tests, further endoscopy examination should be conducted. However, endoscopic examinations become more suitable for the early diagnostic work-up after rectal resections. This review aims to provide an overview of current diagnostics for the screening and assessment of the severity of CAL after colorectal surgery.

Fistulas in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract are complex conditions associated with elevated morbidity and mortality. They may arise as a result of inflammatory or malignant processes or following medical procedures, including endoscopic and surgical interventions. The management of upper GI is often challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Accurate diagnosis, including endoscopic and radiological evaluations, is crucial to build a proper and personalized therapeutic plan, that should take into account patient's clinical conditions, time of onset, size, and anatomical characteristics of the defect. In recent years, several endoscopic techniques have been introduced for the minimally invasive management of upper GI fistulas, including through-the-scope and over-the-scope clips, stents, endoscopic suturing, endoluminal vacuum therapy (EVT), tissue adhesives, endoscopic internal drainage. This review aims to discuss and detail the current available endoscopic techniques for the treatment of upper GI fistulas.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided interventions are among the most challenging procedures performed by interventional endoscopists and are associated with a significant risk of complications. Early recognition and classification of perforations allows immediate therapy which improves clinical outcomes. In this article we review the different aspects of iatrogenic perforations associated with pancreatico-biliary interventions, elucidating risk factors, diagnostic challenges and the latest therapeutic interventions.

Despite the evolution in tools and techniques, perforation is still one of the most pernicious adverse events of therapeutic endoscopy with potentially huge consequences. As advanced endoscopic resection techniques are worldwide spreading, endoscopists must be ready to manage intraprocedural perforations. In fact, immediate endoscopic closure through a prompt diagnosis represents the first-line option, saving patients from surgery, long hospitalizations and worse outcomes. Traditional and novel endoscopic closure modalities, including clips, suturing devices, stents and vacuum therapy, are increasingly expanding the therapeutic armamentarium for closing these defects. Nevertheless, available literature on this topic is currently limited. In this review our goal is to give an overview on the management of perforations occurring during endoscopic resections, with particular attention to characteristics, advantages, disadvantages and new horizons of endoscopic closure tools.