23 GASTRIC BYPASS AS REVISION SURGERY FOR FAILED FUNDOPLICATIONS

Laparoscopic fundoplication as anti-reflux technique has emerged and widely expanded as a cost effective alternative to life-long medical treatment in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Long-term success rate ranges from 80–90% with this procedure, but side effects still exist even with experienced surgeons. Patients with a failed anti-reflux procedure are becoming a more common problem nowadays. Although most of these patients can be managed medically, still some of them will require revisional surgery. Methods We presented our experience from January 2015 to June 2019 facing cases of failed fundoplications. 59 cases with failed fundoplication requiring revision were included in the study. Redo fundoplications were decided preoperatively or intraoperatively to be difficult or unsafe to be done for these cases. Revision surgery for these cases was done using either distal gastrectomy and RY gastro-jejunostomy (22 cases) when the hiatal dissection was not feasible or unsafe due to obscure anatomy or Truncal vagotomy and RY gastro-jejunostomy (37 cases) when the hiatal dissection was easy and feasible. Results Laparoscopy was used in 49 cases and was successfully completed in 42cases (%) and 7conversion (%). Improvement of symptoms: Recurrent reflux or dysphagia was noted in 19 cases (32%) and complete disappeared in 26 cases (44%). One case had leak from the GJ and another one got hematemesis. Both cases were managed conservatively. Nine patient (15%) had bile gastritis with abdominal pain. Five patients (8.5%) complained of dumping symptoms. No mortality was recorded. Conclusion RY gastro-jejunostomy for failed fundoplications is a valid, feasible surgical option when redo fundoplication is difficult to be done or if associated with possible or expected complications.

Partial Fundoplications (270° Toupet, 90° Dor)

Partial fundoplication such as the Toupet posterior 270° and the Dor anterior 90° to 180° wraps were developed with the aim of providing long-term GERD control as with the successful Nissen fundoplication, but with reduced post-operative side effects such as dysphagia and gas bloat. Randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up show this to be the case. Failure of a fundoplication occurs along a predictable anatomical course with posterior herniation almost universal. This informs our method of dissection, hiatal repair, and wrap construction using fundopexy to the diaphragm. We present the indications and our techniques for partial fundoplication, including tips on how to reduce the incidence of fundoplication failure and recurrent reflux.

Large congenital bladder diverticula in children

Objective: Large congenital bladder diverticula (LCBD), congenital bladder diverticula (CBD) larger than 2 cm diameter, is a rare anomaly. The aim of this study was to report long-term surgical and clinical outcomes of children with LCBD. Methods: Medical charts of all children who were diagnosed with LCBD at our institution between April 2005 and December 2017, with at least 2 year follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Patients’ demographics, symptoms, operative technique, diverticulum size and localization, surgical outcomes and complications were recorded. Results: Fourteen patients with 18 LCBD, all male and age between 7 and 240 months (mean age: 53.5 months) were included in the study. Urinary tract infection was the main complaint in 10. Vesicoureteral reflux was detected in eight patients. Diverticula were 2–5.5 cm (mean 3.3 cm) in size. All diverticulectomies were performed transvesically and ureteroneocystostomy was added in 12 patients, 5 of whom were bilateral. No postoperative infection or recurrent reflux were observed. The median follow-up period was 4.5 years (2–12 years). Conclusion: Treatment of LCBD is mostly surgical and transvesical approach for diverticulectomy was found to be a safe and effective surgical procedure in long term follow-up.

Diagnosis of recurrent reflux within the remnant non-treatment stump after bilateral cyanoacrylate ablation of the great saphenous veins

Cyanoacrylate ablation, along with mechanochemical ablation, is one of the best-known non-thermal ablation treatment methods for superficial venous reflux. Cyanoacrylate ablation is comparable to thermal ablation in terms of efficacy and safety, and offers the benefit of not requiring tumescent injections and the use of compression stockings. Here, we report about a patient who developed recurrent reflux in the residual stump after cyanoacrylate ablation. As a refluxing long residual stump can be a risk factor for late recurrence, improvements are needed to make the protocol more refined, including leaving the stump as short as possible.

Mucosal breaks show same circumferential distribution in majority of patients with recurrent reflux esophagitis

Background and study aims Esophageal mucosal breaks in patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) have a unique circumferential distribution. However, the specific location of mucosal breaks during recurrence of RE remains unclear. We investigated the circumferential distribution of mucosal breaks in patients with recurrent RE and compared their location to that noted at the initial diagnosis. Patients and methods We retrospectively enrolled patients with recurrent RE with Los Angeles (LA) grade A-C who were treated at our University Hospital between July 1996 and June 2014. The circumferential distribution of esophageal mucosal breaks was evaluated at the time of the initial diagnosis and again at the time of recurrence. Information regarding clinical parameters, including proton pump inhibitor administration, presence of hiatal hernia, and mucosal atrophy, was also reviewed. Results A total of 114 patients with recurrent RE were examined during the study period, with a mean duration to recurrence after initial diagnosis of 39.4 months. The majority (72.8 %) had the same LA grade at recurrence. In addition, recurrent mucosal breaks in 96 (84.2 %) patients were observed to have occurred in the same circumferential location as at the initial diagnosis, while those in 18 (15.8 %) were observed in a different location. When recurrent lesions had a different location, the LA grade also tended to be different (P = 0.02). Conclusions We found that most patients with recurrent RE developed lesions in the same circumferential location as noted for the initial lesions. Those in different locations at recurrence were associated with a change in LA grade.

Hemodynamics-based treatment of varices: A therapeutic concept counteracting the intrinsic tendency of varicose veins to recur

Varicose vein disease is characterized by tenacious tendency to recur. Measures recommended to prevent recurrences (flush ligation at the saphenofemoral junction, removal of incompetent great saphenous vein in the thigh, and insertion of mechanical barriers in the fossa ovalis) did not succeed in preventing recurrence. Reflux recurrence is triggered by the hemodynamic phenomenon called hemodynamic paradox. Abolition of saphenous reflux removes the hemodynamic disturbance of any degree of severity but at the same time it releases the pathological process leading to recurrent reflux. This process is induced by drainage of venous blood from incompetent superficial thigh veins into deep lower leg veins during calf pump activity, which evokes the development of ambulatory pressure gradient between the femoral vein and incompetent segments of the saphenous system in the thigh. The pressure gradient sets off biophysical and biochemical events inducing recurrent reflux. The designed therapeutic strategy consists of reliable abolition of saphenous reflux and of hindering the pathological drainage of venous blood at the knee level in order to preclude development of the hemodynamic preconditions for reflux recurrence. In this way, the dividing line of the ambulatory pressure gradient would be kept below the knee, as is the case with healthy people.

The effect of a subsequent pregnancy after transjugular coil embolisation for pelvic vein reflux

Background Pelvic venous reflux has been proven to contribute to the development of primary and recurrent varicose veins, vulval/labial varicose veins and pelvic congestion syndrome. It is associated with lower limb varicose veins in 20% of patients who have a history of at least one prior vaginal delivery. Pelvic vein embolisation is known to be a safe and effective treatment for the abolition of pelvic venous reflux. However, the effect of a subsequent pregnancy on a previously embolised patient remains largely unknown. This study aims to report the effect of pregnancy on patients that have undergone pelvic vein embolisation. Methods Patients that had previously undergone pelvic vein embolisation for pelvic venous reflux at our unit were sent a questionnaire asking if they had had a pregnancy and subsequently delivered post-embolisation. Patients responding positively were invited to attend our unit for transvaginal duplex ultrasonography of their pelvic veins. Post-pregnancy transvaginal duplex ultrasonography results were compared to pre-embolisation and 6-week post-embolisation scans. Results Eight women, aged 32–48 years (mean 38.8), were retrospectively analysed. Parity prior to embolisation ranged from 1 to 5 (mean 2.8). Initial outcomes at 6 weeks Pelvic venous reflux was completely eliminated in five patients, two patients achieved complete elimination of truncal reflux with very minor vulval reflux and one patient had persistent, mild reflux in the right internal iliac vein. Post-pregnancy outcomes Pelvic venous reflux was completely eliminated in three patients and five patients displayed pelvic venous reflux in at least one truncal vein, with or without concurrent vulval reflux. No patient showed any coil displacement or embolisation as a result of the pregnancy. Conclusions Pregnancy is associated with recurrent reflux in the pelvic veins in women who had previously been treated with coil embolisation. Following recovery from pregnancy, repeat embolisation can eliminate recurrent reflux. Pregnancy appears to be safe following coil embolisation of pelvic veins.