Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:The novel use of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in the treatment of Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) was recently described in case reports. The aim of this study is to report a multicenter experience with the POEM technique in the management of ZD. METHODS:This is a multicenter international retrospective study involving 10 centers. The Zenker's POEM technique was performed using principles of submucosal endoscopy. RESULTS:Seventy-five patients (73.3 ± 1.2 years, 33 women) were included with a mean Charleson comorbidity index of 4 ± .2. The mean size of ZD was 31.3 ± 1.6 mm (range, 10-89). The overall technical success rate was 97.3% (73/75). There were 2 technical failures because of the inability to locate the septum and failed tunnel creation. Adverse events occurred in 6.7% (5/75): 1 bleed (mild) conservatively managed and 4 perforations (1 severe, 3 moderate). The mean procedure time was 52.4 ± 2.9 minutes, and mean length of hospital stay was 1.8 ± .2 days. Clinical success was achieved in 92% (69/75) with a decrease in mean dysphagia score from 1.96 to .25 (P < .0001). The median length of follow-up was 291.5 days (interquartile range, 103.5-436). At the 12-month follow-up, 1 patient reported symptom recurrence. CONCLUSIONS:Endoscopic management of ZD using the POEM technique is novel and feasible with promising efficacy and safety results. Long-term follow-up is needed to ensure durability of response. In addition, comparative studies with other treatment modalities are warranted.

EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has been used as a salvage modality for relief of malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) after a failed ERCP. Multiple recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies have been published to assess the suitability of EUS-BD as a first-line modality for achieving palliative BD. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing primary EUS-BD versus ERCP for MBO. We searched PubMed, Medline, and Embase up to January 1, 2019, to identify RCTs and observational studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of primary EUS-BD (without a prior attempted ERCP) versus ERCP. Quality of RCTs and observational studies was assessed using Jadad and Newcastle-Ottawa scores, respectively. The outcomes of interest were technical success, clinical success, odds of requiring a repeat intervention, and procedure-related adverse events. Odds ratios (ORs) and standard mean difference were calculated for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model in RevMan 5.3 (the Cochrane Collaboration, the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark). Five studies (three RCTs and two observational studies) with 361 patients were included. Both procedures achieved comparable technical success (OR: 1.20 [0.44-3.24], I² = 0%) and clinical success (OR: 1.44, confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-3.29, I² = 0%). The overall adverse outcomes (OR: 1.59 [0.89-2.84]) did not differ between the two groups. In the ERCP group, 9.5% of patients developed procedure-related pancreatitis versus zero in the EUS group (risk difference = 0.08%, P = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in nonpancreatitis-related adverse events. The odds of requiring reintervention for BD (1.68 [0.76-3.73], I² = 42%) did not differ significantly. The ERCP group had significantly higher odds of requiring reintervention due to tumor overgrowth (5.35 [1.64-17.50], I² = 0%). EUS-BD has comparable technical and clinical success to ERCP and can potentially be used as a first-line palliative modality for MBO where expertise is available. ERCP-related pancreatitis which can cause significant morbidity can be completely avoided with EUS.

Background and aims  Rectal lesions traditionally represent the first lesions approached during endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) training in the West. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of rectal ESD in North America. Methods  This is a multicenter retrospective analysis of rectal ESD between January 2010 and September 2018 in 15 centers. End points included: rates of en bloc resection, R0 resection, adverse events, comparison of pre- and post-ESD histology, and factors associated with failed resection. Results  In total, 171 patients (median age 63 years; 56 % men) underwent rectal ESD (median size 43 mm). En bloc resection was achieved in 141 cases (82.5 %; 95 %CI 76.8-88.2), including 24 of 27 (88.9 %) with prior failed endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR). R0 resection rate was 74.9 % (95 %CI 68.4-81.4). Post-ESD bleeding and perforation occurred in 4 (2.3 %) and 7 (4.1 %), respectively. Covert submucosal invasive cancer (SMIC) was identified in 8.6 % of post-ESD specimens. There was one case (1/120; 0.8 %) of recurrence at a median follow-up of 31 weeks; IQR: 19-76 weeks). Older age and higher body mass index (BMI) were predictors of failed R0 resection, whereas submucosal fibrosis was associated with a higher likelihood of both failed en bloc and R0 resection. Conclusion  Rectal ESD in North America is safe and is associated with high en bloc and R0 resection rates. The presence of submucosal fibrosis was the main predictor of failed en bloc and R0 resection. ESD can be considered for select rectal lesions, and serves not only to establish a definitive tissue diagnosis but also to provide curative resection for lesions with covert advanced disease.

INTRODUCTION:Lumen apposing metal stents (LAMS) have been used increasingly for drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC). We present an international, multicenter study evaluating the safety and efficacy of LAMS in PFCs. METHODS:Consecutive patients undergoing LAMS placement for PFC at 12 international centers were included (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01522573). Demographics, clinical history, and procedural details were recorded. Technical success was defined as successful LAMS deployment. Clinical success was defined as PFC resolution at three-month follow-up. RESULTS:192 patients were included (140 males (72.9%), mean-age 53.8 years), with mean follow-up of 4.2 months ± 3.8. Mean PFC size was 11.9 cm (range 2-25). The median number of endoscopic interventions was 2 (range 1-14). Etiologies for PFC were gallstone (n = 82, 42.7%), alcohol (n = 50, 26%), idiopathic (n = 26, 13.5%), and other (n = 34, 17.7%). Technical success was achieved in 189 patients (98.4%). Clinical success was observed in 125 of 135 patients (92.6%). Adverse events included bleeding (n = 11, 5.7), infection (n = 2, 1%), and perforation (n = 2, 1%). Three or more endoscopy sessions were a positive predictor for PFC resolution and the only significant predictor for AEs. CONCLUSION:LAMS has a high technical and clinical success rate with a low rate of AEs. PFC drainage via LAMS provides a minimally invasive, safe, and efficacious procedure for PFC resolution.

BACKGROUND: Multiple studies have examined the use of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMSs) for the drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections. Data on the use of LAMSs for postoperative fluid collections (POFCs) are scarce. POFCs may lead to severe complications without appropriate treatment. We aimed to study the outcomes (technical success, clinical success, rate/severity of adverse events, length of stay, recurrence) of the use of LAMSs for the drainage of POFCs. METHODS: This international, multicenter, retrospective study involved 19 centers between January 2012 and October 2017. The primary outcome was clinical success. Secondary outcomes included technical success and rate/severity of adverse events using the ASGE lexicon. RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were included during the study period. The most common etiology of the POFCs was distal pancreatectomy (46.8 %). The mean (standard deviation) diameter was 84.5 mm (30.7 mm). The most common indication for drainage was infection (48.4 %) and transgastric drainage was the most common approach (82.3 %). Technical success was achieved in 60/62 patients (96.8 %) and clinical success in 57/62 patients (91.9 %) during a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 231 days (90 - 300 days). Percutaneous drainage was needed in 8.1 % of patients. Adverse events occurred intraoperatively in 1/62 patients (1.6 %) and postoperatively in 7/62 (11.3 %). There was no procedure-related mortality. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study on the use of LAMSs for POFCs. It suggests good clinical efficacy and safety of this approach. The use of LAMSs in the management of POFCs is a feasible alternative to percutaneous and surgical drainage.

BACKGROUND & AIMS:Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) before surgery for pancreatic cancer has been associated with infectious complications after surgery. Little is known about the effects of preoperative ERCP on the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. We investigated whether ERCP before surgery affects overall survival, after controlling for confounding factors. METHODS:We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and linked Medicare claims data to identify patients older than 65 years with cancer localized to the head of the pancreas, from 2000 through 2011. We used inverse propensity-weighted Cox proportional hazard models to assess the effects of ERCP on the survival of patients who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer. RESULTS:Among 16,670 patients with cancer of the head of the pancreas, 2890 (17.3%) underwent surgical resection; 1864 (64.5%) of these patients received preoperative ERCP. After we adjusted for confounders, we found that patients who received preoperative ERCP did not have an increased risk of death compared with patients who underwent resection alone (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.96-1.08). CONCLUSIONS:Patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent ERCP before surgery did not have an increased risk of death compared with patients who proceeded directly to surgery. Studies are needed to identify subsets of patients who may benefit from this procedure.

Endoscopic bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMTs) have sparked significant interest as minimally invasive therapeutic options for weight loss. Although bariatric surgery remains an effective option for sustained weight loss and improvement in the metabolic syndrome, access and utilization are limited. Various EBMTs have been designed to emulate the physiologic effects of established surgical interventions, including space-occupying and non-space-occupying gastric therapies, gastric remodeling procedures, and small bowel therapies. This review discusses the safety and efficacy of available US Food and Drug Administration-approved minimally invasive endoscopic bariatric interventions, as well as those currently under investigation. In addition, the role of endoscopic revision after failed surgical intervention is discussed.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is the preferred procedure for biliary drainage in benign and malignant obstructions. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage is an emerging technique for when endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography fails. It is a highly versatile procedure with several options of access point, stent direction, and drainage route. Based on the current literature, the cumulative success rate is 88% to 93%, with an overall complication rate of 13% to 20%. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage seems to be an effective and valuable alternative technique after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography when performed by highly skilled endoscopists.