Endoscopic treatment of biliopancreatic pathology in patients with Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy surgical variants: Lessons learned from single-balloon enteroscopy-assisted ERCP

Background: Endoscopic treatment of biliopancreatic pathology is challenging due to surgically altered anatomy after Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of single-balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(SBE-ERCP) to treat biliopancreatic pathology in patients with Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy surgical variants. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 106 SBE-ERCP procedures in 46 patients with Whipple's variants. Technical and clinical success rates and adverse events were evaluated. Results: Biliary SBE-ERCP was performed in 34 patients and pancreatic SBE-ERCP in 17, including 5 with both indications. From a total of 106 SBE-ERCP procedures, 76 were biliary indication with technical success rate of 68/76(90%) procedures and clinical success rate of 30/34(88%) patients. Mild adverse event rate was 8/76(11%), without serious adverse events. From a total of 106 SBE-ERCP procedures, 30 were pancreatic indication with technical success rate of 24/30(80%) procedures( P = 0.194 vs. biliary SBEERCP) and clinical success rate of 11/17(65%) patients( P = 0.016 vs. biliary SBE-ERCP). Mild adverse event rate was 6/30(20%)( P = 0.194 vs. biliary SBE-ERCP), without serious adverse events. After SBE-ERCP failure, endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage, percutaneous drainage and redo surgery were alternative therapeutic options. Conclusions: Biliopancreatic pathology after Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy variants can be treated using SBE-ERCP without serious adverse events. Technical and clinical success rates are high for biliary indications, whereas clinical success rate of pancreatic indications is significantly lower. SBE-ERCP can be considered as first-line treatment option in this patient group with surgically altered anatomy.

A Comparative Analysis on Surgical Outcomes and Complications of Endoscopic and Open Vein Harvesting Techniques

Objective: The great saphenous vein (GSV) is commonly used as a conduit for grafting during CABG surgery, and open GSV harvesting (OVH), commonly used with long incision to expose the vein. However, endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH) is an alternative approach, utilizing specialized instruments and small incisions to harvest the vein. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of patients who underwent Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) requiring great saphenous vein (GSV) harvesting which was done by EVH or OVH procedures. Demographic variables, including age and gender, were assessed for both groups. Intraoperative variables such as the number of grafts, cardiopulmonary bypass time, X clamp time, and type of procedure were analyzed. Postoperative variables, including infection and bleeding rates, were also evaluated. Results: The study included 30 patients each undergoing Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) with need of great saphenous vein harvesting which was done by EVH and OVH. Demographic variables were well-matched between the two groups in terms of age, while a significant difference in gender distribution was observed. Obesity and smoking were more prevalent in the OVH group, and EVH was associated with a higher mean number of grafts compared to OVH. Conversion to an open technique occurred in a portion of the EVH cases, and infection rates did not significantly differ between the EVH and OVH groups. However, the incidence of postoperative bleeding was significantly higher in the EVH group. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the demographic, intraoperative, and postoperative variables associated with EVH and OVH techniques. EVH demonstrated advantages in terms of reduced infection rates compared to OVH. However, the higher incidence of postoperative bleeding associated with EVH raises concerns about potential risks.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage in surgically altered anatomy: A comprehensive review of various approaches

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)is the preferred modality for drainage of the obstructed biliary tree.In patients with surgically altered anatomy,ERCP using standard techniques may not be feasible.Enteroscope assisted ERCP is usually employed with variable success rate.With advent of endoscopic ultrasound(EUS),biliary drainage procedures in patients with biliary obstruction and surgically altered anatomy is safe and effective.In this narrative review,we discuss role of EUS guided biliary drainage in patients with altered anatomy and the various approaches used in patients with benign and malignant biliary obstruction.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary intervention in patients with surgically altered anatomy

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound guided biliary drainage(EUS-BD) in patients with surgically altered anatomies.METHODS: We performed a search of the MEDLINE database for studies published between 2001 to July2014 reporting on EUS-BD in patients with surgically altered anatomy using the terms "EUS drainage" and "altered anatomy". All relevant articles were accessed in full text. A manual search of the reference lists of relevant retrieved articles was also performed. Only fulltext English papers were included. Data regarding age, gender, diagnosis, method of EUS-BD and intervention, type of altered anatomy, technical success, clinical success, and complications were extracted and collected. Anatomic alterations were categorized as: group 1, Billroth Ⅰ; group 2, Billroth Ⅱ; group 4, Rouxen-Y with gastric bypass; and group 3, all other types. RESULTS: Twenty three articles identified in the literature search, three reports were from the same group with different numbers of cases. In total, 101 cases of EUS-BD in patients with altered anatomy were identified. Twenty-seven cases had no information and were excluded. Seventy four cases were included for analysis. Data of EUS-BD in patients categorized as group 1, 2 and 4 were limited with 2, 3 and 6 cases with EUS-BD done respectively. Thirty four cases with EUS-BD were reported in group 3. The pooled technical success, clinical success, and complication rates of all reports with available data were 89.18%, 91.07% and 17.5%, respectively. The results are similar to the reported outcomes of EUS-BD in general, however, with limited data of EUS-BD in patients with altered anatomy rendered it difficult to draw a firm conclusion. CONCLUSION: EUS-BD may be an option for patients with altered anatomy after a failed endoscopic-retrogradecholangiography in centers with expertise in EUS-BD procedures in a research setting.

Endoscopic and surgical resection of T1a/T1b esophageal neoplasms: A systematic review

AIM: To investigate potential therapeutic recommendations for endoscopic and surgical resection of T1a/ T1b esophageal neoplasms. METHODS: A thorough search of electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, Pubmed and Cochrane Library, from 1997 up to January 2011 was performed. An analysis was carried out, pooling the effects of outcomes of 4241 patients enrolled in 80 retrospective studies. For comparisons across studies, each reporting on only one endoscopic method, we used a random effects meta-regression of the log-odds of the outcome of treatment in each study. "Neural networks" as a data mining technique was employed in order to establish a prediction model of lymph node status in superficial submucosal esophageal carcinoma. Another data mining technique, the "feature selection and root cause analysis", was used to identify the most impor-tant predictors of local recurrence and metachronous cancer development in endoscopically resected patients, and lymph node positivity in squamous carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) separately in surgically resected patients. RESULTS: Endoscopically resected patients: Low grade dysplasia was observed in 4% of patients, high grade dysplasia in 14.6%, carcinoma in situ in 19%, mucosal cancer in 54%, and submucosal cancer in 16% of patients. There were no significant differences between endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for the following parameters: complications, patients submitted to surgery, positive margins, lymph node positivity, local recurrence and metachronous cancer. With regard to piecemeal resection, ESD performed better since the number of cases was significantly less [coefficient: -7.709438, 95%CI: (-11.03803, -4.380844), P < 0.001]; hence local recurrence rates were significantly lower [coefficient: -4.033528, 95%CI: (-6.151498, -1.915559),P < 0.01]. A higher rate of esophageal stenosis was observed following ESD [coefficient: 7.322266, 95%CI: (3.810146, 10.83439), P < 0.001]. A significantly greater number of SCC patients were submitted to surgery (log-odds, ADC: -2.1206 ± 0.6249 vs SCC: 4.1356 ± 0.4038, P < 0.05). The odds for re-classification of tumor stage after endoscopic resection were 53% and 39% for ADC and SCC, respectively. Local tumor recurrence was best predicted by grade 3 differentiation and piecemeal resection, metachronous cancer development by the carcinoma in situ component, and lymph node positivity by lymphovascular invasion. With regard to surgically resected patients: Significant differences in patients with positive lymph nodes were observed between ADC and SCC [coefficient: 1.889569, 95%CI: (0.3945146, 3.384624), P<0.01). In contrast, lymphovascular and microvascular invasion and grade 3 patients between histologic types were comparable, the respective rank order of the predictors of lymph node positivity was: Grade 3, lymphovascular invasion (L+), microvascular invasion (V+), submucosal (Sm) 3 invasion, Sm2 invasion and Sm1 invasion. Histologic type (ADC/SCC) was not included in the model. The best predictors for SCC lymph node positivity were Sm3 invasion and (V+). For ADC, the most important predictor was (L+). CONCLUSION: Local tumor recurrence is predicted by grade 3, metachronous cancer by the carcinoma insitu component, and lymph node positivity by L+. T1b cancer should be treated with surgical resection.

Current status of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with surgically altered anatomy

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)in patients with surgically altered anatomy must be performed by a highly experienced endoscopist.The challenges are accessing the afferent limb in different types of reconstruction,cannulating a papilla with a reverse orientation,and performing therapeutic interventions with uncommon endoscopic accessories.The development of endoscopic techniques has led to higher success rates in this group of patients.Device-assisted ERCP is the endoscopic procedure of choice for high success rates in short-limb reconstruction;however,these success rate is lower in long-limb reconstruction.ERCP assisted by endoscopic ultrasonography is now popular because it can be performed independent of the limb length;however,it must be performed by a highly experienced and skilled endoscopist.Stent deployment and small stone removal can be performed immediately after ERCP assisted by endoscopic ultrasonography,but the second session is needed for other difficult procedures such as cholangioscopy-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy.Laparoscopic-assisted ERCP has an almost 100%success rate in longlimb reconstruction because of the use of a conventional side-view duodenoscope,which is compatible with standard accessories.This requires cooperation between the surgeon and endoscopist and is suitable in urgent situations requiring concomitant cholecystectomy.This review focuses on the advantages,disadvantages,and outcomes of various procedures that are suitable in different situations and reconstruction types.Emerging new techniques and their outcomes are also discussed.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection vs transanal endoscopic surgery for rectal tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)and transanal endoscopic submucosal dissection(TES)are widely employed surgical techniques.However,the comparative efficacy and safety of both remain inconclusive.AIM To comprehensively analyze and discern differences in surgical outcomes between ESD and TES.METHODS We conducted a systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,Scopus,and CINAHL from inception till August 2023.We analyzed outcomes including recurrence rate,en bloc resection,R0 resection rate,perforation rate,procedure length,and hospital stay length applying a random-effects inverse-variance model.We assessed publication bias by conducting an Egger’s regression test and sensitivity analyses.RESULTS We pooled data from 11 studies involving 1013 participants.We found similar recurrence rates,with a pooled odds ratio of 0.545(95%CI:0.176-1.687).En bloc resection,R0 resection,and perforation rate values were also similar for both ESD and TES.The pooled analysis for procedure length indicated a mean difference of-4.19 min(95%CI:-22.73 to 14.35),and the hospital stay was on average shorter for ESDs by about 0.789 days(95%CI:-1.671 to 0.093).CONCLUSION Both ESD and TES displayed similar efficacy and safety profiles across multiple outcomes.Our findings show that individualized patient and surgeon preferences,alongside specific clinical contexts,can be considered when selecting between these two techniques.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: The road is open for almighty biliopancreatic endoscopists!

Commentary on the article written and published by Peng et al,investigating the role of endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided biliary drainage for palliation of malignant biliary obstruction after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopan-creatography(ERCP).For 40 years endoscopic biliary drainage was synonymous with ERCP,and EUS was used mainly for diagnostic purposes.The advent of therapeutic EUS has revolutionized the field,especially with the development of a novel device such as electrocautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents.Complete biliopancreatic endoscopists with both skills in ERCP and in interven-tional EUS,would be ideally suited to ensure patients the best drainage technique according to each individual situation.

Model for end-stage liver disease score versus Child score in predicting the outcome of surgical procedures in patients with cirrhosis

AIM： To determine factors affecting the outcome of patients with cirrhosis undergoing surgery and to compare the capacities of the Child-Turcotte-Pugh （CTP） and model for end-stage liver disease （MELD） score to predict that outcome. METHODS： We reviewed the charts of 195 patients with cirrhosis who underwent surgery at two teaching hospitals over a five-year period. The combined endpoint of death or hepatic decompensation was considered to be the primary endpoint. RESULTS： Patients who reached the endpoint had a higher MELD score, a higher CTP score and were more likely to have undergone an urgent procedure. Among patients undergoing elective surgical procedures, no statistically significant difference was noted in the mean MELD （12.8 ＋ 3.9 vs 12.6 ＋ 4.7, P = 0.9） or in the mean CTP （7.6 ± 1.2 vs 7.7 ± 1.7, P = 0.8） between patients who reached the endpoint and those who did not. Both mean scores were higher in the patients reaching the endpoint in the case of urgent procedures （MELD： 22.4 ± 8.7 vs 15.2 ± 6.4, P = 0.0007; CTP： 9.9 ± 1.8 vs 8.5 ± 1.8, P = 0.008）. The performances of the MELD and CTP scores in predicting the outcome of urgent surgery were only fair, without a significant difference between them （AUC = 0.755 ± 0.066 for MELD vs AUC = 0.696 ± 0.070 for CTP, P = 0.3）. CONCLUSION： The CTP and MELD scores performed equally, but only fairly in predicting the outcome of urgent surgical procedures. Larger studies are needed to better define the factors capable of predicting the outcome of elective surgical procedures in patients with cirrhosis.equally, but only fairly in predicting the outcome of urgent surgical procedures. Larger studies are needed to better define the factors capable of predicting the outcome of elective surgical procedures in patients with cirrhosis.

Radiation exposure during image-guided endoscopic procedures: The next quality indicator for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) is one of the most frequently used image-guided procedures in gastrointestinal endoscopy. Post-ERCP pancreatitis is an important concern, and prophylaxis, cannulation and other related technical procedures have been well documented by endoscopists. In addition, medical radiation exposure is of great concern in the general population because of its rapidly increasing frequency and its potential carcinogenic effects. International organizations and radiological societies have established diagnostic reference levels, which guide proper radiation use and serve as global standards for all procedures that use ionizing radiation. However, data on gastrointestinal fluoroscopic procedures are still lacking because the demand for these procedures has recently increased. In this review, we present the current status of quality indicators for ERCP and the methods for measuring radiation exposure in the clinical setting as the next quality indicator for ERCP. To reduce radiation exposure, knowledge of its adverse effects and the procedures for proper measurement and protection are essential. Additionally, further studies on the factors that affect radiation exposure, exposure management and diagnostic reference levels are necessary. Then, we can discuss how to manage medical radiation use inthese complex fluoroscopic procedures. This knowledge will help us to protect not only patients but also endoscopists and medical staff in the fluoroscopy unit.

Quality of life after surgical and endoscopic management of severe acute pancreatitis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Treatment for severe acute severe pancreatitis(SAP)can significantly affect Health-related quality of life(HR-QoL).The effects of different treatment strategies such as endoscopic and surgical necrosectomy on HR-QoL in patients with SAP remain poorly investigated.AIM To critically appraise the available evidence on HR-QoL following surgical or endoscopic necrosectomy in patient with SAP.METHODS A literature search was performed on PubMed,Google^(TM) Scholar,the Cochrane Library,MEDLINE and Reference Citation Analysis databases for studies that investigated HR-QoL following surgical or endoscopic necrosectomy in patients with SAP.Data collected included patient characteristics,outcomes of interventions and HR-QoL-related details.RESULTS Eleven studies were found to have evaluated HR-QoL following treatment for severe acute pancreatitis including 756 patients.Three studies were randomized trials,four were prospective cohort studies and four were retrospective cohort studies with prospective follow-up.Four studies compared HR-QoL following surgical and endoscopic necrosectomy.Several metrics of HR-QoL were used including Short Form(SF)-36 and EuroQol.One randomized trial and one cohort study demonstrated significantly improved physical scores at three months in patients who underwent endoscopic necrosectomy compared to surgical necrosectomy.One prospective study that examined HR-QoL following surgical necrosectomy reported some deterioration in the functional status of the patients.On the other hand,a cohort study that assessed the long-term HR-QoL following sequential surgical necrosectomy stated that all patients had SF-36>60%.In the only study that examined patients following endoscopic necrosectomy,the HR-QoL was also very good.Three studies investigated the quality adjusted life years suggesting that endoscopic and surgical approaches to management of pancreatic necrosis were comparable in cost effectiveness.Finally,regarding HR-QoL between open necrosectomy and minimally invasive approaches,patients who underwent the later had a significantly better overall quality of life,vitality and mental health.CONCLUSION This review would suggest that the endoscopic approach might offer better HR-QoL compared to surgical necrosectomy.However,the available comparative literature was very limited.More randomized trials powered to detect differences in HR-QoL are required.

Colorectal cancer in geriatric patients: Endoscopic diagnosis and surgical treatment

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of colorectal cancer in geriatrie patients undergoing endoscopy and to analyze their outcome. METHODS: All consecutive patients older than 80 years who underwent lower gastrointestinal endoscopy between January 1995 and December 2002 at our institution were included. patients with endoscopic diagnosis of colorectal cancer were evaluated with respect to indication, localization and stage of cancer, therapeutic consequences, and survival. RESULTS: Colorectal cancer was diagnosed in 88 patients (6% of all endoscopies, 55 women and 33 men, mean age 85.2 years). Frequent indications were lower gastrointestinal bleeding (25%), anemia (24%) or sonographic suspicion of tumor (10%). Localization of cancer was predominantly the sigmoid colon (27%), the rectum (26%), and the ascending colon (20%). Stage Dukes A was rare (1%), but Dukes D was diagnosed in 22% of cases. Curative surgery was performed in 54 patients (61.4%), in the remaining 34 patients (38.6%) surgical treatment was not feasible due to malnutrition and asthenia or cardiopulmonary comorbidity (15 patients), distant metastases (11 patients) or refusal of operation (8 patients). patients undergoing surgery had a very low in-hospital mortality rate (2%). Operated patients had a one-year and three-year survival rate of 88% and 49%, and the survival rates for non-operated patients amounted to 46% and 13% respectively. CONCLUSION: Nearly two-thirds of 88 geriatrie patiente with endoscopic diagnosis of colorectal cancer underwent successful surgery at a very low perioperative mortality rate, resulting in significantly higher survival rates. Hence, the clinical relevance of lower gastrointestinal endoscopy and oncologic surgery in geriatrie patients is demonstrated.

Surgical treatment of a rare complication after endoscopic stent placement for anastomotic leakage after esophageal resection

The best approach to achieve cure in esophageal cancer is a combination of chemo-radiation and surgery. However, complications occur in half of patients. The current report, reports a rare but severe complication: Complete obstruction of the esophagus, induced by preoperative chemo-radiation therapy. Normally, strictures are treated by repeated dilatations, however, in case of complete obstruction, the perforation rate of standard blind anterograde wire access and dilation is severely increased. In order to minimize the risk of perforations, the rendezvous technique was introduced. This technique involves an anterograde approach in combination with a retrograde approach in order to open and dilatate the esophagus. While technical success rates between 83% and 100% have been reported in literature, data on clinical outcomes are scarcer. The limited amount of studies available claim that success was achieved in almost half of patients. The patient in our case currently has an oral diet without restrictions and rates his quality of life with a VAS-score ten out of ten.

Cancellation Causes of Elective Surgical Procedures in a Major Pediatric Surgery Department

Introduction: Cancellation of surgical operation is a surgical operation registered in the official schedule the day before or added to the list after and not carried out on the operating day. The purpose of this work was to determine the causes of cancellation of elective surgical operations in a major pediatric surgery department in Senegal. Patients and methods: It was a prospective and descriptive study of 278 patients scheduled during a period of 13 weeks. The study took place between April 3rd, 2017, and January 31st, 2018. Mean age was 2.9 years with extremes of 3 days and 15 years. The age group of 29 days to 30 months was the most represented (62.2%). Sex ratio was 1.41. Causes of cancellation were categorized into administrative and organizational causes, patient-related causes and staff-related causes. Results: Cancellation rate was 29.4%. Patient-related causes were most common (51.2%). Upper Respiratory tract infection (URTI) was commonest reason within this category (57.5%). Organizational causes (28.1%) came second and were mainly represented by the unavailability of the operating room (60.8%) related to breakdowns of anesthesia equipment. Finally, staff-related causes (20.7%) were due for most to the unavailability of the anesthesiologist (12 cases/17). Conclusion: Majority of causes that led to cancellation of elective surgical operations in our Pediatric surgery department are related to intercurrent illnesses affecting the patient, in particular URTI.

Highlight of Endoscopic procedures developed in Japan

Endoscopic submucosal dissection （ESD） invented in Japan, plays an important role in the treatment of early gastrointestinal cancer （EGC） and dysplasia. Endoscopic procedures are now widely spreading around the world. ESD has the advantage that en bloc resection as well as pathological view can be achieved when compared with conventional endoscopic mucosal resection （1）.

Endoscopic intramural cystogastrostomy for treatment of peripancreatic fluid collection: A viewpoint from a surgeon

Percutaneous or endoscopic drainage is the initial choice for the treatment of peripancreatic fluid collection in symptomatic patients.Endoscopic transgastric fenestration(ETGF)was first reported for the management of pancreatic pseu-docysts of 20 patients in 2008.From a surgeon’s viewpoint,ETGF is a similar procedure to cystogastrostomy in that they both produce a wide outlet orifice for the drainage of fluid and necrotic debris.ETGF can be performed at least 4 wk after the initial onset of acute pancreatitis and it has a high priority over the surgical approach.However,the surgical approach usually has a better success rate because surgical cystogastrostomy has a wider outlet(>6 cm vs 2 cm)than ETGF.However,percutaneous or endoscopic drainage,ETGF,and surgical approach offer various treatment options for peripancreatic fluid collection patients based on their conditions.

Efficacy and safety of conversion of percutaneous cholecystostomy to endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stenting in high-risk surgical patients

Background:Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder stenting(ETGBS)has been used as an alternative to percutaneous cholecystostomy in patients with acute cholecystitis who are considered unfit for surgery.However,there are few data on the efficacy and safety of ETGBS replacement of percutaneous cholecystostomy in high-risk surgical patients.This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility,efficacy,and safety of ETGBS to replace percutaneous cholecystostomy in high-risk surgical patients.Methods:This single center retrospective study reviewed the data of patients who attempted ETGBS to replace percutaneous cholecystostomy between January 2017 and September 2019.The technical success,clinical success,adverse events,and stent patency were evaluated.Results:ETGBS was performed in 43 patients(24 male,mean age 80.7±7.4 years)to replace percutaneous cholecystostomy due to high surgical risk.The technical success rate and clinical success rate were 97.7%(42/43)and 90.5%(38/42),respectively.Procedure-related adverse events and stent-related late adverse events occurred in 7.0%(3/43)and 11.6%(5/43),respectively.Of the patients who successfully underwent ETGBS(n=42),only one had recurrent acute cholecystitis during follow-up.The median stent patency was 415 days(interquartile range 240–528 days).Conclusions:ETGBS,as a secondary intervention for the purpose of internalizing gallbladder drainage in patients following placement of a percutaneous cholecystostomy,is safe,effective,and technically feasible.Thus,conversion of percutaneous cholecystostomy to ETGBS may be considered as a viable option in high-risk surgical patients.

Therapeutic interventional endoscopic ultrasound in pancreatobiliary disorders:Does it really replace the surgical/percutaneous approach?

Pancreato-biliary disorders are still incredibly challenging in the field of gastroenterology,as they would sometimes require multi-approach interventional procedures.Recently,therapeutic interventional endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)has emerged as a potential alternative to surgical or percutaneous approaches.Unfortunately,considering the high cost of EUS,lack of facility and expertise,most gastroenterologists still often refer cases to undergo surgical interventions without contemplating the possibility of utilizing EUS first.EUS-guided biliary drainage has become one of the best choices for establishing access to biliary system,given the clear visualization of pancreas,gallbladder,and common bile duct.Although there are still only a few studies which directly compare EUSguided and surgical approaches for biliary drainage,current evidence demonstrated the superiority of EUS-guided approach in terms of adverse events and reintervention rates,with similarly high technical and clinical success rates compared to percutaneous and surgical approaches,especially in patients with history of failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography attempt.Comparable success rates with shorter length of hospital stay between endoscopic and surgical approaches have also been exhibited for pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis.Recent findings about the progress of EUS approach in gastroenterostomy/jejunostomy also indicated a promising potential of EUS,as a less invasive approach,for managing gastric outlet obstruction.

Endoscopic approaches to biliary intervention in patients with surgically altered gastroduodenal anatomy

Over the past decade the ability of endoscopists to access the biliary tree in patients with surgically altered gastroduodenal anatomy has significantly advanced.Much of the progress has occurred as a result of the development of better tools to navigate the deep small bowel,such as single-balloon-(SBE),double-balloon-(DBE),and spiral-enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).However,despite using a cap,accessing the papilla or bile duct using these forward-viewing enteroscopy platforms remains challenging,even in expert hands.In patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass(RYGB) anatomy,the excluded stomach is a potential point of access for either a delayed transgastric- or immediate laparoscopyassisted-ERCP approach.However,the parallel advancement of therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) also provides alternative approaches through which the biliary system can be accessed and intervened on in patients with surgically altered anatomies.Generally speaking,in patients with short gastro-jejunal "Roux" and bilio-pancreatic limbs,ideally less than 150 cm in length,starting with a(cap-assisted) pushenteroscopy or balloon-enteroscopy approach would offer reasonable diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP suc-cess.When available,short-SBE or short-DBE scopes should be used,as they allow the use of conventional ERCP equipment,are associated with shorter procedure times,and are easier to manipulate.In patients with RYGB who have longer Roux and/or bilio-pancreatic limbs(> 150 cm in total length),or in patients who have failed prior attempts at deep enteroscopy-assisted ERCP,transgastric laparoscopy-assisted-ERCP is associated with higher rates of diagnostic and therapeutic success as compared to deep-enteroscopy-assisted ERCP.Finally,EUS-guided biliary access for antegrade biliary intervention or for rendezvous enteroscopyassisted ERCP is possible.While percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and surgical bile duct exploration remain viable alternatives,these methods are not without significant morbidity and mortality and should only be considered if less invasive endoscopic interventions are not feasible or appropriate.