ERCP for patients who have undergone Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is efficacious in patients who have undergone Billroth II gastroenterostomies, but the success rate decreases in patients who also have experienced Braun anastomoses. There are currently no reports describing the preferred enterography route for cannulation in these patients. We first review the patient’s previous surgery records, which most often indicate that the efferent loop is at the greater curvature of the stomach. We recommend extending the duodenoscope along the greater curvature of the stomach and then advancing it through the “lower entrance” at the site of the gastrojejunal anastomosis, along the efferent loop, and through the “middle entrance” at the site of the Braun anastomosis to reach the papilla of Vater. Ten patients who had each undergone Billroth II gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis between January 2009 and December 2011 were included in our study. The overall success rate of enterography was 90% for the patients who had undergone Billroth II gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis, and the therapeutic success rate was 80%. We believe that this enterography route for ERCP is optimal for a patient who has had Billroth II gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis and helps to increase the success rate of the procedure.

Retrieval-balloon-assisted enterography for ERCP after Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis

AIM: To describe an optimal route to the Braun anastomosis including the use of retrieval-balloon-assisted enterography.METHODS: Patients who received a Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy(n = 109) and a Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy with Braun anastomosis(n = 20) between January 2009 and May 2013 were analyzed in this study. Endoscopic ret-rograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) was performed under fluoroscopic control using a total length of 120 cm oblique-viewing duodenoscope with a 3.7-mm diameter working channel. For this procedure, we used a triplelumen retrieval balloon catheter in which a 0.035-inch guidewire could be inserted into the "open-channel" guidewire lumen while the balloon could be simultaneously injected and inflated through the other 2 lumens.RESULTS: For the patients with Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis, successful access to the papilla was gained in 17 patients(85%) and there was therapeutic success in 16 patients(80%). One patient had afferent loop perforation, but postoperative bleeding did not occur. For Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy, there was failure in accessing the papilla in 15 patients(13.8%). ERCP was unsuccessful because of tumor infiltration(6 patients), a long afferent loop(9 patients), and cannulation failure(4 patients). The papilla was successfully accessed in 94 patients(86.2%), and there was therapeutic success in 90 patients(82.6%). Afferent loop perforation did not occur in any of these patients. One patient had hemorrhage 2 h after ERCP, which was successfully managed with conservative treatment.CONCLUSION: Retrieval-balloon-assisted enterography along an optimal route may improve the ERCP success rate after Billroth Ⅱ gastroenterostomy and Braun anastomosis.

Does the addition of Braun anastomosis to Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction on laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy benefit patients?

BACKGROUND Operation is the primary therapeutic option for patients with distal gastrectomy.Braun anastomosis is usually performed after Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction,which is wildly applied on distal gastrectomy because it is believed to benefit patients.However,studies are needed to confirm that.AIM To identify whether the addition of Braun anastomosis to Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction on laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy benefits patients.METHODS A total of 143 patients with gastric cancer underwent laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy at Centre 1 of PLA general hospital between January 2015 and December 2019.Clinical data of the patients were collected,and 93 of the 143 patients were followed up.These 93 patients were divided into two groups:Group 1(Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction,33 patients);and Group 2(Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction combined with Braun anastomosis,60 patients).Postoperative complication follow-up data and relevant clinical data were compared between the two groups.RESULTS There were no significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 in postoperative complications(6.1%vs 6.7%,P=0.679),anal exhaust time or blood loss.The follow-up prevalence of reflux gastritis indicated no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 2(68.2%vs 51.7%,P=0.109).The followup European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 scores revealed no evident difference between Group 1 and Group 2 as well.Group 1 had a shorter operating time than Group 2 on average(234.6 min vs 262.0 min,P=0.017).CONCLUSION Combined with Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction,Braun anastomosis has been applied due to its ability to reduce the prevalence of reflux gastritis.Whereas in this study,the prevalence of reflux gastritis showed no significant difference,leading to a conclusion that under the circumstance of Braun anastomosis costing more time and more money,simple Billroth Ⅱ reconstruction should be widely applied.