• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
• /
• 제11권2호
• /
• pp.66-76
• /
• 2023

Endoscopy is an important noninvasive procedure for patients with gastrointestinal problems. However, surgical techniques are shifting to laparoscopic surgery, and changes in endoscopic findings after laparoscopic surgery differ from those after previous surgical methods. Postoperative endoscopic findings differ from normal anatomical structures, and findings reportedly vary depending on the type of surgical technique. Therefore, we aimed to summarize the surgical and endoscopic findings for each surgical method from the surgeon's point of view. The causes of gastric emptying delay, bleeding, afferent loop syndrome, or anastomosis leakage occurring after gastric cancer surgery can be identified via upper gastrointestinal endoscopy that is relatively less invasive than the surgical method. Regarding postoperative anastomosis leakage, endoscopy can directly evaluate the degree of leakage at the anastomosis site more accurately than computed tomography and enable immediate intervention. As endoscopy is less invasive than the surgical method, patients can be evaluated and treated more safely. However, coordination between the surgeon and the endoscopist is necessary to perform the procedures effectively. Therefore, reviewing the changes in surgical and endoscopic findings is important.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• 제56권6호
• /
• pp.681-692
• /
• 2023

In general, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is diagnosed clinically based on typical symptoms and/or response to proton pump inhibitor treatment. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is reserved for patients presenting with alarm symptoms, such as dysphagia, odynophagia, significant weight loss, gastrointestinal bleeding, or anorexia; those who meet the criteria for Barrett's esophagus screening; those who report a lack or partial response to proton pump inhibitor treatment; and those with prior endoscopic or surgical anti-reflux interventions. Newer endoscopic techniques are primarily used to increase diagnostic yield and provide an alternative to medical or surgical treatment for GERD. The available endoscopic modalities for the diagnosis of GERD include conventional endoscopy with white-light imaging, high-resolution and high-magnification endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, image-enhanced endoscopy (narrow-band imaging, I- SCAN, flexible spectral imaging color enhancement, blue laser imaging, and linked color imaging), and confocal laser endomicroscopy. Endoscopic techniques for treating GERD include esophageal radiofrequency energy delivery/Stretta procedure, transoral incisionless fundoplication, and endoscopic full-thickness plication. Other novel techniques include anti-reflux mucosectomy, peroral endoscopic cardiac constriction, endoscopic submucosal dissection, and endoscopic band ligation. Currently, many of the new endoscopic techniques are not widely available, and their use is limited to centers of excellence.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• 제57권3호
• /
• pp.350-363
• /
• 2024

Background/Aims: To overcome the technical limitations of classic endoscopic resection for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), various methods have been developed. In this study, we examined the role and feasibility of clip-and-cut procedures (clip-and-cut endoscopic full-thickness resection [cc-EFTR]) for gastric GISTs. Methods: Medical records of 83 patients diagnosed with GISTs after endoscopic resection between 2005 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Moreover, clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. Results: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and cc-EFTR were performed in 51 and 32 patients, respectively. The GISTs were detected in the upper third of the stomach for ESD (52.9%) and cc-EFTR (90.6%). Within the cc-EFTR group, a majority of GISTs were located in the deep muscularis propria or serosal layer, accounting for 96.9%, as opposed to those in the ESD group (45.1%). The R0 resection rates were 51.0% and 84.4% in the ESD and cc-EFTR groups, respectively. Seven (8.4%) patients required surgical treatment (six patients underwent ESD and one underwent cc-EFTR,) due to residual tumor (n=5) and post-procedure adverse events (n=2). Patients undergoing R0 or R1 resection did not experience recurrence during a median 14-month follow-up period, except for one patient in the ESD group. Conclusions: cc-EFTR displayed a high R0 resection rate; therefore, it is a safe and effective therapeutic option for small gastric GISTs.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• 제56권4호
• /
• pp.423-432
• /
• 2023

Compared to endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), colonoscopic endoscopic submucosal dissection (C-ESD) has the advantages of higher en bloc resection rates and lower recurrence rates of colorectal neoplasms. Therefore, C-ESD is considered an effective treatment method for laterally spread tumors and early colorectal cancer. However, C-ESD is technically more difficult and requires a longer procedure time than EMR. In addition to therapeutic efficacy and procedural difficulty, safety concerns should always be considered when performing C-ESD in clinical practice. Bleeding and perforation are the main adverse events associated with C-ESD and can occur during C-ESD or after the completion of the procedure. Most bleeding associated with C-ESD can be managed endoscopically, even if it occurs during or after the procedure. More recently, most perforations identified during C-ESD can also be managed endoscopically, unless the mural defect is too large to be sutured with endoscopic devices or the patient is hemodynamically unstable. Delayed perforations are quite rare, but they require surgical treatment more frequently than endoscopically identified intraprocedural perforations or radiologically identified immediate postprocedural perforations. Post-ESD coagulation syndrome is a relatively underestimated adverse event, which can mimic localized peritonitis from perforation. Here, we classify and characterize the complications associated with C-ESD and recommend management options for them.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• 제51권6호
• /
• pp.552-557
• /
• 2018

Although colonoscopy was originally a diagnostic imaging procedure, it has now expanded to include an increasing range of therapeutic interventions. These procedures require precise maneuvers of instruments, execution of force, efficient transmission of force from the operator to the point of application, and sufficient dexterity in the mobilization of endoscopic surgical instruments. The conventional endoscope is not designed to support technically demanding endoscopic procedures. In case of colonoscopy, the tortuous anatomy of the colon makes inserting, moving, and orientating the endoscope difficult. Exerting excessive pressure can cause looping of the endoscope, pain to the patient, and even perforation of the colon. To mitigate the technical constraints, numerous technically enhanced systems have been developed to enable better control of instruments and precise delivery of force in the execution of surgical tasks such as apposing, grasping, traction, counter-traction, and cutting of tissues. Among the recent developments are highly dexterous robotic master and slave systems, computer-assisted or robotically enhanced conventional endoscopes, and autonomously driven locomotion devices that can effortlessly traverse the colon. Developments in endoscopic instrumentations have overcome technical barriers and opened new horizons for further advancements in therapeutic interventions. This review describes examples of some of these systems in the context of their applications to advanced therapeutic colonoscopy.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• 제55권2호
• /
• pp.292-296
• /
• 2022

Iatrogenic perforations are severe complications of gastrointestinal endoscopy; therefore, their management should be adequately planned. A 77-year-old man with a history of diverticulosis underwent a colonoscopy for anemia. During the procedure, an iatrogenic perforation occurred suddenly in the sigmoid colon, near a severe angle among the numerous diverticula. Through-the-scope clips were immediately applied to treat it and close mucosal edges. Laboratory tests showed increased levels of inflammation and infection, and although there were no complaints of abdominal pain, the patient had an extremely distended abdomen. A multidisciplinary board began management based on a conservative approach. Pneumoperitoneum was treated with computed tomography-assisted drainage. After 72 hours, his intestinal canalization and laboratory tests were normal. Though this adverse event is rare, a multidisciplinary board should be promptly gathered upon occurrence, even if the patient appears clinically stable, to consider a conservative approach and avoid surgical treatment.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• 제30권1호
• /
• pp.62-65
• /
• 2013

Gastric bezoars are concretion of undigested material in the gastrointestinal tract. In the past, gastric bezoars were generally treated with surgical management. Recently, the efficacy of oral intake or endoscopic injection therapy with Coca-Cola has been reported. We report a case of a 47-year-old-man with huge gastric bezoar ($4{\times}2.5$ cm) that was successfully removed by endoscopic fragmentation with Coca-Cola injection. Compared with a single endoscopic fragmentation therapy, the combination therapy with Coca-Cola injection shortened the procedure time and reduced the complication associated with fragmented bezoar.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• 제20권3호
• /
• pp.245-255
• /
• 2020

Purpose: Recently, non-exposure simple suturing endoscopic full-thickness resection (NESS-EFTR) was developed to prevent tumor exposure to the peritoneal cavity. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of NESS-EFTR with sentinel basin dissection for early gastric cancer (EGC). Materials and Methods: This was the prospective SENORITA 3 pilot. From July 2017 to January 2018, 20 patients with EGC smaller than 3 cm without an absolute indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection were enrolled. The sentinel basin was detected using Tc^99m-phytate and indocyanine green, and the NESS-EFTR procedure was performed when all sentinel basin nodes were tumor-free on frozen pathologic examination. We evaluated the complete resection and intraoperative perforation rates as well as the incidence of postoperative complications. Results: Among the 20 enrolled patients, one dropped out due to large tumor size, while another underwent conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy due to metastatic sentinel lymph nodes. All NESS-EFTR procedures were performed in 17 of the 18 other patients (94.4%) without conversion, and the complete resection rate was 83.3% (15/18). The intraoperative perforation rate was 27.8% (5/18), and endoscopic clipping or laparoscopic suturing or stapling was performed at the perforation site. There was one case of postoperative complications treated with endoscopic clipping; the others were discharged without any event. Conclusions: NESS-EFTR with sentinel basin dissection is a technically challenging procedure that obtains safe margins, prevents intraoperative perforation, and may be a treatment option for EGC after additional experience.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.184-196
• /
• 2022

Purpose: Total or proximal gastrectomy of the upper-third early gastric cancer (u-EGC) often causes severe post-gastrectomy syndrome, suggesting that these procedures are extremely invasive for patients without pathologically positive lymph node (LN) metastasis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical applicability of a stomach function-preserving surgery, local resection (LR), with prophylactic left gastric artery (LGA)-basin dissection (LGA-BD). Materials and Methods: The data of patients with u-EGC (pathologically diagnosed as T1) were retrospectively analyzed. Total gastrectomy was performed in 30 patients, proximal gastrectomy in 45, and subtotal gastrectomy in 6; the LN status was evaluated assuming that the patients had already underwent LR + LGA-BD. This procedure was considered feasible in patients without LN metastases or in patients with cancer in the LGA basin. The reproducibility of the results was also evaluated using an external validation dataset. Results: Of the 82 eligible patients, 79 (96.3%) were cured after undergoing LR + LGA-BD, 74 (90.2%) were pathologically negative for LN metastases, and 5 (6.1%) had LN metastases, but these findings were only observed in the LGA basin. Similarly, of the 406 eligible tumors in the validation dataset, 396 (97.5%) were potentially curative. Tumors in the lesser curvature, post-endoscopic resection status, and small tumors (<20 mm) were considered to be stronger indicators of LR + LGA-BD as all subpopulation cases met our feasibility criteria. Conclusions: More than 95% of the patients with u-EGC might be eligible for LR + LGA-BD. This function-preserving procedure may contribute to the development of u-EGC without pathological LN metastases, especially for tumors located at the lesser curvature.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• 제22권3호
• /
• pp.220-234
• /
• 2022

Purpose: The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) has increased in recent years, and the optimal surgical strategy for AEG remains highly controversial. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of proximal gastrectomy with double-tract reconstruction (PG-DT) for the treatment of patients with AEG. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with Siewert type II/III AEG between January 2013 and July 2018. Clinicopathological characteristics, survival, surgical outcomes, quality of life (QOL), and nutritional status were compared between the PG-DT and total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis (TG-RY) groups. Results: After propensity score matching, 33 patients in each group were analyzed. There were no statistical differences between the 2 groups in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival. The surgical option was not an independent prognostic factor based on the multivariate analysis. In addition, no differences were found in terms of surgical complications. There were no significant differences in QOL assessed by the Visick grade, Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, or endoscopic findings. Furthermore, the long-term nutritional advantage of the PG-DT group was significantly greater than that of the TG-RY group. Conclusions: PG-DT is a safe and effective procedure for patients with local Siewert type II/III AEG, regardless of the TNM stage.