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Background and Aims: The most common adverse event (AE) of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is anastomotic biliary stricture (ABS). Management varies widely between centers, and it is not clear whether a combination of endoscopic dilation of the stenosis followed by multiple plastic stents (MPS) or placement of a fully covered self-expandable metal stent (fcSEMS) is better for the management of post-OLT ABS. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy, safety, and cost of fcSEMS versus MPS in the treatment of post-OLT ABS., Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing fcSEMS with MPS for the treatment of patients with post-OLT ABS and reporting at least one of the outcomes of interest. The pooled estimates were calculated using the random-effects model, and I 2 statistics were used to evaluate heterogeneity., Results: The study included 5 RCTs (245 patients). There was no statistically significant difference between fcSEMS and MPS in stricture resolution (RR 0.99; 95% CI 0.88 to 1.11; p = 0.86), stricture recurrence (RR 2.22; 95% CI 0.73 to 6.75; p = 0.16), treatment cost (MD - 5.31 thousand dollars 95% CI -12.76 to 2.13; p = 0.16), and AEs (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.27 to 2.83; p = 0.82). However, fcSEMS reduced the number of ERCP sessions (MD - 1.7 sessions; CI 95% - 2.9 to - 0.5; p = 0.005) and treatment duration (MD-95.7 days; 95% CI -184.5 to -6.9; p = 0.03) compared with MPS., Conclusion: fcSEMS and MPS had similar efficacy and safety in patients with ABS post-OLT. However, fcSEMS was associated with fewer ERCP sessions and shorter treatment duration., Competing Interests: Declarations. Disclosures: Stefano Baraldo, Gilmara Coelho Meine, Paula Arruda Espirito Santo, Eduardo Cerchi Barbosa, Angélica Luciana Nau, Radhika Chavan, Yu-Ting Kuo, and Dario Ligresti have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose. Margaret G. Keane is a paid consultant for Boston Scientific., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background and Aims: Post-surgical biliary leaks (PSBL) are one of the most prevalent and significant adverse events emerging after liver or biliary tract surgeries. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) alone or combined with another approach (Rendez Vous) as treatment of PSBL obtains optimal outcomes due to the possibility of modifying the resistances in the biliary tree., Methods: A retrospective double-center study was conducted in two tertiary centers. Consecutive patients who underwent at least one attempt of PSBL correction by ERCP or Rendez Vous procedure between January 2018 and August 2023 were included. The primary outcome was overall endoscopic clinical success. In contrast, the secondary outcomes were hospital stay exceeding five days and endoscopic clinical success with the first endoscopic procedure at the tertiary center. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess outcomes., Results: 65 patients were included. Patients with one or multiple) leaks had more possibility to achieve the endoscopic clinical success compared to those affected by the association of leaks and stricture (96% vs 67%, p value 0.005). Leaks occurring in the main biliary duct had less probability (67%) to achieve the overall endoscopic clinical success compared to those in the end-to-end anastomosis (90%), in the resection plane or biliary stump (96%) or first or secondary order biliary branches (100%, p value 0.038). A leak-bridging stent positioning had more probability of achieving the endoscopic clinical success than a not leak-bridging stent (91% vs 53%, p value 0.005)., Conclusions: ERCP and Rendez Vous procedures are safe and effective for treating PSBL, regardless of the type of preceding surgery, even if technical or clinical success was not achieved on the first attempt. A stent should be placed, if feasible, leak-bridging to enhance treatment efficacy., Competing Interests: Declarations. Disclosures: Drs. Dario Quintini, Dr. Giacomo Emanuele Maria Rizzo, Dr. Ilaria Tarantino, Dr. Giacomo Sarzo, Dr. Alberto Fantin, Dr. Roberto Miraglia, Dr. Luigi Maruzzelli, Dr. Dario Ligresti, Dr. Lucio Carrozza, Dr. Gabriele Rancatore, Dr. Salvatore Gruttadauria, Dr. Umberto Cillo, Dr. Francesco Ferrara, and Dr Mario Traina have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background: Malignant Distal Biliary Obstruction (MBDO) is a common event occurring along the natural history of both pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. Epidemiological and biological features make MBDO one of the key elements of the clinical management of patients suffering for of pancreatic cancer or cholangiocarcinoma. The development of dedicated biliary lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) is changing the clinical work up of patients with MBDO. i-EUS is an Italian network of clinicians and scientists with a special interest in biliopancreatic endoscopy, EUS in particular., Methods: The scientific methodology was chosen in line with international guidance and in a fashion similar to those applied by broader scientific associations. PICO questions were elaborated and subsequently voted by a broad panel of experts within a simplified Delphi process., Results and Conclusions: The manuscripts describes the results of a consensus conference organized by i-EUS with the aim of providing an evidence based-guidance for the appropriate use of the techniques in patients with MBDO., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Pulmonary masses are a diagnostic challenge in the field of EUS tissue acquisition, especially through transesophageal EUS-guided fine-needle biopsy sampling (EUS-FNB). Our study evaluated the feasibility, diagnostic performance, and safety of EUS-FNB of pulmonary lesions., Methods: Fifty-three patients were enrolled in a prospective registry. All EUS procedures were performed by experienced endosonographers. Outcomes were specimen adequacy, diagnostic accuracy, diagnostic sensibility, diagnostic specificity, and safety., Results: The mean patient age was 70 ± 10.4 years, and 71.7% were men. The mean lesion size was 52.4 ± 23.3 mm, and patients mostly had a single lesion (86.8%). Most patients had an advanced stage at diagnosis (stage IV, 41.82%), and the most common lung cancer was non-small cell lung carcinoma (69.4%). The diagnostic adequacy rate was 92.86%, and diagnostic accuracy was 87.5%. Adverse events were reported in 3 procedures., Conclusions: Transesophageal EUS-FNB is a feasible and safe diagnostic method of tissue sampling for lung masses reachable by EUS., Competing Interests: Disclosure The following author disclosed financial relationships: I. Tarantino: Consultant for Olympus and Boston Scientific. All other authors disclosed no financial relationships. Research support for this study was provided by Ministero della Salute, Ricerca corrente 2024., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Large language models (LLMs) are transforming the medical landscape by enhancing access to information, diagnostics, treatment customization, and medical education, especially in areas like Gastroenterology. LLMs utilize extensive medical data to improve decision-making, leading to better patient outcomes and personalized medicine. These models are instrumental in interpreting medical literature and synthesizing patient data, facilitating real-time knowledge for physicians and supporting educational pursuits in medicine. Despite their potential, the complete integration of LLMs in real-life remains ongoing, particularly requiring further study and regulation. This review highlights the existing evidence supporting LLMs' use in Gastroenterology, addressing both their potential and limitations. Recent studies demonstrate LLMs' ability to answer questions from physicians and patients accurately. Specific applications in this field, such as colonoscopy, screening for colorectal cancer, and hepatobiliary and inflammatory bowel diseases, underscore LLMs' promise in improving the communication and understanding of complex medical scenarios. Moreover, the review discusses LLMs' efficacy in clinical contexts, providing guideline-based recommendations and supporting decision-making processes. Despite these advancements, challenges such as data completeness, reference suitability, variability in response accuracy, dependency on input phrasing, and a lack of patient-generated questions underscore limitations in reproducibility and generalizability. The effective integration of LLMs into medical practice demands refinement tailored to specific medical contexts and guidelines. Overall, while LLMs hold significant potential in transforming medical practice, ongoing development and contextual training are essential to fully realize their benefits.

Background and study aims Direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN) represents the first-line treatment for walled-off necrosis (WON). However, DEN has a non-negligible rate of overall adverse events (AE) and is time-consuming due to the lack of dedicated devices. This pilot study was designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a novel dedicated device for DEN named Necrolit. Patients and methods In this multicenter retrospective analysis,16 patients with WON who underwent DEN using Necrolit were compared with a control group treated with non-dedicated devices. Technical success, AEs, clinical success, number of procedures per patient, procedure time, and length of hospital stay were evaluated. Necrolit technical performance indicators were also studied. Results Technical success was obtained in all patients in both groups. In the Necrolit group, the overall AE rate was 10.1% vs. 15.9% in the control group. Clinical success was 100% in the Necrolit group vs. 81.3% in the control group. Patients treated with Necrolit underwent a slightly lower mean number of procedures (4.1 ± 2.3 vs. 5.1 ± 1.9) with comparable mean procedure time (67.8 ± 39 minutes vs. 70.1 ± 32.6 minutes). Mean duration of hospital stay was 39.4 days (± 30.9) in the Necrolit group vs. 43 days (± 29.4) in the control group. Device-related technical performance was rated positively. Conclusions DEN with Necrolit appears feasible and safe., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Despite the introduction of serological neoplastic biomarkers and typical radiological characteristics in clinical practice, liver biopsy (LB) is often still necessary to establish a histological diagnosis, especially in ambiguous cases. Nowadays, LB via the percutaneous approach (PC-LB), under computed tomography (CT) scan or ultrasonography (US) guidance, is the route of choice. However, certain focal liver lesions can be challenging to access percutaneously. In such cases, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle biopsy (FNB) may represent an attractive, minimally invasive alternative. This retrospective observational study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, diagnostic performance, and safety of EUS-FNB conducted on 58 focal liver lesions located in both liver lobes. The adequacy of FNB samples for focal liver lesions located in the left and right lobes was 100% and 81.2%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( p = 0.001). Technical success was 100% for both liver lobes. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 100%, respectively. EUS-FNB is effective in making an accurate diagnosis with an excellent safety profile for focal liver lesions located in both liver lobes.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) is a novel endoscopic method to palliate malignant gastric outlet obstruction. We aimed to assess whether the use of EUS-GE with a double balloon occluder for malignant gastric outlet obstruction could reduce the need for reintervention within 6 months compared with conventional duodenal stenting., Methods: The was an international, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial conducted at seven sites in Hong Kong, Belgium, Brazil, India, Italy, and Spain. Consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) with malignant gastric outlet obstruction due to unresectable primary gastroduodenal or pancreatobiliary malignancies, a gastric outlet obstruction score (GOOS) of 0 (indicating an inability in intake food or liquids orally), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 3 or lower were included and randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either EUS-GE or duodenal stenting. The primary outcome was the 6-month reintervention rate, defined as the percentage of patients requiring additional endoscopic intervention due to stent dysfunction (ie, restenosis of the stent due to tumour ingrowth, tumour overgrowth, or food residue; stent migration; or stent fracture) within 6 months, analysed in the intention-to-treat population. Prespecified secondary outcomes were technical success (successful placement of a stent), clinical success (1-point improvement in gastric outlet obstruction score [GOOS] within 3 days), adverse events within 30 days, death within 30 days, duration of stent patency, GOOS at 1 month, and quality-of-life scores. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03823690) and is completed., Findings: Between Dec 1, 2020, and Feb 28, 2022, 185 patients were screened and 97 (46 men and 51 women) were recruited and randomly allocated (48 to the EUS-GE group and 49 to the duodenal stent group). Mean age was 69·5 years (SD 12·6) in the EUS-GE group and 64·8 years (13·0) in the duodenal stent group. All randomly allocated patients completed follow-up and were analysed. Reintervention within 6 months was required in two (4%) patients in the EUS-GE group and 14 (29%) in the duodenal stent group [p=0·0020; risk ratio 0·15 [95% CI 0·04-0·61]). Stent patency was longer in the EUS-GE group (median not reached in either group; HR 0·13 [95% CI 0·08-0·22], log-rank p<0·0001). 1-month GOOS was significantly better in the EUS-GE group (mean 2·41 [SD 0·7]) than the duodenal stent group (1·91 [0·9], p=0·012). There were no statistically significant differences between the EUS-GE and duodenal stent groups in death within 30 days (ten [21%] vs six [12%] patients, respectively, p=0·286), technical success, clinical success, or quality-of-life scores at 1 month. Adverse events occurred 11 (23%) patients in the EUS-GE group and 12 (24%) in the duodenal stent group within 30 days (p=1·00); three cases of pneumonia (two in the EUS-GE group and one in the duodenal stent group) were considered to be procedure related., Interpretation: In patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction, EUS-GE can reduce the frequency of reintervention, improve stent patency, and result in better patient-reported eating habits compared with duodenal stenting, and the procedure should be used preferentially over duodenal stenting when expertise and required devices are available., Funding: Research Grants Council (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China) and Sociedad Española de Endoscopia Digestiva., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests AYBT is a consultant for Boston Scientific, Cook, Taewoong, Microtech, and M I Tech Medical Corporations. RK is a consultant for Boston Scientific, Olympus, BCM, Omega Medical Imaging, Apollo Endosurgery, Ambu, M I Tech, and Tigen Pharma. MP-M is a consultant for Boston Scientific, Olympus, Medtronic, and M I Tech Medical Corporations. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Video 1Multidisciplinary management of an intraprocedural endobronchial bleeding after EUS-guided transesophageal FNB of a pulmonary mass., Competing Interests: Funded by the Italian Health Ministry, ricerca corrente 2023. The authors did not disclose any financial relationships., (© 2023 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Video 1Video showing a rare case of pedunculated ampulloma: imaging evaluation and resection technique., (© 2023 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Video 1Case showing a complete intraperitoneal maldeployment of a lumen-apposing metal stent during EUS-guided gastro-entero-anastomosis for malignant gastric outlet obstruction, which was rescued through a retrieval with peritoneoscopy through natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery., (© 2023 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: The treatments for cancer palliation in patients with concomitant malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) and gastric outlet obstruction (MGOO) are still under investigation due to the lack of evidence available in the medical literature. We performed a systematic search and critical review to investigate efficacy and safety among patients with MBO and MGOO undergoing both endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) and MGOO endoscopic treatment., Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. EUS-BD included both transduodenal and transgastric techniques. Treatment of MGOO included duodenal stenting or EUS-GEA (gastroenteroanastomosis). Outcomes of interest were technical success, clinical success, and rate of adverse events (AEs) in patients undergoing double treatment in the same session or within one week., Results: 11 studies were included in the systematic review for a total number of 337 patients, 150 of whom had concurrent MBO and MGOO treatment, fulfilling the time criteria. MGOO was treated by duodenal stenting (self-expandable metal stents) in 10 studies, and in one study by EUS-GEA. EUS-BD had a mean technical success of 96.4% (CI 95%, 92.18-98.99) and a mean clinical success of 84.96% (CI 95%, 67.99-96.26). The average frequency of AEs for EUS-BD was 28.73% (CI 95%, 9.12-48.33). Clinical success for duodenal stenting was 90% vs. 100% for EUS-GEA., Conclusions: EUS-BD could become the preferred drainage in the case of double endoscopic treatment of concomitant MBO and MGOO in the near future, with the promising EUS-GEA becoming a valid option for MGOO treatment in these patients.

Background and Aim: Dedicated studies evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on outcomes of pancreatobiliary IgG4 related disease (IgG4-RD) patients are scarce. Whether COVID-19 infection or vaccination would trigger IgG4-RD exacerbation remains unknown., Methods: Pancreatobiliary IgG4-RD patients ≥ 18 years old with active follow-up since January 2020 from nine referral centers in Asia, Europe, and North America were included in this multicenter retrospective study. Outcome measures include incidence and severity of COVID-19 infection, IgG4-RD disease activity and treatment status, interruption of indicated IgG4-RD treatment. Prospective data on COVID-19 vaccination status and new COVID-19 infection during the Omicron outbreak were also retrieved in the Hong Kong cohort., Results: Of the 124 pancreatobiliary IgG4-RD patients, 25.0% had active IgG4-RD, 71.0% were on immunosuppressive therapies and 80.6% had ≥ 1 risk factor for severe COVID. In 2020 (pre-vaccination period), two patients (1.6%) had COVID-19 infection (one requiring ICU admission), and 7.2% of patients had interruptions in indicated immunosuppressive treatment for IgG4-RD. Despite a high vaccination rate (85.0%), COVID-19 infection rate has increased to 20.0% during Omicron outbreak in the Hong Kong cohort. A trend towards higher COVID-19 infection rate was noted in the non-fully vaccinated/unvaccinated group (17.6% vs 33.3%, P = 0.376). No IgG4-RD exacerbation following COVID-19 vaccination or infection was observed., Conclusion: While a low COVID-19 infection rate with no mortality was observed in pancreatobiliary IgG4-RD patients in the pre-vaccination period of COVID-19, infection rate has increased during the Omicron outbreak despite a high vaccination rate. No IgG4-RD exacerbation after COVID-19 infection or vaccination was observed., (© 2022 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background and Aim: Digital single-operator cholangioscopy (D-SOC) is an endoscopic procedure that is increasingly used for the management of bilio-pancreatic diseases. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of D-SOC for diagnostic and therapeutic indications., Methods: This is a multicenter, prospective study(January 2016-June 2019) across eighteen tertiary centers. The primary outcome was procedural success of D-SOC. Secondary outcomes were: D-SOC visual assessment and diagnostic yield of SpyBite biopsy in cases of biliary strictures, stone clearance rate in cases of difficult biliary stones, rate of adverse events(AEs) for all indications., Results: D-SOC was performed in 369 patients (201(54,5%) diagnostic and 168(45,5%)therapeutic). Overall, procedural success rate was achieved in 360(97,6%) patients. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy in biliary strictures were: 88,5%, 77,3%, 83,3%, 84,1% and 83,6% for D-SOC visual impression; 80,2%, 92,6%, 95,1%, 72,5% and 84,7% for the SpyBite biopsy, respectively. For difficult biliary stones, complete duct clearance was obtained in 92,1% patients (82,1% in a single session). Overall, AEs occurred in 37(10%) cases.The grade of AEs was mild or moderate for all cases, except one which was fatal., Conclusion: D-SOC is effective for diagnostic and therapeutic indications.Most of the AEs were minor and managed conservatively, even though a fatal event has happened that is not negligible and should be considered before using D-SOC., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Alessandro Fugazza, Andrea Tringali, Alessandro Repici and Andrea Anderloni are consultants for Boston Scientific. No others discosures for the remaining authors., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background and Aim: Intraparenchymal lung masses inaccessible through bronchoscopy or endobronchial ultrasound guidance pose a diagnostic challenge. Furthermore, some fragile or hypoxic patients may be poor candidates for transbronchial approaches. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration/biopsy (EUS-FNA/FNB) offers a potential diagnostic approach to lung cancers adjacent to the esophagus. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, accuracy, and safety of trans-esophageal EUS-FNA/FNB for tissue sampling of pulmonary nodules., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients with pulmonary lesions who underwent EUS-FNA/FNB between March 2015 and August 2021 at eight Italian endoscopic referral centers., Results: A total of 47 patients (36 male; mean age 64.47 ± 9.05 years) were included (22 EUS-FNAs and 25 EUS-FNBs). Overall diagnostic accuracy rate was 88.9% (76.3-96.2%). The sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy were superior for EUS FNB sampling versus EUS-FNA (100% vs. 78.73%); P = 0.05, and (100% vs. 78.57%); P = 0.05, respectively. Additionally, sample adequacy was superior for EUS-FNB sampling versus EUS-FNA (100% vs. 78.5%); P = 0.05. Multivariate logistic regression analysis for diagnostic accuracy showed nodule size at the cutoff of 15 mm (OR 2.29, 1.04-5.5, P = 0.05) and use of FNB needle (OR 4.33, 1.05-6.31, P = 0.05) as significant predictors of higher diagnostic accuracy. There were no procedure-related adverse events., Conclusion: This study highlights the efficacy and safety of EUS-FNA/FNB as a minimally invasive procedure for diagnosing and staging peri-esophageal parenchymal lung lesions. The diagnostic yield of EUS-FNB was superior to EUS-FNA., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Exposed endoscopic full-thickness resection (Eo-EFTR) is emerging as a promising minimally invasive alternative to surgery for the treatment of deep gastric submucosal tumors (G-SMTs). However, literature concerning this subject is heterogeneous and data mostly come from relatively small retrospective studies., Aims: We aimed to perform a pooled analysis of published data with regard to gastric Eo-EFTR, providing a pooled estimate of technical and clinical outcomes., Methods: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies published from 1998 to 2020. The primary outcomes were complete resection and surgical conversion rates. The secondary outcomes were overall and selected major adverse events rates. The Forest plots on primary and secondary endpoints were produced based on fixed and random effect models., Results: Nineteen studies including 952 Eo-EFTR-treated G-SMTs were included. The pooled estimate of the complete resection rate and surgical conversion rates was 99.3% and 0.09%, respectively. The pooled estimate of overall major adverse events, delayed bleeding, delayed perforation and peritonitis, abdominal abscess and/or abdominal infection was 0.29%, 0.14%, 0.14%, and 0.12%, respectively., Conclusion: Gastric Eo-EFTR has a high rate of complete resection with a low surgical conversion rate. It appears to be relatively safe and might represent a non-inferior minimally invasive alternative to surgery in selected cases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None to declare for any author., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Exposed endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR), with or without laparoscopic assistance, is an emergent natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery technique with promising safety and efficacy for the management of gastrointestinal submucosal tumors (SMTs) arising from the muscularis propria (MP), especially of the gastric wall. To date, evidence concerning duodenal exposed EFTR is lacking, mainly due to both the technical difficulty involved because of the special duodenal anatomy and concerns about safety and effectiveness of transmural wall defect closure. However, given the non-negligible morbidity and mortality associated with duodenal surgery, the recent availability of dedicated endoscopic tools for tissue-approximation capable to realize full-thickness defect closure could help in promoting the adoption of this endosurgical technique among referral centers. The aim of our study was to review the current evidence concerning exposed EFTR with or without laparoscopic assistance for the treatment of MP-arising duodenal SMTs., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exposed endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) without laparoscopic assistance is a minimally invasive natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery technique that is emerging as a promising effective and safe alternative to surgery for the treatment of muscularis propria-originating gastric submucosal tumors. To date, various techniques have been used for the closure of the transmural post-EFTR defect, mainly consisting in clip- and endoloop-assisted closure methods. However, the recent advent of dedicated tools capable of providing full-thickness defect suture could further improve the efficacy and safety of the exposed EFTR procedure. The aim of our review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the different closure methods adopted in gastric-exposed EFTR without laparoscopic assistance, also considering the recent advent of flexible endoscopic suturing., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: No conflict of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Exposed endoscopic full thickness resection (EFTR) is a minimally invasive technique that has shown promising efficacy and safety in the removal of both gastrointestinal (GI) submucosal tumors (SMTs) arising from the muscularis propria (MP) and select epithelial tumors (ETs) unsuitable for conventional resection techniques. Given the chance of realizing endosurgical full-thickness suturing, the Endoscopic Suturing System (ESS) can be used to close wall defects in this setting. However, data concerning its use in EFTR are still limited., Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of exposed EFTR with defect closure using the ESS for the removal of both GI SMTs and select ETs unsuitable for conventional resection techniques., Material and Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, observational cohort study of patients who underwent GI exposed EFTR., Results: Seven patients (M : F 6 : 1) with a mean age of 56 ±14.5 years were identified. The indications were MP-originating SMTs of the stomach (n = 2) and duodenum (n = 2), and from submucosa of the rectum (n = 1), and 2 ETs of the rectum. Exposed EFTR and defect closure were successfully performed in 6/7 patients. One case was converted to laparoscopic gastric wedge resection due to technical unfeasibility. We performed an R0 resection in all cases, with the exception of 1 case of rectal EFTR. No macroscopic recurrence was detected at 6-month endoscopic follow-up., Conclusions: GI exposed EFTR with defect closure by the ESS appears to be feasible, effective, and safe in referral centers. Further studies are necessary to clarify the role of the ESS for post-EFTR wall defect closure., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Fundacja Videochirurgii.)

Background and study aims  The therapeutic role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) evolved in recent decade,s opening a new chapter in the field of endoscopic biliary drainage (BD). EUS-BD has emerged as a new mini-invasive technique for neoplastic jaundice not amenable to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The primary study aims were to assess the clinical efficacy of EUS-BD using an electrocautery-enhanced lumen apposing metal stent (ECE-LAMS) in patients with malignant biliary obstruction with failed\unfeasible ERCP and the adverse event (AE) rate. The secondary aims were to evaluate the technical success and incidence of jaundice recurrence. Patients and methods  Data from All patients referred to our tertiary-care Institute with obstructive jaundice due to unresectable malignant distal biliary stricture and unfeasible\failed ERCP, were prospectively recorded from January 2015 to February 2018. The procedures were performed by a single-step ECE-LAMS (AXIOS-EC, Boston Scientific) placement, from the upper gut lumen to the biliary tree, for definitive biliary decompression. Results  Twenty-one patients were consecutively enrolled. Mean pre-procedure common bile duct diameter was 16 mm and the bilirubin level was 13.9 mg/dL (range 3.8-29.5). LAMS was positioned from the duodenal bulb (n = 19) to gastric antrum (n = 2). We registered a 100 % of technical and clinical success. No AEs occurred. We observed a single case of delayed AE consisting of a buried LAMS, which was successfully resolved endoscopically. Conclusions  Despite the limits of being non-comparative, our study shows outcomes in a homogeneous population in terms of indications and technique. EUS-BD with dedicated ECE-LAMS is associated with extremely good clinical efficacy and safety and can be considered as an alternative in cases of failed/unfeasible ERCP., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

Background and Aims: Post-GI surgical wall defects are frequent and life-threatening complications, with limited literature regarding current treatment. This case series aims to assess the safety, feasibility, and outcomes of endoluminal therapy with the overstitch endoscopic suturing system (Apollo Endosurgery Inc, Austin)., Materials and Methods: All patients who underwent endoscopic suturing for post-surgical wall defect management at IRCCS-ISMETT Palermo from October 2017 until January 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. Stratification therapy was applied according to the clinical scenario, time from surgery to endoscopic intervention, and structural condition of the wall defect layers (tissue status and suture feasibility). The therapeutic endoscopic strategy was divided into three groups (A: pure endoscopic direct suture; B: combined therapy with endoscopic direct suture + FC-SEMS placement + anchoring; C: FC-SEMS placement + anchoring). Success was considered the resolution of symptoms and the presence of a regular intestinal transit after a period of 4-6 weeks., Results: Twenty (20) patients (male/female 7/13; mean age 54 ± 13.43 years) were included in the study (group A: 9 patients, group B: 7 patients, group C: 4 patients). The types of operative procedures were bariatric (9/20), post-tracheostomy (3/20), post-operative GI surgery (8/20). The post-surgical defects were predominantly intermediate and chronic (24-72 h: 1/20; 3-30 days: 13/20; > 30 days: 6/20). The overall clinical success was 80% (17/20 patients), with a success of 94% (16/17 patients) when excluding the three cases of tracheo-esophageal fistula. No evidence of migration was detected. The only complication was short stenosis of the distal esophagus, present in 4 patients (19%) and successfully treated with a novel lumen-apposing metal stent., Conclusions: In our experience, considering the absence of clear guidelines, the endoluminal approach with the overstich endoscopic suturing system is a valid alternative to conventional therapy, offering mini-invasiveness, and presenting promising opportunities in terms of technical feasibility and clinical efficacy.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Background and Objectives: EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is used as a rescue method after failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. However, it is considered a technically challenging procedure. Phantoms and ex vivo biliary dilatation models have been used to enhance the learning of EUS-BD, but they provide a limited level of realism. The aim of this study was to develop a swine biliary dilatation model that uses temperature-controlled endobiliary radiofrequency ablation (EB-RFA) for training in EUS-BD., Materials and Methods: Target temperature-controlled (80°C at 7 or 10 W for 60-120 s) EB-RFA was performed on seven pigs. Two weeks after the EB-RFA, EUS examination was performed to confirm biliary dilatation, and EUS-BD was then attempted by performing a hepaticogastrostomy (HGS) or cholecystogastrostomy (CGS)., Results: Twelve sessions of EB-RFA (11 at the distal common bile duct [CBD] and one at the proximal CBD) were successfully performed on the seven pigs. There were no immediate postprocedural adverse events. Two weeks after the procedures, clinical signs of jaundice were observed in all the pigs. EUS examination revealed massive intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary dilatations in all the pigs, and EUS-BD was attempted in the same session. HGS was performed on six pigs. Technical success was achieved in five of the six pigs (83.3%). Technical failure in HGS occurred during the stent deployment, and CGS was successfully performed on one pig., Conclusions: Our study shows that EB-RFA is an effective minimally invasive method for creating biliary dilatation models. It may be considered suitable for training in EUS-BD., Competing Interests: None

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Competing Interests: None

Background and Aims: High rates of technical and clinical success were reported for lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) placement for peripancreatic fluid collection (PFC) drainage. However, data on the adverse event (AE) rates are heterogeneous. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, severity, management, and risk factors of AEs related to the use of LAMSs for drainage of PFCs in a large cohort of patients., Methods: This is a multicenter, international, retrospective review from 15 centers of all patients who underwent placement of LAMSs for the management of PFCs. A nested case-control study was conducted in patients with (case) or without (control) AEs., Results: Three hundred thirty-three procedures in 328 patients were performed (5 patients treated with 2 LAMSs). Technical success was achieved in 321 patients (97.9%). Three hundred four patients were finally included in the study (7 excluded for lost to follow-up information; 10 excluded for deaths unrelated to LAMSs). The rate of clinical success was 89.5%. Seventy-nine LAMS-related AEs occurred in 74 of 304 patients (24.3%), after a mean time of 25.3 days (median, 18 days; interquartile range, 6-30) classified as 20 (25.3%) mild, 54 (68.4%) moderate, or 5 (6.3%) severe. On multivariable analysis compared with control subjects, cases were more likely to have walled-off necrosis (WON) versus pancreatic pseudocysts (odds ratio, 2.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-4.46; P = .028), whereas cases were less likely to have undergone tract (balloon) dilation (yes vs no; odds ratio, .47; 95% confidence interval, .22-.93; P = .034)., Conclusions: Data from this large international retrospective study confirm that the use of LAMSs for management of PFCs has excellent technical and good clinical success rates. The rate of AEs, however, is not negligible and should be carefully considered before using these stents for drainage of PFCs and in particular for WON. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT03544008.)., (Copyright © 2020 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: None

Background: Biliary complications are a serious source of morbidity after orthotopic and living-related liver transplantation. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) is the gold standard for patients with duct-to-duct anastomosis because it allows a direct approach for interventional procedures. A retrospective study showed results of a sequential multistenting protocol, without stent removal/exchange, with promising results. We conducted a prospective analysis to assess the clinical success, recurrence rate, and adverse event rate related to this protocol., Methods: From May 2012 to April 2018, all consecutive patients with a diagnosis of anastomotic stenosis following liver transplantation were enrolled in the study, and were followed for a period of at least 6 months after the last ERC. During the first ERC, a maximum number of plastic stents (10 Fr) were placed. In subsequent ERCs, scheduled every 3 months up to a maximum of 1 year, additional stents were inserted, as many as possible, without removing the previously placed stents., Results: From May 2012 to May 2018, 87 patients were included in the study and treated with a sequential multistenting protocol. The mean number of stents placed was 3.7 (SD 1.0). Clinical success (stricture resolution and normalization of cholestasis) was achieved in 86 patients (98.9 %). Seven patients (8.0 %) developed complications. Recurrence was recorded in seven patients (8.0 %) after a mean of 992.7 days (SD 622.1)., Conclusions: This study represents the first prospective demonstration of the efficacy and safety of a sequential multistenting protocol. A key limitation of the study is the lack of a comparative group treated according to the traditional stent exchange approach., Competing Interests: None, (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Competing Interests: None

Competing Interests: None

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Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Competing Interests: None

Background: The most appropriate endo-therapeutic approach to biliary anastomotic strictures is yet to be defined., Aim: To retrospectively report on the endo-therapy of duct-to-duct anastomotic strictures during 2013 in Italy., Methods: Data were collected from 16 Endoscopy Units at the Italian Liver Transplantation Centers (BASALT study group)., Results: Complete endo-therapy and follow-up data are available for 181 patients: 101 treated with plastic multistenting, 26 with fully covered self-expandable metal stenting and 54 with single stenting. Radiological success was achieved for 145 patients (80%), that is, 88% of plastic multistenting, 88% of self-expandable metal stenting and 61% of single stenting (P < 0.001 vs plastic multistenting; P < 0.05 vs self-expandable metal stenting). After first-line endo-therapy failure, the patients underwent a second-line endo-therapy with plastic multistenting for 25%, fully covered self-expandable metal stenting for 53% and single stenting for 22% of cases, and radiological success was achieved for 84%, that is, 100%, 85% and 63% with plastic multistenting, self-expandable metal stenting and single stenting (P < 0.05 vs plastic multistenting or self-expandable metal stenting) respectively. Procedure-related complications occurred in 7.8% of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies. Overall, clinical success was achieved in 87% of patients after a median follow-up of 25 months., Conclusion: Plastic multistenting is confirmed as the preferred first-line treatment, while fully covered self-expandable metal stenting as rescue option for biliary anastomotic strictures. Single stenting has sub-optimal results and should be abandoned., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: None

Background and Objectives: EUS training is recognized to have a substantial learning curve. To date, few dedicated training programs for EUS have been described. The swine model has been highlighted as a realistic tool to enhance EUS training. Studies extensively describing EUS swine anatomy are lacking in the current literature. The article aims to describe both radial and linear EUS pancreatobiliary swine anatomy., Materials and Methods: Four live pigs were endoscoped under general anesthesia using both radial and linear array echoendoscopes. Relevant images and videos were recorded., Results: It was possible to effectively image aorta, crus of the diaphragm, celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, pancreas, common bile duct, gallbladder, portal vein, kidneys, spleen, and hepatic hilum. Images were comparable to human EUS findings, with some remarkable differences. The pancreas was relatively larger in swine and in contrast to humans has three segments (duodenal, splenic, and connecting lobe)., Conclusions: The swine model was a highly realistic teaching model for linear and radial pancreatobiliary EUS and a useful tool for training in the setting of in vivo hands-on sessions., Competing Interests: None

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/a-0841-3350.].