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Competing Interests: M. Barthet and J. M. Gonzalez are consultants for Boston Scientific.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMSs) appears to be effective and safe in gastric outlet obstruction (GOO); however, the EUS-GE procedure is not standardized, with the use of assisted or direct methods still debated. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of EUS-GE techniques focusing on an assisted with orointestinal drain wireless endoscopic simplified technique (WEST) and the nonassisted direct technique over a guidewire (DTOG)., Method: This was a multicenter European retrospective study involving four tertiary centers. Consecutive patients who underwent EUS-GE for GOO between August 2017 and May 2022 were included. The primary aim was to compare the technical success and adverse event (AE) rates of the different EUS-GE techniques. Clinical success was also analyzed., Results: 71 patients (mean [SD] age 66.2 10 years; 42.3 % men; 80.3 % malignant etiology) were included. Technical success was higher in the WEST group (95.1 % vs. 73.3 %; estimate of relative risk from odds ratio (eRR) 3.2, 95 %CI 0.94-10.9; P  = 0.01). The rate of AEs was lower in the WEST group (14.6 % vs. 46.7 %; eRR 2.3, 95 %CI 1.2-4.5; P  = 0.007). Clinical success was comparable between the two groups at 1 month (97.5 % vs. 89.3 %). The median follow-up was 5 months (range 1-57)., Conclusion: The WEST resulted in a higher technical success rate with fewer AEs, with clinical success comparable with the DTOG. Therefore, the WEST (with an orointestinal drain) should be preferred when performing EUS-GE., Competing Interests: L. Monino is a consultant for Prion Medical and Braun Medical and has received speaker’s fees from Olympus Belgium and Olympus Europe. E. Pérez-Cuadrado-Robles and J.-M. Gonzalez are consultants for Boston Scientific. P. H. Deprez is a consultant for Boston Scientific and Olympus Europe. T. G. Moreels has received speaker’s fees from Olympus Belgium and Olympus Europe. M. Barthet is a consultant for Boston Scientific.C. Snauwaert, H. Alric, M. Gasmi, S. Ouazzani, H. Benosman, G. Rahmi, and C. Cellier declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Dr. Barthet and Dr. Gonzalez are consultants for Boston Scientific. None of the other authors have any conflict of interest to declare.

Competing Interests: Professor Barthet and Dr. Gonzalez are consultants for Boston Scientific.

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

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasia (IPMN) with worrisome features are surgically managed. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has recently been developed. The safety of EUS-RFA was the primary end point of this study, its efficacy the secondary end point., Methods: This was a prospective multicenter study that was planned to include 30 patients with a 1-year follow-up with either a NET < 2 cm or a pancreatic cystic neoplasm (PCN), either a branch duct IPMN with worrisome features or a mucinous cystadenoma (MCA). EUS-RFA was performed with an 18G RFA cooling needle., Results: 12 patients had 14 NETs (mean size 13.1 mm, range 10 - 20 mm); 17 patients had cystic tumors (16 IPMNs, 1 MCA; mean size 28 mm, range 9 - 60 mm). Overall three adverse events occurred (10 %), two of these in the first two patients (one pancreatitis, one small-bowel perforation). After these initial patients, modifications in the protocol resulted in a decrease in complications (3.5 %), with one patient having a pancreatic ductal stenosis. Among the 14 NETs, at 1-year follow-up 12 had completely disappeared (86 % tumor resolution), with three patients having a delayed response. Among the 17 PCNs, at 12 months, there were 11 complete disappearances and one diameter that decreased by > 50 % (significant response rate 71 %). All 12 mural nodules showed complete resolution., Conclusions: EUS-RFA of pancreatic NETs or PCNs is safe with a 10 % complication rate, which can be decreased by improved prophylaxis for the procedure., Competing Interests: Marc Barthet received a research grant from Boston Scientific (Endoscopic gastrojejunal anastomosis). Bertrand Napoleon is a consultant for Boston Scientific. All other authors have no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest to declare., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aims: The rendezvous endoscopic approach, already described, might be an interesting technique in complete esophageal obstructions (CEO)., Patients and Methods: This retrospective report on nine patients referred because of CEO classified patients into two groups based on length of their esophageal disruption: the long (> 5 cm) group were three patients (esophageal stripping at stent removal [n = 2] and caustic ingestion [n = 1]; two patients having superior esophageal sphincter [SES] destruction); the short (< 5 cm) group were six patients (anastomotic or post-radiotherapy). The procedures were performed under radiographic guidance., Results: All the reconstructions were successful. In four patients, a neo-SES was created, by transillumination (n = 2) or surgery (n = 2). The first dilation was performed by hydrostatic balloon, with additional metal stents (n = 4) and nasogastric tubes (n = 2) used. All the patients were able to eat after the procedure. Two delayed bleeds occurred, which were managed endoscopically. The patients underwent a median of seven dilations (range 3 - 55) over 8 months (2 - 32 months), with dilations ongoing in five patients, but all able to eat normally., Conclusion: Endoscopic rendezvous for CEO is safe and effective, even in patients with long disruptions and complete loss of SES., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background and Study Aim: The learning curve for endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is known to be difficult, especially in the field of pancreatic and biliary diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a live pig model developed for EUS credentialing in France., Methods: A total of 17 trainees obtained hands-on EUS experience using a live pig model. Trainees were asked to visualize anatomical structures, to carry out fine-needle aspiration (FNA) on lymph nodes in the liver hilum, and to perform celiac neurolysis. Assessment of the FNA procedure or celiac neurolysis included measurement of time (seconds), evaluation of the precision of the puncture (mm), and existence of technical errors., Results: A significant improvement between a pre-test and post-test was observed for diagnostic procedures in the following anatomical areas: splenic mesenteric vein, vena cava, splenic mesenteric artery, celiac tree, pancreatic gland, and bile duct. For lymph node FNA, a significant improvement was observed in the duration of the procedure (84 seconds vs. 60 seconds; P = 0.01), and precision (4.2 mm vs. 1.8 mm; P = 0.009), but not for the rate of technical error (29% vs. 6%; not significant [n. s.]). For celiac neurolysis, a significant improvement was observed in procedure time (150 seconds vs. 84 seconds; P = 0.003), but not in the rate of technical error (6% vs. 6%; n. s.) or precision (4.2 mm vs. 2.8 mm; n. s.)., Conclusion: Teaching EUS with a live pig model significantly increased competence in diagnostic procedures with regard to visualizing anatomical structures, performance of FNA and, to a lesser extent, EUS-guided celiac neurolysis.

Background and Study Aims: Rectovaginal septal endometriosis (RVSE) can pose serious therapeutic problems when there is infiltration of the rectal septum (which occurs in approximately half of the cases). The aim of this study was to assess the value of endoscopic ultrasonography in diagnosing rectal wall involvement by pelvic endometriosis., Patients and Methods: A prospective study was carried out from May 1998 to March 2003 at a single hospital center. The 30 patients included in the study presented with suspected RVSE and underwent systematic anorectal endoscopic ultrasonographic exploration prior to the surgical intervention. The endoscopic ultrasonography was carried out under general anesthesia with a 7.5-MHz miniprobe equipped with a distal balloon., Results: The anorectal endoscopic ultrasonographic examination (EUS) showed the presence of endometriosis in the rectovaginal septum in 26 patients (88 %), in the uterosacral ligaments in 10 patients (33 %), and in the ovaries in two patients (6 %). At EUS, the nodules were infiltrating the rectal wall in 17 patients (56 %). The surgical exploration demonstrated endometriosis in the rectovaginal septum in 26 cases, the uterosacral ligaments in 22 cases, and the ovaries in 16 cases. The rectal wall was completely infiltrated in 12 cases and only partly in four cases, and intestinal tract resection was required in 10 cases. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of anorectal endoscopic ultrasonography as a means of diagnosing endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum and infiltration of the rectal wall were found to be 96 %, 100 %, 100 % and 83 %, and 92 %, 66 %, 64 % and 92 %, respectively; and the diagnostic accuracy was at 96 % and 80 %, respectively. The sensitivity for detecting nodules in the uterosacral ligaments or in the ovaries was 42 % and 14 %, respectively, leading to diagnostic accuracy rates of 56 % and 53 %., Conclusions: In terms of its sensitivity and its negative predictive value, anorectal endoscopic ultrasonography is a very effective means of detecting endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum and assessing possible infiltration of the rectal wall. However, this method is not as accurate for nodules located far from the EUS probe, as is the case with the uterosacral ligaments and ovaries.

Background and Study Aims: Complications of endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) have been assessed in recent multicenter studies. The aim of this series was to report and identify risk factors for complications of ES at a single tertiary referral center., Patients and Methods: Between 1996 and 2000, 1159 consecutive endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies (ERCP) procedures were performed and their related complications were assessed. A total of 658 patients (57 %) underwent ES. All the clinical, radiological and biological data were carefully recorded within the 30 days following the procedure. Multivariate analysis was performed using a stepwise logistic model., Results: The morbidity rate for ES was 7.7 %, being moderate to severe in 5 %. Morbidity included acute pancreatitis (3.5 %), perforations (1.8 %), sepsis (1.2 %) and bleeding (1.2 %). The 30-day mortality was 0.9 %. In the 1159 ERCP procedures, 231 patients underwent precut papillotomy (20 %) followed by sphincterotomy in 174 cases. Using logistic regression analysis, the risk factors for ES were precut papillotomy (relative risk, RR 2.76), confidence interval, (CI 1.39 - 5.49) and the presence of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (RR, 7.72, CI 3.2 - 18.4)., Conclusions: In this single-center series, we found a complication rate of ES in about 7 %, comparable to that in multicenter series. Precut papillotomy and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction were the main independent risk factors for ES.

Background and Study Aims: Patients who have undergone endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) are usually left to fast for arbitrary reasons until they are examined on the following day. The aim of this study was to check whether this systematic fasting after ES is actually justified., Patients and Methods: A blinded randomized prospective study, involving 146 patients, was carried out from January 1999 to September 2001. All patients undergoing biliary and/or pancreatic endoscopic sphincterotomy during this period were randomly allocated to one of two groups: group 1 patients were re-fed 4 hours after ES, and the group 2 patients were only re-fed 24 hours after the procedure. These two groups were comparable for clinical and procedural data except for stenting., Results: Eight patients in group 1 (11 %) and 26 patients in group 2 (37 %) suffered from abdominal pain which resolved with analgesic drug treatment (P = 0.01). Eight patients in the first group(11 %) and five patients in the second group (7 %) had to be given major opiate analgesics (P = 0.56). Refeeding resulted in abdominal pain in five patients in group 1 and 13 in group 2 (P = 0.04). The serum amylase and lipase levels increased significantly after refeeding in group 1, but lipasemia did not increase significantly in group 2. No significant differences in post-ES complications were observed between the two groups. The mean hospital stay was significantly shorter in group 1 : 2.6 days on average, vs. 3.8 days in group 2 (P = 0.03)., Conclusions: In the absence of any perforation of the digestive tract or immediate severe acute pancreatitis, early refeeding could be helpful to decrease pain and shorten the hospital stay in patients who have undergone endoscopic sphincterotomy.