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Purpose: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) drastically affects body composition. However, studies focusing on the association between the changes in the pre-and postoperative muscle mass and postoperative results are limited. We evaluated the association between changes in the muscle mass and weight loss and fat reduction., Methods: This retrospective study included 29 consecutive patients who underwent both LSG and a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) consecutively. We investigated changes in the body composition on the BIA and visceral fat area (VFA) on computed tomography and correlational changes in muscle mass with weight loss and fat reduction., Results: The total weight loss (%TWL) 12 months after surgery was 30.9%. The VFAs pre- and postoperatively were 224 and 71.0 cm 2 , respectively. The fat mass (FM), percentage of FM, appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) decreased from pre- to postoperatively (54.8 vs. 32.2 kg; 49.0 vs. 41.2%, 26.7 vs. 23.9 kg, 9.24 vs. 8.27, respectively), whereas the percentage of ASM (%ASM) increased (22.1 vs. 28.0%). The rate of change in %ASM positively correlated with weight loss and fat reduction (%TWL, rs = 0.65; %VFA loss, rs = 0.62)., Conclusion: The rate of change in %ASM was positively correlated with weight loss and fat reduction., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethical approval: All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and later versions. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Jikei University School of Medicine (30-175). Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: To compare the pathophysiology and surgical outcomes of emergency surgery for upper gastrointestinal tract perforation with and without fungal peritonitis and identify the risk factors for fungal peritonitis., Methods: The subjects of this retrospective study were patients with upper gastrointestinal perforation and peritonitis who underwent emergency surgery at a single medical center in Japan. The patients were allocated to two groups according to the presence or absence of fungal peritonitis: group F and group N, respectively., Results: At the time of surgery, ascitic fluid culture or serum β-D glucan levels were available for 54 patients: 29 from group F and 25 from group N, respectively. The stomach was perforated in 14 patients (25.9%) and the duodenum was perforated in 40 patients (74.1%). Group F had a higher proportion of patients with low preoperative prognostic nutritional index scores (≤ 40) and C-reactive protein levels and a higher postoperative complication rate. The time to initiate food intake and the postoperative hospital stay were also significantly longer in group F. Multivariate analysis identified that the perforation site of the stomach was a risk factor for fungal peritonitis., Conclusion: Patients with fungal peritonitis from upper gastrointestinal tract perforation had higher postoperative complication rates, delayed postoperative recovery, and a longer hospital stay. Gastric perforation was a risk factor for fungal peritonitis., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Background: The real-world efficacy, prognostic factors, and adverse events of second-line nivolumab monotherapy and subsequent third-line therapy for unresectable or metastatic esophageal cancer have not been fully evaluated., Methods: This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study evaluated 184 consecutive patients treated with second-line nivolumab monotherapy for esophageal cancer between March 2021 and December 2022. We assessed tumor response, adverse events, long-term survival, and prognostic factors., Results: Among 128 patients with measurable lesions, the response rate was 23% and the disease control rate for all enrolled patients was 45%. The incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse events was 14%, but no treatment-related deaths presented. Median progression-free survival was 5.1 months and overall survival was 14 months, respectively. C-reactive protein level and performance status were identified as significant prognostic factors of overall survival through Cox proportional hazards analysis. The group with two favorable prognostic factors showed better overall survival than the groups with either one or zero prognostic factors (median overall survival: 22, 15, and 4.4 months, respectively). Among 69 patients who received third-line taxane anticancer agents, the progression-free survival was 6.7 months., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the real-world outcomes of second-line nivolumab monotherapy were comparable to those of previous randomized clinical trials in terms of tumor response, safety, and long-term survival. Furthermore, a good performance status and low C-reactive protein levels may identify patients who are likely to benefit from therapy. Third-line chemotherapy after nivolumab treatment may have an enhanced effect; however, further prospective studies are required to confirm this finding., (© 2024. Japanese Society of Gastroenterology.)

Purpose: Sarcopenia is a prognostic predictor in emergency surgery. However, there are no reports on the relationship between osteopenia and in-hospital mortality. This study clarified the effect of preoperative osteosarcopenia on patients with gastrointestinal perforation after emergency surgery., Methods: We included 216 patients with gastrointestinal perforations who underwent emergency surgery between January 2013 and December 2022. Osteopenia was evaluated by measuring the pixel density in the mid-vertebral core of the 11th thoracic vertebra. Sarcopenia was evaluated by measuring the area of the psoas muscle at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. Osteosarcopenia is defined as the combination of osteopenia and sarcopenia., Results: Osteosarcomas were identified in 42 patients. Among patients with osteosarcopenia, older and female patients and those with an American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status of ≥ 3 were significantly more common, and the body mass index, hemoglobin value, and albumin level were significantly lower in these patients than in patients without osteosarcopenia. Furthermore, the osteosarcopenia group presented with more postoperative complications than patients without osteosarcopenia (P < 0.01). In the multivariate analysis, age ≥ 74 years old (P = 0.04) and osteosarcopenia (P = 0.04) were independent and significant predictors of in-hospital mortality., Conclusion: Preoperative osteosarcopenia is a risk factor of in-hospital mortality in patients with gastrointestinal perforation after emergency surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: Systemic inflammatory response markers are reported to be prognostic for patients with cancer. The C-reactive protein (CRP)-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index has been established as an immuno-nutritional scoring system. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of the preoperative CALLY index on the outcome of patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer., Methods: We analyzed the data of 826 patients who underwent gastrectomy for stage I, II, or III gastric cancer between 2010 and 2017. The CALLY index was defined as (albumin × lymphocyte)/(CRP × 10 4 )., Results: The cut-off of the CALLY index was 2. The 147 patients with a preoperative CALLY index < 2 had significantly worse overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) than those with a CALLY index ≥ 2 (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified that a CALLY index < 2 (P = 0.02), intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.01), and stage II or III disease (P < 0.01) were independent and significant predictors of worse RFS. A CALLY index < 2 (P = 0.01), intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.01), postoperative complications (P = 0.02), and stage II or III disease (P < 0.01) were independent and significant predictors of worse OS., Conclusion: The preoperative CALLY index was independently associated with a poor prognosis for patients after gastrectomy for gastric cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: Some prospective trials have demonstrated the feasibility of sentinel node (SN) biopsy in gastric cancer (GC) surgery. This study aimed to identify the appropriate concentration settings for the intraoperative injection of indocyanine green (ICG) for SN biopsy., Methods: Before the clinical studies, porcine model experiments explored the optimal concentration of ICG injected intraoperatively. Next, nine GC patients were enrolled in the clinical research. ICG (0.5 ml) was injected intraoperatively into four quadrants of the submucosa around the tumor at various concentrations (0.5, 0.25, and 0.1 mg/ml). The lymphatic basin dissection method was applied to the ICG-positive lymphatic areas. The number and location of the lymphatic basins and positive nodes were recorded intraoperatively., Results: In the porcine model, the visibility gradually became clear at an ICG concentration higher than 0.1 mg/ml. In the clinical study, the average number of detected lymphatic basins was 3.3, 1.7, and 1.7, respectively. The mean number of detected SNs was 14.7, 6.7, and 4.0, respectively., Conclusion: To improve the reproducibility of SN biopsy, it is essential to prepare the correct concentration setting of ICG. Under current conditions in which ICG is injected intraoperatively, a 0.1 mg/ml concentration setting of ICG may be necessary and sufficient for SN identification., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: The Eckardt score (ES) is a famous scoring system used for assessing achalasia patients. We studied the correlation between our scoring system and the ES and examined the relationship between each score and the pathophysiology of achalasia., Methods: The subjects were 143 patients with diagnosed achalasia. We assessed the frequency and degree of dysphagia, regurgitation (vomiting), and chest pain on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4, with the product of the frequency and degree score defined as each symptom score (0-16). The sum of the three symptom scores was the Total Symptom Score (TSS). We then studied the correlation between the TSS and the ES, including whether these scores reflected the pathophysiology., Results: The median scores were 20 for TSS and 6 for the ES, indicating a high correlation between the two scores (r = 0.7280, p < 0.0001). A relationship was found between the morphologic type and both scores (TSS: p = 0.002, ES: p = 0.0036). On creating a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the Straight type and each score, the AUC was 0.6740 for TSS and 0.6628 for ES., Conclusions: A high positive correlation was found between the TSS and the ES. Both scoring systems reflected the morphologic type well, demonstrating that the TSS was a scoring system comparable to the ES., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: To compare the surgical outcomes of redo laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure and rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy for patients with failed Heller myotomy., Methods: We identified patients who had undergone redo laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure or rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy from August 1996 to September 2019 and assessed the patients' characteristics, timed barium swallow results, symptom scores before/after surgery, surgical outcomes, and postoperative outcomes., Results: Eleven patients underwent redo laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure, and 14 underwent rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy. Blood loss (p = 0.001) and intraoperative complications rate (p = 0.003) were lower and the operative time (p > 0.001) and observation period (p = 0.009) shorter in patients who underwent rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy than in patients who underwent redo laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure. Patients who underwent rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy had a higher rate of postoperative reflux esophagitis (p = 0.033) than those who underwent redo laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure. After the interventions, the dysphagia symptoms were improved for both groups. Furthermore, both groups expressed satisfaction with their respective procedures., Conclusions: Rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy was associated with better surgical outcomes than redo laparoscopic Heller-Dor for patients with failed Heller myotomy. However, rescue peroral endoscopic myotomy had higher rates of postoperative reflux esophagitis., (© 2021. Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: To identify the factors that affect laparoscopic fundoplication (LF) treatment efficacy in patients with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (e-GERD) esophagitis, based on the findings of multichannel intraluminal impedance pH (MII-pH) and high-resolution manometry (HRM)., Methods: The subjects were 102 patients with e-GERD diagnosed by endoscopy, who underwent LF as the initial surgery. To analyze the findings of MII-pH and HRM, the patients were divided into two groups: a cured group (CR), comprised of patients whose esophagitis was cured postoperatively; and a recurrence group (RE), comprised of patients who suffered recurrent esophagitis., Results: There were 96 patients in the CR group and 6 in the RE group. MII-pH indicated that the acid reflux time, the longest reflux time, and the number of refluxes longer than 5 min, were significantly higher in the RE group than in the CR group (p = 0.0028, p = 0.0008, p = 0.012, respectively). The HRM indicated that only the distal contractile integral (DCI) was significantly lower in the RE group (p = 0.0109)., Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that esophageal clearance may affect the treatment outcome of LF. Based on the findings of MII-pH, the longest reflux time and the number of refluxes longer than 5 min were important factors influencing the therapeutic effect, whereas based on the HRM, the DCI value was most important., (© 2021. Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: To examine whether or not we could propose a more appropriate dilation-degree classification suitable for the pathological condition of patients with esophageal achalasia., Methods: In accordance with the current dilation-degree classification, the maximum dilated diameter was measured based on the esophageal barium swallow. The relationship between the pathophysiology and dilation-degree classification was examined. Furthermore, the current dilatation-degree classification from the viewpoint of esophageal clearance was evaluated to examine whether or not a more appropriate dilatation-degree classification could be proposed., Results: Because the clearance ratio tended to decrease at a maximum expansion diameter of 80 mm, when the maximum dilated diameter was divided into units of 10 mm, they were classified into two groups, with 80 mm as the boundary. As a result, the illness period was significantly prolonged (p = 0.0045) and the frequency of sigmoid type was high (p < 0.001) for lengths of ≥ 80 mm. With regard to the esophageal clearance rate, the clearance rate was significantly decreased in patients with a diameter of ≥ 80 mm at 5 min after taking barium (p = 0.0229)., Conclusions: From the viewpoint of esophageal clearance, classification into 2 groups with a boundary of 80 mm may reflect the pathological condition.

Background: Achalasia and esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) are idiopathic esophageal motility disorders characterized by impaired deglutitive relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). High-resolution manometry (HRM) provides integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) which represents adequacy of LES relaxation. The Starlet HRM system is widely used in Japan; however, IRP values in achalasia/EGJOO patients assessed with the Starlet system have not been well studied. We propose the optimal cutoff of IRP for detecting achalasia/EGJOO using the Starlet system., Methods: Patients undergone HRM test using the Starlet system at our institution between July 2018 and September 2020 were included. Of these, we included patients with either achalasia or EGJOO and those who had normal esophageal motility without hiatal hernia. Abnormally impaired LES relaxation (i.e., achalasia and EGJOO) was diagnosed if prolonged esophageal emptying was evident based on timed barium esophagogram (TBE)., Results: A total of 111 patients met study criteria. Of these, 48 patients were diagnosed with achalasia (n = 45 [type I, n = 20; type II, n = 22; type III, n = 3]) or EGJOO (n = 3). In the 48 patients who had a prolonged esophageal clearance based on TBE, IRP values distributed along a wide-range of minimal 14.1 to a maximal of 72.2 mmHg. The optimal cutoff value of IRP was 24.7 mmHg with sensitivity of 89.6% and specificity of 84.1% (AUC 0.94)., Conclusion: The optimal cutoff value of IRP to distinguish achalasia/EGJOO was ≥ 25 mmHg using the Starlet HRM system in our cohort. This indicates that the current proposed cutoff of 26 mmHg appears to be relevant.

Purpose: To compare the treatment results of needlescopic surgery with those of the conventional method for achalasia, using propensity score-matching., Methods: Propensity score-matching was performed based on five factors: age, gender, body mass index, extended form, and maximum expansion diameter, to extract 28 cases each for a needlescopic group and a conventional group., Results: There were no significant differences between the needlescopic group and the conventional group, in operative time (165 min vs. 170 min, p = 0.682), estimated blood loss (both ≒ 0 ml, p = 0.426), or post-operative hospital stay (4 vs. 4 days, p = 0.248). Although the follow-up period was significantly longer in the conventional group (6 vs. 105 months, respectively; p < 0.001), there was no difference in the post-operative symptom scores for difficulty in swallowing and chest pain or the degree of satisfaction (p = 0.563, p = 0.142, p = 0.342, respectively). Furthermore, there was no difference in the post-operative clearance rate, with both groups found to be favorable (p = 0.758, p = 0.790, p = 1.000, p = 1.000, respectively)., Conclusions: The short-term results of needlescopic surgery for achalasia were good and equivalent to those of the conventional method.

Purpose: There is some debate about whether preoperative balloon dilation influences the outcomes of laparoscopic Heller-Dor surgery (LHD), with no consensus opinion as yet. Thus, we investigated if preoperative dilation influences the treatment outcomes of LHD for achalasia., Methods: The subjects of this study were 526 patients with achalasia who underwent LHD as an initial treatment between August 1994 and February 2017. The patients were roughly classified by the status of preoperative balloon dilation and matched with propensity scores for age, sex, BMI, morphologic type, and maximum esophageal transverse diameter. Consequently, 94 subjects each were assigned to the balloon dilation (BD) group and to the non-balloon dilation (non-BD) group. We evaluated patient backgrounds, surgical outcomes, and incidence of postoperative reflux esophagitis., Results: No differences were found in surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, incidence of intraoperative mucosal injury, or postoperative hospital stay between the BD and non-BD groups. The mean patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the non-BD group (4.9) than in the BD group (4.7) and the incidence of postoperative esophagitis was significantly lower in the non-BD group (1.1%) than in the BD group (7.4%)., Conclusions: Preoperative balloon dilation had no effect on intraoperative complications but did increase the incidence of postoperative reflux esophagitis in patients undergoing LHD for achalasia.

Purpose: In the present study, we examined how the body mass index (BMI) affected the outcomes of laparoscopic fundoplication for GERD in patients, whose backgrounds were matched in a propensity score-matched analysis., Methods: We divided the patients into two groups (BMI <25 kg/m 2 and BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 ). The following background information was matched for the propensity score-matched analysis: sex, age, degree of esophageal hiatal hernia, acid exposure time, and degree of reflux esophagitis. In total, 105 subjects were extracted in each group. The surgical outcomes and postoperative outcomes of patients with BMI <25 kg/m 2 (Group A) and those with BMI ≥25 kg/m 2 (Group B) were compared and examined., Results: There were no differences in the surgical procedure, intraoperative complications, or estimated blood loss (p = 0.876, p = 0.516, p = 0.438, respectively); however, the operative time was significantly prolonged in Group B (p = 0.003). The rate of postoperative recurrence in Group A was 17% (15/87 patients), while that in Group B was 11% (12/91 patients), and did not differ to a statistically significant extent (p = 0.533)., Conclusions: Although the operative time for GERD in obese patients was prolonged in comparison with non-obese patients, there was no difference in the rate of postoperative recurrence.

Purpose: Esophageal achalasia can be roughly divided into non-sigmoid and sigmoid types. Laparoscopic surgery has been reported to be less than optimally effective for sigmoid type. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the esophageal flexion level on the clinical condition and surgical outcomes of patients with sigmoid esophageal achalasia., Methods: The subjects were 36 patients with sigmoid esophageal achalasia who had been observed for >1 year after surgery. The subjects were divided into sigmoid type (Sg) and advanced sigmoid type (aSg) groups based on the flexion level of the lower esophagus to compare their clinical parameters and surgical outcomes., Results: The Sg and aSg groups included 26 (72%) and 10 subjects, respectively. There were no marked differences in the clinical parameters or surgical outcomes between the two groups. However, the clearance rate calculated using the timed barium esophagogram was lower in the aSg group than in the Sg group. No differences were found in the postoperative symptom scores between the two groups, and both reported a high level of satisfaction., Conclusions: Although laparoscopic surgery for symptoms of sigmoid esophageal achalasia was highly successful regardless of the flexion level, the improvement in esophageal clearance was lower when the flexion level was higher.

Purpose: Laparoscopic fundoplication (LF) has become a standard operative procedure for GERD-related diseases in Japan, although meta-analyses have mainly evaluated findings from Western countries. The propensity score matching method was used to compare and investigate the treatment outcomes of two fundoplication procedures (the Nissen and Toupet methods)., Methods: Among 474 patients who underwent initial LF from December 1994 to April 2016, we extracted 401 cases (Nissen: 92 cases, Toupet: 309 cases), excluding 73 patients in whom follow-up was insufficient. We then matched 126 of these patients (63 per group)., Results: The esophageal acid reflux time (%) was 12.2:2.8, being higher in the Nissen group than in the Toupet group (p < 0.001). Regarding the surgical outcome, the amount of bleeding was higher in the Nissen group (p = 0.001), and the number of hospitalization days following surgery was longer (p = 0.003). Furthermore, a significantly rate of postoperative difficulty in swallowing (%) was observed in the Nissen group, at 13:0 (p = 0.004). The recurrence rate (%) was 8:3, with no difference between the two groups (p = 0.243)., Conclusions: Although there was no marked difference in the recurrence rate between the two procedures, postoperative dysphagia was observed at a higher frequency with the Nissen method than the Toupet method.

Purpose: To clarify the feasibility and utility of reduced port surgery (RPS) for achalasia., Methods: Between September 2005 and June 2013, 359 patients with esophageal achalasia, excluding cases of reoperation, underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication (LHD) according to our clinical pathway. Three-hundred and twenty-seven patients underwent LHD with five incisions (conventional approach), while the other 32 patients underwent RPS, including eight via SILS. The clinical data were collected in a prospective fashion and retrospectively reviewed. We selected 24 patients matched for gender, age and morphologic type with patients in the RPS group from among the 327 patients (C group). The surgical outcomes were compared between the C and RPS groups., Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in the duration of symptoms, dysphagia score, chest pain score, shape of the distal esophagus and esophageal clearance. The operative time was significantly longer in the RPS group than in the C group (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the length of postoperative hospital stay or rates of bleeding, mucosal injury of the esophagus and/or stomach and postoperative complications. The symptom scores significantly improved after surgery in both groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between the C group and RPS group in terms of the postoperative symptom scores or satisfaction scores after surgery., Conclusions: The surgical outcomes of RPS for achalasia are comparable to those obtained with the conventional method.

We herein report our technique for laparoscopic esophageal myotomy combined with Collis gastroplasty and Nissen fundoplication for severe esophageal stenosis. Our patient had experienced vomiting since childhood, and his dysphagia had gradually worsened. He was referred to our department for surgery because of resistance to pneumatic dilation. He was diagnosed with a short esophagus based on the findings of a preoperative upper gastrointestinal series and GI endoscopy. After exposing the abdominal esophagus, esophageal myotomy around the esophago-gastric junction (EGJ) was undertaken to introduce an esophageal bougie into the stomach. Then, stapled wedge gastroplasty was performed, and a short and loose Nissen fundoplication was performed. In addition, the bulging mucosa after myotomy was patched using the Dor method. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Most patients with esophageal stricture require subtotal esophagectomy. Laparoscopic surgery for patients with benign esophageal stricture refractory to repeated pneumatic dilation is challenging. However, our current procedure might abrogate the need for invasive esophagectomy for the surgical management of severe esophageal stenosis.

Purpose: To define the factors predisposing to recurrence and evaluate the results of reoperations for achalasia., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of ten patients (4 men and 6 women; mean age, 51.5 ± 11.0 years), who underwent reoperations for achalasia between August 1994 and August 2010., Results: The primary surgical procedures were Heller-Dor (HD) cardioplasty in nine patients and Heller myotomy in one patient. The factors contributing to failure of the primary operation included inadequate myotomy (n = 2), recurrent adhesion after myotomy (n = 2), reflux esophagitis (n = 2), difficulty in passage caused by tortuosity of the esophagus (n = 2), difficulty in passage through the thoracic esophagus (n = 1), and severe chest pain (n = 1). The reoperations included repeated HD procedures (n = 4), repair of an esophageal hiatal hernia (n = 2), thoracic esophageal myotomy (n = 2), straightening of the lower esophagus with gastropexy (n = 1), and subtotal esophagectomy (n = 1). The success rate of the reoperations for resolving symptoms was 90 % (9 patients)., Conclusion: Selecting surgical procedures based on the causes and conditions of recurrence led to symptomatic improvement and acceptable outcomes.

A 31-year-old man, referred to our hospital for investigation of dysphagia, was found to have a spindle-shaped lower esophagus on a contrasted esophagram. The dysphagia was initially treated conservatively, but after 4 years of unsatisfactory control, he requested surgery. Our surgical team has been performing laparoscopic Heller-Dor fundoplication for achalasia since August, 1994, and 265 patients have undergone this procedure so far. Based on our experience, we decided to perform Heller-Dor fundoplication through a single incision for this patient. The operative time was 236 min with minimal blood loss and there were no perioperative complications. His postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on postoperative day 4, completing the clinical pathway used for conventional laparoscopic Heller-Dor fundoplication.

Background: Nutcracker esophagus (NE) is a well-described esophageal motility disorder often implicated as the cause of chest pain (CP). The aim of this study was to analyze the role of peristaltic amplitude, lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, and 24 h pH scores in patient symptomatology., Methods: After obtaining Institutional Review Board approval, a retrospective review of manometric data from 1984 to 2008 at the esophageal center was done to identify patients meeting NE criteria (mean distal esophageal body amplitude of >180 mmHg). The data for patient's symptoms, manometric findings including the amplitude of the distal two esophageal body peristalses, LES pressure, and 24 h pH score were extracted and analyzed., Results: Out of 4,923 patients, 313 (6.4%) patients met the manometric criteria for NE, and of these, 298 patients had complete manometry data along with at least 1 reported symptom. CP was associated with LES competence, with a significantly higher percentage of patients with high LES pressure complaining of CP (p < 0.05). There was no relationship of with the mean amplitude of esophageal body pressure (p > 0.05) or with distal esophageal acid exposure (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: CP is a commonly reported symptom in patients with manometry findings of NE. However, CP is related to LES competence rather than the amplitude of the esophageal body waves or 24 h pH monitoring scores.

A 41-year-old woman was admitted due to dysphagia and weight loss of 6 kg. An upper gastrointestinal radiographic contrast study demonstrated an S-shaped lower esophagus with a peak transverse diameter of 65 mm. Moreover, an epiphrenic diverticulum was also detected in the lower part of the esophagus (50 x 40 mm). The measurement of intraesophageal pressure showed a lower esophageal sphincter pressure of 80 mmHg and a lower esophageal sphincter length of 31 mm. Esophageal clearance assessment via a timed barium esophagogram demonstrated impaired contrast clearance, with a rate of 26% at 5 min. A laparoscopic Heller myotomy, Dor fundoplication, and diverticular introversion suturing were performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 4. At the 2-year follow-up, no dysphagia was present. This is the first report of a laparoscopic diverticuloplasty using an introversion buried suture with a Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication for achalasia complicated by an epiphrenic diverticulum.

Background: Kusano et al. developed a questionnaire for the evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the frequency scale for the symptoms of GERD (FSSG). The FSSG is now widely used in Japan. We investigated the relationship between FSSG results and cardiac sphincter endoscopic findings., Methods: The subjects were 470 patients who responded to the FSSG before undergoing endoscopy. From the FSSG results, we calculated the total, acid reflux, and dysmotility scores. Endoscopic findings were assessed in terms of the anatomic-functional-pathological (AFP) classification as the A factor, or degree and type of hiatal hernia, and the valve factor, or laxity of the cardiac sphincter. The degree of esophagitis was assessed using the modified Los Angeles classification. We investigated correlations between each score and the anatomy of the cardia., Results: With either definition of esophagitis (grade M or greater, or grade A or greater), the total and acid reflux scores were both significantly higher in the group with reflux esophagitis than in the group without reflux esophagitis. Examination of the relationship between FSSG scores and the A factor revealed no significant differences in the total, acid reflux, or dysmotility scores whether a hiatal hernia was present or absent. Similarly, examination of the valve factor showed no significant difference in any scores between V0 and V1 versus V1 and V2, indicating no correlation between cardiac sphincter laxity and FSSG scores., Conclusions: The FSSG was useful in determining whether reflux esophagitis is present, but it did not predict the anatomy of the cardia.

Purpose: Surgical treatments for nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (NERD) have not been investigated sufficiently. We examined the results of laparoscopic fundoplication for patients with NERD., Methods: We performed laparoscopic fundoplication for NERD in 22 patients. The severity of esophageal hiatal hernia, morphology of the cardiac orifice, and results of 24-hour continuous esophageal and gastric pH were evaluated. We used a four-point scale for the improvement rating of postoperative symptoms., Results: There were 20 patients (91%) with a sliding hiatal hernia, and 21 patients (95%) with a loose cardiac orifice. Seven patients had acid reflux with 4.0% or higher esophageal fraction of time pH below 4. The surgical techniques used were Nissen fundoplication in 10 patients and Toupet fundoplication in 12 patients. Improvement of postoperative heartburn was rated as excellent in 16 patients, good in 5, and fair in 1. The overall efficacy rating was 95%, and discontinuation of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) was possible in 21 patients., Conclusion: Our results of performing laparoscopic fundoplication in patients with NERD were excellent. Even if abnormal acid reflux cannot be confirmed preoperatively, sufficient therapeutic efficacy can be expected for patients with esophageal hiatal hernia or a loose cardiac orifice.

Purpose: The therapeutic effects of a laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication (LHD) on the chest pain associated with achalasia were investigated., Methods: Sixty-six patients who were diagnosed to have achalasia underwent LHD. The degree of dilatation was assessed based on the maximum horizontal diameter of the esophagus (Grades I-III). The type of dilatation was assessed based on the shape of the distal esophagus, namely, spindle type (Sp), flask type (Fk), and sigmoid type (Sig). The degree of improvement was classified into three grades as follows: A (complete disappearance), B (partial response), and C (unchanged)., Results: Chest pain improved (A or B) in 22 patients (92%). The statistical results revealed that the improvement of postoperative A or B was significantly better in patients with Sp than in those with Fk or Sig (P = 0.0213). In addition, the results revealed that the improvement of postoperative A or B was significantly better in patients with grade I and grade II than in those with grade III (P = 0.004)., Conclusion: LHD is an effective therapeutic technique for the treatment of chest pain associated with achalasia. These results suggest that both the morphological type and esophageal dilatation are useful predictors for the improvement of chest pain after surgical therapy.

Background: We assessed the characteristics of symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux disease (sGERD), defined as the presence of symptoms, but no endoscopic findings of reflux esophagitis, in Japanese., Methods: Sixty-three patients were diagnosed with sGERD, and underwent 24-h esophagogastric pH monitoring (32 men; mean age, 50.5 years). Patients were classified into the following three groups : reflux group (group R), minor reflux group (group MR), and a no-reflux group (group N) by the percentage of time at pH below 4 (group R, 4.0% or more; group MR, 2.0%-3.9%; group N, 0-1.9%). Hiatal hernia was assessed based on the Anatomy-Function-Pathology (AFP) classification, and the shape of the cardia was assessed based on valve factors (V0-V3)., Results: There were 13 patients (21%) in group R, 17 (27%) in group MR, and 33 (52%) in group N. Hiatal hernia was present in 11 patients (85%) in group R, 14 (82%) in group MR, and 22 (67%) in group N. Patients grouped according to presence of V2/V3 (chalasia) accounted for 100% of those in group R, 71% of those in group MR and 70% of those in group N. Hiatal hernia was present in 10 (91%), 10 (83%), and 6 patients (86%) who had 50 or more episodes of esophageal acid reflux per day in group R, group MR, and group N, respectively., Conclusions: Reflux (percentage of time below pH 4, 4%) was seen in only about 20% of the patients with sGERD, and this percentage of patients with reflux was lower compared to the data reported from the United States and Europe. The percentage of patients who had a hiatal hernia or chalasia was high in all these groups, and this seemed to be a characteristic cause of sGERD in Japanese.

We investigated the effects of ecabet sodium on experimentally induced reflux esophagitis in rats. Three groups of rats, i.e., a control group, esophagitis group, and an ecabet sodium group (25mg/kg given twice daily) were used. The number of animals which developed esophagitis, the extent of the lesions, and the esophagitis lesion index were assessed 3 weeks after the start of the experiment, and the lesions were evaluated histopathologically. All nine surviving rats in the esophagitis group developed esophagitis, and the esophagitis lesion index was 32.6 +/- 7.2 (mean +/- SE) per animal. Histopathologically, thickening of the epithelium, elongation of papillae of the lamina propria into the epithelium, and infiltration of the lamina propria by lymphocytes, eosinophils, plasmacytes, and neutrophils, were observed. Interruption of the lamina of the muscularis mucosae was also observed, and there was marked proliferation of collagen fibers in the submucosa and lamina propria. In the ecabet sodium group, esophagitis developed in five of the nine surviving animals (55.6%), but the esophagitis lesion index was 1.89 +/- 0.73 per animal, which was significantly lower than that in the esophagitis group. The histopathological changes in the rats which developed esophagitis were milder in the ecabet sodium group than in the esophagitis group. These results suggest that ecabet sodium could be useful for the prevention of reflux esophagitis.