Search

Background and Aims Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in the United States and is closely associated with obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Weight loss is the best treatment for NAFLD. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is a promising endoscopic procedure for treatment of obesity. Our aim is to evaluate the change in IR and estimated hepatic steatosis and fibrosis after ESG. Methods One hundred eighteen patients with obesity and NAFLD underwent ESG and were followed for 2 years. Weight loss was evaluated as % total body weight loss. IR was evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The previously validated hepatic steatosis index and NAFLD fibrosis score were used to estimate hepatic steatosis and risk of fibrosis. Results Patients' mean body mass index was 40 ± 7 kg/m2 at baseline. Eighty-four percent of patients completed 2 years of follow-up. At 2 years, the mean total body weight loss was 15.5% (95% confidence interval, 13.3%-17.8%). Patients' HOMA-IR improved significantly from 6.7 ± 11 to 3.0 ± 1.6 after only 1 week from ESG (P = .019) with continued improvement up to 2 years (P = .03). Patients' hepatic steatosis index score improved significantly, decreasing by 4 points per year (P for trend, Conclusions Our results suggest a significant and sustained improvement in estimated hepatic steatosis and fibrosis after ESG in patients with NAFLD. Importantly, we showed an early and weight-independent improvement in insulin resistance, which lasted for 2 years after the procedure.

Abstinence in patients with alcohol‐associated liver disease (ALD) reduces mortality. Most predictors of relapse are not quantifiable, preventing objective analysis of relapse risk and targeted intervention to improve clinical outcomes. We prospectively enrolled patients with ALD from November 2016 to December 2019 and administered a survey with two previously published scales to assess insight into alcohol‐use disorder (Hanil Alcohol Insight Scale [HAIS]) and social support (Community Assessment Inventory Scale [CAIS]). Relapse was assessed using surveys and metabolite testing. Unadjusted and prespecified adjusted regression analyses identified predictors of relapse. We enrolled 81% of eligible patients (n = 136), of whom 58 had follow‐up data available at the time of analysis. Over a median follow‐up of 1 year (interquartile range: 0.5‐1.4), 10 patients relapsed (17%). Patients who relapsed were more likely to continue drinking despite either a diagnosis of liver disease or a decompensating event, and were less likely to have been transplanted (all P < 0.05). In unadjusted regression, the HAIS and the “support inside the home” subcategory of the CAIS were predictive of relapse, with odds ratio (OR) = 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.72‐0.97) and 0.85 (0.74‐0.97). In adjusted regression, the HAIS was no longer significant, with adjusted OR = 0.70 (0.49‐1.00, P = 0.05), whereas the “support inside the home’ subcategory of CAIS remained significant, with adjusted OR = 0.69 (0.51‐0.92, P = 0.01). Conclusions: Risk factors for relapse in patients with ALD were identified and quantified prospectively, suggesting opportunities to objectively identify patients at risk for relapse as well as to intervene to prevent relapse.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage is the preferred approach for infected or symptomatic pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs). Here, we developed an algorithm for the management of pancreatitis complicated by PFCs and report on its efficacy and safety. Methods: Between September 2011 and October 2017, patients were prospectively managed according to the algorithm. PFCs were classified as poorly organized fluid collections (POFCs), pancreatic pseudocysts (PPs), or walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN). Clinical success was defined as a decrease in PFC size by ≥50% of the maximal diameter or to ≤2 cm. Results: A total of 108 patients (62% male; mean age, 53 years) were included: 13 had POFCs, 43 had PPs, and 52 had WOPN. Seventy-two patients (66%) required a pancreatic duct (PD) stent, whereas 65 (60%) received enteral feeding. A total of 103 (95%) patients achieved clinical success. Eight patients experienced complications including bleeding (n=6) and surgical intervention (n=2). Patients with enteral feeding were 3.4 times more likely to achieve resolution within 60 days (p=0.0421), whereas those with PD stenting was five times more likely to achieve resolution within 90 days (p=0.0069). Conclusions: A high PFC resolution rate can be achieved when a dedicated algorithm encompassing EUS-guided drainage, PD stenting, and early enteral feeding is adopted. Clin Endosc 2020;53:355-360

Background We conducted this study to compare the weight loss outcome of intragastric balloons (IGBs) in conjunction with pharmacotherapy vs IGB and intensive lifestyle changes alone. Methods This was a multicenter, non-randomized, retrospective study involving 4 academic hospitals. Patients underwent IGB placement with or without concomitant anti-obesity pharmacotherapy. The primary outcome was percent total weight loss (TBWL) after IGB placement at 6 and 12 months. Results This study included 102 patients, with 23 patients (mean age 46.6 years, 82.6% female) treated with IGB/pharmacotherapy and 79 patients (mean age 46.0 years, 88.6% female) treated with IGB/lifestyle modifications. Patients had a 100% follow-up rate at 6 and 12 months. At 6 months following IGB placement, both groups achieved a similar %TBWL. At 12 months, %TBWL was greater in the IGB/pharmacotherapy group (12.6% ± 1.2 vs 9.7% ± 0.7, P = .04). 65.2% of patients achieved ≥10% TBWL at 12 months in the IGB/pharmacotherapy group, compared to 38.0% in the IGB/lifestyle group ( P < .05). The proportion of patients that achieved ≥15% weight loss at 12 months was also significantly different between the IGB/pharmacotherapy and IGB/lifestyle groups (30.4% vs 20.3%, P < .05). Discussion IGB with concomitant use of pharmacotherapy did not improve weight loss while the IGB was in place compared to IGB and lifestyle changes. However, patients receiving IGB with pharmacotherapy did have greater weight loss and diminished weight regain after balloon removal compared to those receiving just IGB and lifestyle changes.

Background Multiple studies have examined the use of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMSs) for the drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections. Data on the use of LAMSs for postoperative fluid collections (POFCs) are scarce. POFCs may lead to severe complications without appropriate treatment. We aimed to study the outcomes (technical success, clinical success, rate/severity of adverse events, length of stay, recurrence) of the use of LAMSs for the drainage of POFCs. Methods This international, multicenter, retrospective study involved 19 centers between January 2012 and October 2017. The primary outcome was clinical success. Secondary outcomes included technical success and rate/severity of adverse events using the ASGE lexicon. Results A total of 62 patients were included during the study period. The most common etiology of the POFCs was distal pancreatectomy (46.8 %). The mean (standard deviation) diameter was 84.5 mm (30.7 mm). The most common indication for drainage was infection (48.4 %) and transgastric drainage was the most common approach (82.3 %). Technical success was achieved in 60/62 patients (96.8 %) and clinical success in 57/62 patients (91.9 %) during a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 231 days (90 – 300 days). Percutaneous drainage was needed in 8.1 % of patients. Adverse events occurred intraoperatively in 1/62 patients (1.6 %) and postoperatively in 7/62 (11.3 %). There was no procedure-related mortality. Conclusion This is the largest study on the use of LAMSs for POFCs. It suggests good clinical efficacy and safety of this approach. The use of LAMSs in the management of POFCs is a feasible alternative to percutaneous and surgical drainage.

Background and Objectives: Endoscopic drainage/debridement of symptomatic walled off necrosis (WON) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) is both safe and effective. While endoscopic management of WON is the standard approach to treatment, the ideal concomitant medical therapy remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to further elucidate the effect of proton pump inhibitor (PPIs) therapy on the technical and clinical success of endoscopic treatment of WON. Methods: Two hundred and seventy-two patients in 8 centers with WON managed by endoscopic drainage using LAMS were evaluated. Patients were followed for at least 6 months following treatment. The patients were divided into two groups: Those that used PPIs continuously during the therapy and those not on PPIs continuously during the interval of therapy. Outcomes included but were not limited to technical success, clinical success, number of procedures performed, and adverse events. Results: From 2013 to 2016, 272 patients underwent WON drainage with successful transmural LAMS placement. The two groups were split evenly into PPI users and non-PPI users, and matched in regards to demographics, etiology of pancreatitis, WON size, and location. There was no difference in the technical success between the two groups (100% vs. 98.8%, P = 1), or in clinical success rates (78.7% vs. 77.9%). There was a significant difference in the required number of direct endoscopic necrosectomies to achieve clinical success in the PPI vs. non-PPI group (3.2 vs. 4.6 respectively, P < 0.01). There were significantly more cases of stent occlusion in the non-PPI group vs. PPI group (9.5% vs. 20.1% P = 0.012), but all other documented adverse events were not significantly different. Conclusion: Discontinuing PPIs during endoscopic drainage and necrosectomy of symptomatic WON appears to reduce the number of endoscopic procedures required to achieve resolution. Continuous PPI results in higher rates of early stent occlusion.

The measurement of the portosystemic pressure gradient (PSG) in patients with advanced liver disease is helpful to assess the severity of portal hypertension (PH) and predict adverse clinical outcomes. EUS-guided PSG (EUS-PSG) measurement is a novel tool to assess PSG in all patients with advanced liver disease. We sought to assess the safety, feasibility, and technical success of simultaneous EUS-PSG measurement and EUS-guided liver biopsy sampling using a single-center experience.Patients with suspected liver disease or cirrhosis were enrolled prospectively from 2020 to 2021. EUS-PSG was measured by calculating the difference between the mean portal pressure and the mean hepatic vein pressure. PH was defined as PSG5 mm Hg and clinically significant PH as PSG ≥10 mm Hg. The primary outcomes were procedural technical success rate and correlation of EUS-PSG with fibrosis stage obtained from concurrent EUS-guided liver biopsy sampling and the correlation of EUS-PSG with patients' imaging, clinical, and laboratory findings. The secondary outcome was occurrence of procedural adverse events (AEs).Twenty-four patients were included in the study. PSG measurement and EUS-guided liver biopsy sampling were successful in 23 patients (technical success rate of 96%) and 24 patients (100% success), respectively. Analysis revealed a significant association between both PSG and liver stiffness measured on transient elastography (P = .011) and fibrosis-4 score (P = .026). No significant correlation was found between the fibrosis stage on histology and measured PSG (P = .559). One mild AE of abdominal pain was noted. Additionally, EUS-PSG was predictive of clinically evident PH.Simultaneous EUS-PSG measurement and EUS-guided liver biopsy sampling were both feasible and safe and correlated with clinically evident PH and noninvasive markers of fibrosis.

Diarrhea is a fairly common problem among the elderly that has a higher morbidity and mortality compared with the general population. There are multiple reasons for diarrhea in the elderly that can be stratified by different mechanisms: infectious, osmotic, secretory, inflammatory, and malabsorptive. Oral hydration and dietary management are the basic management principles for all forms of diarrhea but specific treatment should address the root cause of diarrhea in order to improve outcomes.

Background and study aims We compared the diagnostic yield and specimen adequacy in EUS-guided parenchymal biopsies between two types of EUS 19 G core needles. Patients and methods This is a retrospective study of 420 patients at two tertiary medical centers in Florida with unexplained abnormal liver associated tests were referred for EUS evaluation of biliary obstruction and pancreatic pathology. EUS-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) was performed at the same session after biliary obstruction was excluded. We compared intact specimen length (ISL), total specimen length (TSL), complete portal triads (CPT) and adverse events (AE). Welch’s T and Tukey tests were used for ISL, TSL and CPT. Results A total of 210 patients underwent EUS-LB using a Franseen needle, 210 patients using a fork-tip needle. Median patient age was 52 years (15.63) and 238 (56.7 %) were female. The fork-tip needle had a mean ISL of 2.7 (1.1 SD) cm, TSL of 6 cm (2.1 SD), and mean 19.5 CPT (8.5 SD) Abdominal pain occurred in 35 patients (17 %) post-procedure and was managed with supportive care. Two patients required intravenous (IV) narcotic administration. Subcapsular hematomas occurred in 1 (0.5 %) patients. The Franseen needle had a mean ISL of 3.1 cm (1.3 SD), TSL of 6.5 cm (2.6 SD), and mean of 24 CPT (8.8 SD). Abdominal pain occurred in four patients (2 %) post-procedure, which resolved in all patients after IV narcotic administration. Subcapsular hematomas occurred in 1 (0.5 %) and bile leak in 1(0.4 %) patients. Conclusions Use of the Franseen needle resulted in better liver core samples than that obtained with a fork-tip needle.

Background And Aims The growing burden of obesity as a chronic disease necessitates a multifaceted approach to management. There has been an increase in the number of available endoscopic therapies for weight management with endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) proving to be one of the best options. The long-term efficacy of ESG for management of obesity is not known. This study sought to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of ESG for treatment of obesity. Methods This was a prospective cohort study. Participants underwent ESG in a single academic center, and were prospectively enrolled. All procedures were performed by the same therapeutic endoscopist. Patients with a body mass index of >30 kg/m2 (or >27 with comorbidities), who underwent ESG from August 2013 to August 2019 for treatment of obesity were enrolled. Patients were followed for up to 5 years after their procedure. The primary outcome was weight loss at 5 years after the procedure (% total body weight loss, TBWL) Results 216 patients (68% female) with a mean age of 46±13 years, and mean BMI of 39±6 kg/m2 underwent ESG. Out of 216 patients, 203, 96, and 68 patients were eligible for a 1-, 3-, and 5-year follow up, with complete follow-up rates of 70%, 71%, and 82%, respectively. At 5 years, mean TBWL was 15.9% (95% CI, 11.7-20.5, p Conclusions Our results suggest that ESG is safe and effective for treatment of obesity, with durable long-term results for at least up to 5 years after the procedure. This procedure should be considered as a reliable option for treatment of obesity.

The diagnosis and management of pancreatic strictures, whether malignant or benign, remain challenging. The last 2 decades have seen dramatic progress in terms of both advanced imaging and endoscopic therapy. While plastic stents remain the cornerstone of the treatment of benign strictures, the advent of fully covered metal stents has initiated a new wave of interest in calibrating the pancreatic duct with fewer sessions. In malignant disease, palliation remains the priority and further data are necessary before offering systematic pancreatic stenting.

The last decade has seen dramatic shift in paradigm in the management of pancreatic fluid collections with the rise of endoscopic therapy over radiologic or surgical management. Endosonographic drainage is now considered the gold standard therapy for pancreatic pseudocyst. Infected pancreatic necroses are being offered endoscopic necrosectomy that has been facilitated by the arrival on the market of large diameter lumen-apposing metal stent. Severe pancreatitis or failure to thrive should receive enteral nutrition while pancreatic ductal disruption or strictures are best treated by pancreatic stenting.

Abscesses can either drain naturally or through a variety of medical, radiologic, or surgical interventions. Due to the high risk of septicemia and shock due to the proximity of deeper abscesses to vital organs, intervention for these deeper abscesses is usually necessary. EUS-guided drainage of abscesses has been studied in relation to stenting, dilation, drainage, clipping, and cutting. This chapter will review the efficacy and safety of EUS-guided drainage of pelvic, mediastinal, and intra-abdominal abscesses. This chapter will also analyze what specific conditions and procedural modifications can lead to better results.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided gastrojejunostomy (EUS-GJ) has been mostly employed in the treatment of benign and malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). Additionally, EUS-GJ has been used in the treatment of afferent loop syndrome. EUS-GJ has been employed in the treatment of benign and malignant GOO. EUS-GJ has also been used in the treatment of afferent loop syndrome. EUS-GJ involves obtaining access to the jejunum endoscopically and sonographically from the stomach, using a biflanged lumen apposing metal stent (LAMS). This is achieved through a newly formed fistulous tract. Thus creating a gastrojejunal bypass fully endoscopically. Several techniques have been described in preforming EUS-GJ but no method has been shown to be superior. In afferent loop syndrome initial data show high technical and clinical success rates and decreased need for reintervention. With malignant GOO, data available from the limited number of studies conducted demonstrated he superiority of EUS-GJ when compared to standard enteral stenting in terms of decreasing recurrence of GOO and need for reintervention. With benign GOO, EUS-GE offers a solution to the long-term patency and recurrence issue encountered with enteral stenting and endoscopic balloon dilation. EUS-GJ offers a less invasive approach than surgery for the treatment of several etiologies, giving the patients the option to avoid adverse events associated with surgery.

Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is a novel endobariatric procedure. Initial studies demonstrated an association of ESG with weight loss and improvement of obesity-related comorbidities. Our aim was to compare ESG to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). We included 278 obese (BMI > 30) patients who underwent ESG (n = 91), LSG (n = 120), or LAGB (n = 67) at our tertiary care academic center. Primary outcome was percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Secondary outcome measures included adverse events (AE), length of stay (LOS), and readmission rate. At 12-month follow-up, LSG achieved the greatest %TBWL compared to LAGB and ESG (29.28 vs 13.30 vs 17.57%, respectively; p