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Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC)‐related procedures, usually performed before biliary tract cancer (BTC) surgery, are associated with increased risk for various complications, which can cause sarcopenia. No study has previously elucidated the relationship between preoperative ERC‐related procedures and sarcopenia/skeletal muscle mass loss. Methods: Patients with BTC who underwent radical surgical resection following ERC‐related procedures were included. Skeletal muscle mass was evaluated using the psoas muscle mass index (PMI), which was determined using computed tomography images, and the change in PMI before the initial pre‐ERC and surgery (ΔPMI) was calculated. Risk factors for advanced skeletal muscle mass loss, defined as a large ΔPMI, were evaluated. Results: The study cohort included 90 patients with a median age of 72 (interquartile range, 65–75) years. The median PMI pre‐ERC and surgery was 4.40 and 4.15 cm2/m2, respectively (p <.01). The median ΔPMI was −6.2% (interquartile range, −10.9% to 0.5%). By multivariate analysis, post‐ERC pancreatitis and cholangitis before surgery were independent predictive factors for large PMI loss (odds ratio, 4.57 and 3.18, respectively; p =.03 and p =.02, respectively). Conclusions: Skeletal muscle mass decreases preoperatively in most patients with BTC undergoing ERC. Post‐ERC pancreatitis and cholangitis before surgery were independent risk factors for large skeletal muscle mass loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Unresectable ampullary cancer (AC) is a rare disease entity. The risk factors for recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO) following endoscopic biliary stenting (EBS) for unresectable AC remain unknown. In this study we aimed to evaluate the cumulative RBO rate and to identify risk factors for RBO following palliative EBS in patients with unresectable AC. Methods: This multicenter retrospective observational study enrolled consecutive patients with unresectable AC who had undergone palliative EBS between April 2011 and December 2021. The cumulative rate of and risk factors for RBO following palliative EBS were evaluated via multivariate analysis. Results: The study analysis comprised 107 patients with a median age of 84 years (interquartile range 79–88 years). Plastic stents (PSs) and self‐expandable metal stents (SEMSs) were placed in 53 and 54 patients, respectively. Functional success was accomplished in 104 (97.2%) patients. Of these, RBO occurred in 62 (59.6%) patients, with obstruction and complete/partial migration occurring in 47 and 15 patients, respectively. The median time to RBO was 190 days. Multivariate analysis showed that PS was associated with a higher rate of RBO compared to SEMS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.48; P < 0.01) and that the presence of common bile duct stones/sludge immediately after EBS was an independent risk factor for RBO (HR 1.99; P = 0.04). Conclusions: The use of SEMS compared to PS during EBS reduced the time to RBO in patients with unresectable AC. Common bile duct stones/sludge immediately after EBS was a risk factor for RBO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Mt. FUJI multicenter trial demonstrated that a delivery catheter system had a higher rate of successful right ventricular (RV) lead deployment on the RV septum (RVS) than a conventional stylet system. In this subanalysis of the Mt. FUJI trial, we assessed the differences in electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters during RV pacing between a delivery catheter system and a stylet system and their associations with the lead tip positions. Methods: Among 70 patients enrolled in the Mt FUJI trial, ECG parameters, RV lead tip positions, and lead depth inside the septum assessed by computed tomography were compared between the catheter group (n = 36) and stylet group (n = 34). Results: The paced QRS duration (QRS‐d), corrected paced QT (QTc), and JT interval (JTc) were significantly shorter in the catheter group than in the stylet group (QRS‐d: 130 ± 19 vs. 142 ± 15 ms, p =.004; QTc: 476 ± 25 vs. 514 ± 20 ms, p <.001; JTc: 347 ± 24 vs. 372 ± 17 ms, p <.001). This superiority of the catheter group was maintained in a subgroup analysis of patients with an RV lead tip position at the septum. The lead depth inside the septum was greater in the catheter group than in the stylet group, and there was a significant negative correlation between the paced QRS‐d and the lead depth. Conclusion: Using a delivery catheter system carries more physiological depolarization and repolarization during RVS pacing and deeper screw penetration in the septum in comparison to conventional stylet system. The lead depth could have a more impact on the ECG parameters rather than the type of pacing lead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Although the delivery catheter system for pacemaker-lead implantation is a new alternative to the stylet system, no randomized controlled trial has addressed the difference in right ventricular (RV) lead placement accuracy to the septum between the stylet and the delivery catheter systems. This multicentre prospective randomized controlled trial aimed to prove the efficacy of the delivery catheter system for accurate delivery of RV lead to the septum. Methods and results In this trial, 70 patients (mean age 78 ± 11 years; 30 men) with pacemaker indications of atrioventricular block were randomized to the delivery catheter or the stylet groups. Right ventricular lead tip positions were assessed using cardiac computed tomography within 4 weeks of pacemaker implantation. Lead tip positions were classified into RV septum, anterior/posterior edge of the RV septal wall, and RV free wall. The primary endpoint was the success rate of RV lead tip placement to the RV septum. Results Right ventricular leads were implanted as per allocation in all patients. The delivery catheter group had higher success rate of RV lead deployment to the septum (78 vs. 50%; P = 0.024) and narrower paced QRS width (130 ± 19 vs. 142 ± 15 ms P = 0.004) than those in the stylet group. However, there was no significant difference in procedure time [91 (IQR 68–119) vs. 85 (59–118) min; P = 0.488] or the incidence of RV lead dislodgment (0 vs. 3%; P = 0.486). Conclusion The delivery catheter system can achieve a higher success rate of RV lead placement to the RV septum and narrower paced QRS width than the stylet system. Trial registration number jRCTs042200014 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs042200014) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]