Characterization of biliary and duodenal microbiota in patients with primary and recurrent choledocholithiasis

Purpose

To explore the biliary and duodenal microbiota features associated with the formation and recurrence of choledocholithiasis (CDL).

Methods

We prospectively recruited patients with primary (P-CDL, n = 29) and recurrent CDL (R-CDL, n = 27) for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Duodenal mucosa (DM), bile and bile duct stones (BDS) samples were collected in P- and R-CDL patients. DM samples were also collected in 8 healthy controls (HC). The microbiota profile analysis was performed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Results

Short-course antibiotic application before ERCP showed no significant effects in alpha and beta diversities of the biliary and duodenal microbiota in CDL. Alpha diversity showed no difference between DM and bile samples in CDL. The duodenal microbial richness and diversity was lower in both P- and R-CDL than HC. The biliary microbiota composition showed a high similarity between P- and R-CDL. Fusobacterium and Enterococcus were higher abundant in DM, bile, and BDS samples of R-CDL than P-CDL, as well as Escherichia and Klebsiella in bile samples of R-CDL. The enriched duodenal and biliary bacteria in CDL were closely associated with cholecystectomy, inflammation and liver dysfunction. The bile-associated microbiota of R-CDL expressed enhanced capacity of D-glucuronide and D-glucuronate degradation, implicating an elevated level of β-glucuronidase probably produced by enriched Escherichia and Klebsiella in bile.

Conclusions

The duodenal microbiota was in an imbalance in CDL. The duodenal microbiota was probably the main source of the biliary microbiota and was closely related to CDL formation and recurrence. Enterococcus, Fusobacterium, Escherichia and Klebsiella might contribute to CDL recurrence.

Clinical trials

The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.html, ChiCTR2000033940).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13755-023-00267-2.

Acute suppurative terminal cholangitis: Clinical characteristics of a new subtype of acute cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Acute suppurative terminal cholangitis (ASTC) is rarer than acute obstructive cholangitis and is not well studied. To explore this subtype of acute cholangitis, we described our clinical experience with ASTC.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patients with ASTC admitted to our center from September 2014 to August 2020. We analyzed their clinical characteristics, including etiology, clinical manifestations, imaging features, treatment and prognosis.

RESULTS

A total of 32 ASTC patients were included in the analysis. The majority of the patients had a history of biliary operations, and clinical manifestations were occult and atypical. The positive rate of bacterial culture was 46.9%. All the patients had typical imaging features on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment with effective antibiotics was provided as soon as diagnosis was established. After treatment, most patients had a good outcome. Elevated levels of total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, procalcitonin and gamma-glutamyltransferase were the characteristics of critically ill patients and were associated with relatively poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that ASTC should be recognized as a new subtype of acute cholangitis, and that earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatments are needed.

Contrast-enhanced guided endoscopic ultrasound procedures

Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) can overcome the limitations of endoscopic ultrasound-guided acquisition by identifying microvessels inside inhomogeneous tumours and improving the characterization of these tumours. Despite the initial enthusiasm that oriented needle sampling under CH-EUS guidance could provide better diagnostic yield in pancreatic solid lesions, further studies did not confirm the supplementary values in cases of tissue acquisition guided by CH-EUS. This review details the knowledge based on the available data on contrast-guided procedures. The indications for CH-EUS tissue acquisition include isoechoic EUS lesions with poor visible delineation where CH-EUS can differentiate the lesion vascularisation from the surrounding parenchyma and also the mural nodules within biliopancreatic cystic lesions, which occur in select cases. Additionally, the roles of CH-EUS-guided therapy in patients whose pancreatic fluid collections or bile ducts that have an echogenic content have indications for drainage, and patients who have nonvisualized vessels that need to be highlighted via Doppler EUS are presented. Another indication is represented if there is a need for an immediate assessment of the post-radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, in which case CH-EUS can be used to reveal the incomplete tumour destruction.

Role of advanced endoscopy in the management of inflammatory digestive diseases (pancreas and biliary tract)

The progress of endoscopic diagnosis and treatment for inflammatory diseases of the biliary tract and pancreas have been remarkable. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and EUS-elastography are used for the diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis and evaluation of endocrine and exocrine function in chronic pancreatitis. Notably, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and electrohydraulic shock wave lithotripsy have improved the endoscopic stone removal rate in patients for whom pancreatic stone removal is difficult. Studies have reported the use of self-expanding metal stents for stent placement for pancreatic duct stenosis and EUS-guided pancreatic drainage for refractory pancreatic duct strictures. Furthermore, EUS-guided drainage using a double-pigtailed plastic stent has been performed for the management of symptomatic pancreatic fluid collection after acute pancreatitis. Recently, lumen-apposing metal stents have led to advances in the treatment of walled-off necrosis after acute pancreatitis. EUS-guided biliary drainage is an alternative to refractory endoscopic biliary drainage and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage for the treatment of acute cholangitis. The placement of an inside stent followed by switching to uncovered self-expanding metal stents in difficult-to-treat cases has been proposed for acute cholangitis by malignant biliary obstruction. Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage is an alternative to percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage for severe and some cases of moderate acute cholecystitis. EUS-guided gallbladder drainage has been reported as an alternative to percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage and endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage. However, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each drainage method and select the optimal drainage method for each case.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-obtained bile culture in acute cholangitis: retrospective analysis of bile cultures and risk factors in a tertiary care center

BACKGROUND

Collection of bile aspirate during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is essential to identify pathogens responsible for acute cholangitis. Limited data are available on the risk factors for the presence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) in bile.

METHODS

We conducted this retrospective, single-center study to assess the prevalence and susceptibility rates of bacteria in bile cultures, and the risk factors for the presence of pathogens, MDRO, and fungi in bile. All consecutive patients who underwent biliary drainage for acute cholangitis from January 2017 to December 2019 were included.

RESULTS

443/1610 ERCPs were performed for acute cholangitis. Bile culture was collected in 91.4% (405/443), of which 86.7% were positive. Most common isolates were Enterococcus faecalis (37.6%) and Escherichia coli (32.8%). Vancomycin resistance was found in 9.9% of Enterococcus species (spp.); extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) and carbapenemases in 11.2% and 0.9% of Enterobacteriaceae, respectively. The empiric antimicrobial therapy was changed in 26.4% (n = 107) of cases, with a clinical response in 90.7%. In multivariate analysis, biliary stenting was an independent risk factor for positive bile culture (odds ratio [OR] 9.43; P < 0.01). Independent risk factors for MDRO in bile were patient age>60 years (OR 2.51; P = 0.03), previous sphincterotomy (OR 2.57; P = 0.02), and biliary stenting (OR 2.80; P < 0.01). Previous sphincterotomy was the only risk factor for isolation of fungi in bile (OR 1.61; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed an increasing prevalence of Enterococcus spp. and MDRO. Bile cultures should be routinely collected in cholangitis and in patients with repeated ERCPs to allow more efficient antimicrobial treatment.

Management of complex acute biliary disease for the general surgeon: A narrative review

Acute gallbladder diseases are a common surgical emergency faced by General Surgeons that can sometimes be quite challenging. These complex biliary diseases require multifaceted and expeditious care, optimized based on hospital facility and operating room (OR) resources and the expertise of the surgical team. Effective management of biliary emergencies requires two foundational principles: achieving source control while mitigating the risk of injury to the biliary tree and its blood supply. This review article highlights salient literature on seven complex biliary diseases: acute cholecystitis, cholangitis, Mirizzi syndrome, gallstone ileus with cholecystoenteric fistula, gallstone pancreatitis, gall bladder cancer, and post-cholecystectomy bile leak.

Risk factors for cefmetazole-non-susceptible bacteremia in acute cholangitis

INTRODUCTION

Cefmetazole (CMZ), an antibiotic with limited international distribution, is recommended by the Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) for non-severe cases of acute cholangitis (AC). However, the risk factors for CMZ-non-susceptible (CMZ-NS) bacteremia in AC remain unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the risk factors for CMZ-NS bacteremia and evaluate mortality in patients with AC.

METHODS

This single-center, retrospective, observational study included all patients diagnosed with definite bacteremic AC, based on TG18, from April 2019 to March 2023. Risk factors for CMZ-NS bacteremia were analyzed by univariate, and age- and sex-adjusted, logistic regression analyses. Mortality was compared by cause of obstruction, CMZ-susceptible/CMZ-NS bacteremia, and initial treatment.

RESULTS

In total, 165 patients were enrolled. CMZ-NS bacteremia was diagnosed in 46 (27.9 %) patients. Histories of diabetes mellitus, hepato-biliary-pancreatic cancer, malignant biliary obstruction, and endoscopic sphincterotomy were identified as significant factors associated with the risk of CMZ-NS bacteremia. Thirteen patients died within 30 days of hospital admission. The mortality of patients with AC and malignant biliary obstruction was statistically higher than that of patients with bile duct stones. No patients with AC and bile duct stones died in the group with CMZ-NS bacteremia and inappropriate initial antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

In AC, a history of diabetes mellitus, hepato-biliary-pancreatic cancer, malignant biliary obstruction, and endoscopic sphincterotomy are associated with an increased risk of CMZ-NS bacteremia. Therefore, the choice of empiric therapy for AC should be based on the etiology and patient background, rather than on the severity.

Keyhole-aware laparoscopic augmented reality

Augmented Reality (AR) from preoperative data is a promising approach to improve intraoperative tumour localisation in Laparoscopic Liver Resection (LLR). Existing systems register the preoperative tumour model with the laparoscopic images and render it by direct camera projection, as if the organ were transparent. However, a simple geometric reasoning shows that this may induce serious surgeon misguidance. This is because the tools enter in a different keyhole than the laparoscope. As AR is particularly important for deep tumours, this problem potentially hinders the whole interest of AR guidance. A remedy to this issue is to project the tumour from its internal position to the liver surface towards the tool keyhole, and only then to the camera. This raises the problem of estimating the tool keyhole position in laparoscope coordinates. We propose a keyhole-aware pipeline which resolves the problem by using the observed tool to probe the keyhole position and by showing a keyhole-aware visualisation of the tumour. We assess the benefits of our pipeline quantitatively on a geometric in silico model and on a liver phantom model, as well as qualitatively on three patient data.

Catheter-Directed Ionic Liquid Embolic Agent for Rapid Portal Vein Embolization, Segmentectomy, and Bile Duct Ablation

Embolic materials currently in use for portal vein embolization (PVE) do not treat the tumor, which poses a risk for tumor progression during the interval between PVE and surgical resection. Here, is developed an ionic-liquid-based embolic material (LEAD) for portal vein embolization, liver ablation, and drug delivery. LEAD is optimized and characterized for diffusivity, X-ray visibility, and cytotoxicity. In the porcine renal embolization model, LEAD delivered from the main renal artery reached vasculature down to 10 microns with uniform tissue ablation and delivery of small and large therapeutics. In non-survival and survival porcine experiments, successful PVE is achieved in minutes, leading to the expected chemical segmentectomy, and delivery of a large protein drug (i.e., Nivolumab) with LEAD. In cholangiocarcinoma mouse tumor models and in ex vivo human tumors, LEAD consistently achieved an effective ablation and wide drug distribution. Furthermore, various strains of drug-resistant patient-derived bacteria showed significant susceptibility to LEAD, suggesting that LEAD may also prevent infectious complications resulting from tissue ablation. With its capabilities to embolize, ablate, and deliver therapeutics, ease of use, and a high safety profile demonstrated in animal studies, LEAD offers a potential alternative to tumor ablation with or without PVE for FLR growth.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy in acute complicated versus uncomplicated cholecystitis; is there a difference in outcomes? A single-center experience

BACKGROUND

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is a therapeutic intervention for acute cholecystitis. The benefits of cholecystostomy have been demonstrated in the medical literature, with up to 90% of acute cholecystitis cases shown to resolve postoperatively, and only 40% of patients subsequently undergoing an interval cholecystectomy.

PURPOSE

To compare the survival outcomes between acute complicated and uncomplicated cholecystitis in patients undergoing PC as an initial intervention, as there is a paucity of evidence in the literature on this perspective.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective search was conducted of all patients who underwent PC for acute cholecystitis between August 2016 and December 2020 at a tertiary institution. A total of 100 patients were included in this study.

RESULTS

The outcome, in the form of 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality, being alive after six months, and reintervention, was compared between complicated and uncomplicated cases using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. There was no statistically significant difference in any of the compared outcomes. The only variable that showed a statistically significant association with the risk of mortality was acute kidney injury (AKI) at admission. Patients who had stage 1, 2, or 3 AKI had a higher hazard for mortality as compared to patients with no kidney disease.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that PC is a safe and effective procedure. Mortality is not affected by the presence of complications. The results have, however, highlighted the importance of recognizing and treating AKI, an independent risk factor affecting mortality.

Urgent one-stage endoscopic treatment for choledocholithiasis related moderate to severe acute cholangitis: A propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

During emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the safety and feasibility of performing one-stage endoscopic treatment for patients with acute cholangitis (AC) due to choledocholithiasis are unclear.

AIM

To investigate the safety and feasibility of one-stage endoscopic treatment for moderate to severe AC.

METHODS

We enrolled all patients diagnosed with moderate to severe cholangitis due to common bile duct stones from January 2019 to July 2023. The outcomes were compared in this study between patients who underwent ERCP within 24 h and those who underwent ERCP 24 h later, employing a propensity score (PS) framework. Our primary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, ICU length of stay, and duration of antibiotic use.

RESULTS

In total, we included 254 patients and categorized them into two groups based on the time elapsed between admission and intervention: The urgent group (≤ 24 h, n = 102) and the elective group (> 24 h, n = 152). Ninety-three pairs of patients with similar characteristics were selected by PS matching. The urgent ERCP group had more ICU admissions (34.4% vs 21.5%, P = 0.05), shorter ICU stays (3 d vs 9 d, P < 0.001), fewer antibiotic use (6 d vs 9 d, P < 0.001), and shorter hospital stays (9 d vs 18.5 d, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences observed in adverse events, in-hospital mortality, recurrent cholangitis occurrence, 30-d readmission rate or 30-d mortality.

CONCLUSION

Urgent one-stage ERCP provides the advantages of a shorter ICU stay, a shorter duration of antibiotic use, and a shorter hospital stay.

Altered microbiome of serum exosomes in patients with acute and chronic cholecystitis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the differences in the microbiota composition of serum exosomes from patients with acute and chronic cholecystitis.

METHOD

Exosomes were isolated from the serum of cholecystitis patients through centrifugation and identified and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and nano-flow cytometry. Microbiota analysis was performed using 16S rRNA sequencing.

RESULTS

Compared to patients with chronic cholecystitis, those with acute cholecystitis exhibited lower richness and diversity. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant differences in the microbiota composition between patients with acute and chronic cholecystitis. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly higher in exosomes from patients with acute cholecystitis, whereas Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were significantly more abundant in exosomes from patients with chronic cholecystitis. Furthermore, functional predictions of microbial communities using Tax4Fun analysis revealed significant differences in metabolic pathways such as amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and membrane transport between the two patient groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirmed the differences in the microbiota composition within serum exosomes of patients with acute and chronic cholecystitis. Serum exosomes could serve as diagnostic indicators for distinguishing acute and chronic cholecystitis.

Changes in characteristics of gastroenterology center inpatients in Japan because of rapidly aging society

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Rapidly aging societies have become a major issue worldwide including Japan. This study aimed to elucidate relative changes in the characteristics of inpatients in Japan related to this issue.

METHODS

A total of 23 835 Japanese inpatients treated from 2010 to 2021 were enrolled (2010-2013, period I; 2014-2017, period II; 2018-2021, period III). Changes in clinical features were retrospectively analyzed based on ICD-10 diagnosis data.

RESULTS

The percentage of patients aged over 75 years increased over time (period I, 38.0%; II, 39.5%, III, 41.4%). Emergency admissions comprised 27.5% of all in period I, which increased to 43.2% in period II and again to 44.5% in period III (P < 0.001). In period I, gastrointestinal disease, liver disease, pancreatic-biliary disease, and other disease types were noted in 47.4%, 29.5%, 19.2%, and 3.9%, respectively, while those values were 44.0%, 18.0%, 33.9%, and 4.1%, respectively, in period III (P < 0.001). The frequency of liver disease decreased by approximately 0.6-fold from periods I to III, while that of biliary-pancreatic disease increased by approximately 1.8-fold during that time. Both percentage and actual numbers of patients with biliary-pancreatic disease increased during the examined periods. Analysis of changes in the proportion of organs affected by malignancy during periods I, II, and III showed a marked increase in cases of biliary-pancreatic malignancy (11.6%, 19.5%, 26.6%, respectively) (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In association with the rapidly aging Japanese society, there has been an increasing frequency of biliary-pancreatic disease cases requiring hospitalization for treatment in the west Japan region of Shikoku.

Improving early cholecystectomy rate in acute cholecystitis with an evidence-based local multidisciplinary protocol and a surgical audit: single-center experience through an Acute Care Surgery Division

PURPOSE

To analyze if, after implementation of an evidence-based local multidisciplinary protocol for acute cholecystitis (AC), an intermediate surgical audit could improve early cholecystectomy (EC) rate and other therapeutic indicators.

METHODS

Longitudinal cohort study at a tertiary center. The local protocol, promoted, created, and periodically revised by the Acute Care Surgery Unit (ACSu) was updated and approved on March 2019. A specific registry was prospectively fulfilled with demographics, comorbidity, type of presentation, diagnostic items, therapeutic decision, and clinical course, considering both non-operative management (NOM) or cholecystectomy, early and delayed (EC and DC). Phase 1: April 2019-April 2021. A critical analysis and a surgical audit with the participation of all the involved Departments were then performed, especially focusing on improving global EC rate, considered primary outcome. Phase 2: May 2021-May 2023. Software SPSS 23.0 was used to compare data between phases.

RESULTS

Initial EC rate was significantly higher on Phase 2 (39.3%vs52.5%, p < 0.004), as a significantly inferior rate of patients were initially bailed out from EC to NOM because of comorbidity (14.4%vs8%, p < 0.02) and grade II with severe inflammatory signs (7%vs3%, p < 0.04). A higher percentage of patients was recovered for EC after an initial decision of NOM on Phase 2, but without reaching statistical significance (21.8%vs29.2%, n.s.). Global EC rate significantly increased between phases (52.5%vs66.3%, p < 0.002) without increasing morbidity and mortality. A significant minor percentage of elective cholecystectomies after AC episodes had to be performed on Phase 2 (14%vs6.7%, p < 0.009). Complex EC and those indicated after readmission or NOM failure were usually performed by the ACSu staff.

CONCLUSION

To adequately follow up the implementation of a local protocol for AC healthcare, registering and periodically analyzing data allow to perform intermediate surgical audits, useful to improve therapeutic indicators, especially EC rate. AC constitutes an ideal model to work with an ACSu.

Preoperative diagnosis and safe surgical approach in gallbladder amyloidosis: a case report

BACKGROUND

Preoperative diagnosis of gallbladder amyloidosis is usually difficult. In our case, the patient exhibited gallbladder dyskinesia, which led us to suspect cholecystic amyloidosis. We were able to safely perform surgery before cholecystitis onset.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 59-year-old male patient with a history of multiple myeloma and cardiac amyloidosis presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of epicardial pain. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed an enlarged gallbladder and biliary sludge without any specific imaging findings of cholecystitis. After percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder aspiration (PTGBA), the patient experienced recurrent bile retention and right upper quadrant pain. Flopropione was effective in relieving these symptoms. Based on his symptoms and laboratory findings, we diagnosed the patient with dyskinesia of the gallbladder. Considering his medical history, we suspected that it was caused by amyloidosis of the gallbladder. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. The histopathological examination showed amyloid deposits in the gallbladder mucosa, from the intrinsic layer to the submucosa, and in the peripheral nerves of the gallbladder neck. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 5 and has had no recurrence of abdominal pain since then.

CONCLUSION

In our case, gallbladder dyskinesia symptoms led us to suspect gallbladder amyloidosis. We safely surgically treated the patient before cholecystitis onset.

A meta-analysis: laparoscopic versus open liver resection for large hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The indication of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for treating large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. In this study, we compared the short-term and long-term outcomes of LLR and open liver resection (OLR) for large HCC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We searched eligible articles about LLR versus OLR for large HCC in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE and performed a meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Eight publications involving 1,338 patients were included. Among them, 495 underwent LLR and 843 underwent OLR. The operation time was longer in the LLR group (MD: 22.23, 95% CI: 4.14-40.33, p = 0.02). but the postoperative hospital stay time was significantly shorter (MD : -4.88, CI: -5.55 to -4.23, p < 0.00001), and the incidence of total postoperative complications and major complications were significantly fewer (OR: 0.49, 95% CI:0.37-0.66, p < 0.00001; OR: 0.54, 95% CI:0.36 - 0.82, p = 0.003, respectively). Patients in the laparoscopic group had no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative transfusion rate, resection margin size, R0 resection rate, three-year overall survival (OS) and three-year disease-free survival (DFS).

CONCLUSION

LLR for large HCC is safe and feasible. This surgical strategy will not affect the long-term outcomes of patients.

Endoscopic Gallbladder Drainage: A Comprehensive Review on Indications, Techniques, and Future Perspectives

In recent years, therapeutic endoscopy has become a fundamental tool in the management of gallbladder diseases in light of its minimal invasiveness, high clinical efficacy, and good safety profile. Both endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (TGBD) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) provide effective internal drainage in patients with acute cholecystitis unfit for cholecystectomy, avoiding the drawbacks of external percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PGBD). The availability of dedicated lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) for EUS-guided transluminal interventions contributed to the expansion of endoscopic therapies for acute cholecystitis, making endoscopic gallbladder drainage easier, faster, and hence more widely available. Moreover, EUS-GBD with LAMS opened the possibility of several cholecystoscopy-guided interventions, such as gallstone lithotripsy and clearance. Finally, EUS-GBD has also been proposed as a rescue drainage modality in malignant biliary obstruction after failure of standard techniques, with encouraging results. In this review, we will describe the TBGD and EUS-GBD techniques, and we will discuss the available data on clinical efficacy in different settings in comparison with PGBD. Finally, we will comment on the future perspectives of EUS-GBD, discussing the areas of uncertainty in which new data are more strongly awaited.

A meta-analysis between robotic hepatectomy and conventional open hepatectomy

Current meta-analysis was performed to compare robotic hepatectomy (RH) with conventional open hepatectomy (OH) in terms of peri-operative and postoperative outcomes. PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were all searched up for comparative studies between RH and OH. RevMan5.3 software and Stata 13.0 software were used for statistical analysis. Nineteen studies with 1747 patients who received RH and 23,633 patients who received OH were included. Pooled results indicated that patients who received RH were generally younger than those received OH (P < 0.00001). Moreover, RH was associated with longer operative time (P = 0.0002), less intraoperative hemorrhage (P < 0.0001), lower incidence of intraoperative transfusion (P = 0.003), lower incidence of postoperative any morbidity (P < 0.00001), postoperative major morbidity (P = 0.0001), mortalities with 90 days after surgery (P < 0.0001), and shorter length of postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.00001). Comparable total hospital costs were acquired between RH and OH groups (P = 0.46). However, even at the premise of comparable R0 rate (P = 0.86), RH was associated with smaller resected tumor size (P < 0.00001). Major hepatectomy (P = 0.02) and right posterior hepatectomy (P = 0.0003) were less frequently performed in RH group. Finally, we concluded that RH was superior to OH in terms of peri-operative and postoperative outcomes. RH could lead to less intraoperative hemorrhage, less postoperative complications and an enhanced postoperative recovery. However, major hepatectomy and right posterior hepatectomy were still less frequently performed via robotic approach. Future more powerful well-designed studies are required for further exploration.

New Proposed Classification of Difficulty in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Background: Difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been challenging for surgeons. Randhawa's system used operative time, complications, and conversion to define three difficulty grades. However, using fixed numbers of operative time as dividers among three groups might not be applicable universally. This study aimed to propose new classification with more flexible parameters. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted with patients who underwent LC because of gallstone-related diseases between January 2017 and December 2021 at Thammasat University Hospital. The exclusion criteria were (1) emergent LC for acute cholecystitis, (2) other procedures performed in the same setting of LC, (3) incomplete information, and (4) LC converted to open cholecystectomy. Patients were categorized into three groups using Randhawa's classification. Thereafter, new classification using mean and standard deviation was applied to reclassify patients into three new groups. The comparison between two grading results was performed to prove the advantage of new classification. Results: Total of 523 patients who underwent LC were included with median age 59.3 years old and 60.8% female. By Randhawa classification, proportions of easy, difficult, and very difficult groups were 39%, 53.7%, and 7.3%, respectively. Then, the new operative-time dividers among three groups were changed from 60 and 120 minutes to mean and mean + 2SD, respectively. Reclassified three difficult groups were 38.9%, 57.1%, and 4%. The comparison demonstrated new classification as more flexible and more compatible with each individual surgeon. Conclusions: New surgeon-referenced grading system of difficult LC included surgeon's factors, not only unfavorable operative findings. This classification should be more flexible than the previous criterion-referenced one. Thai Clinical Trials Registry at https://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org with Number TCTR20220426003.

The Role of Different Systemic Inflammatory Indexes Derived from Complete Blood Count in Differentiating Acute from Chronic Calculus Cholecystitis and Predicting Its Severity

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of the different Complete blood count-derived systemic inflammation indexes, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and neutrophil to lymphocyte × platelet ratio (NLPR) in differential diagnosing the chronic calculus cholecystitis (CCC) and the acute calculus cholecystitis (ACC), as well as determining the severity of ACC.

Patients and Methods

105 CCC and 88 ACC patients were enrolled. NLR, PLR, SII, and NLPR were evaluated in both cohorts as well as in different severity levels of ACC. The severity of ACC was determined based on the Tokyo Guidelines. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Univariate/multivariate regression analyses were conducted.

Results

The levels of NLR, PLR, SII, and NLPR were significantly higher in the ACC group compared to the CCC group. The optimal cutoff values for NLR, PLR, SII, and NLPR were determined to be 3.89, 144.7, 896.8, and 0.031 respectively. NLR>3.89 demonstrates the highest predictive capability with an AUC of 0.801 and a sensitivity of 72.73%. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR>3.89 (OR: 4.169, p = 0.004) and NLPR>0.031 (OR: 4.304, p = 0.005) were dominant in distinguishing ACC from CCC. In ACC patients, the levels of NLR, SII, and NLPR were significantly higher in the Moderate to Severe-degree ACC (MS-ACC) group than in Mild-Degree ACC (M-ACC). NLPR > 0.044 exhibited the highest predictive ability with an AUC of 0.778 and a specificity of 91.67%. Multivariate analysis showed that NLR>6.399 (OR: 10.308, p = 0.000) was a possible independent prognostic factor for accessing the severity of ACC.

Conclusion

Systemic inflammation indexes can be useful in predicting the risk of ACC and MS-ACC. NLR demonstrates the best distinguishing power and sensitivity for distinguishing ACC from CCC, while NLPR shows the best predictive power and specificity for predicting the severity of ACC.

What Happens After Discharge? A 2+ Year Follow-Up After Laparoscopic Subtotal Fenestrating and Reconstituting Cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) is utilized to prevent complications in the difficult cholecystectomy. Medium-term outcomes are poorly studied for fenestrating and reconstituting operative techniques. A single-institution retrospective review was undertaken of all LSCs. A telephone survey was used to identify complications addressed at other institutions. We performed subgroup analyses by operative approach and of patients requiring postoperative endoscopic intervention (ERC). 28 patients met inclusion criteria. The median follow-up was 32.7 months. There were no bile duct injuries or reoperations. 21% of patients required a postoperative ERC and 50% were discharged home with a drain. Bile leaks were found to be more prevalent in the fenestrating LSC group (38% vs 0%, P = .003). The case series suggested more severe recurrent biliary disease in patients undergoing reconstituting LSC. Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy appears to have satisfactory medium-term outcomes. The reconstituting LSC group trends toward more severe recurrent disease which warrants further investigation.

Preoperative difficulty factors in delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Tokyo Guidelines 2018 surgical difficulty score analysis

INTRODUCTION

Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) recommend early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for low-risk acute cholecystitis (AC); however, some patients undergo delayed LC (DLC) after conservative treatment. DLC, influenced by chronic inflammation, is a difficult procedure. Previous studies on LC difficulty lacked objective measures. Recently, TG18 introduced a novel 25 findings difficulty score, which objectively assesses intraoperative factors. The purpose of this study was to use the difficulty score proposed in TG18 to identify and investigate the predictors of preoperative high-difficulty cases of DLC for AC.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 100 patients with DLC after conservative AC treatment. The surgical difficulty of DLC was evaluated using a difficulty score. Based on previous studies, the highest scores in each category were categorized as grades A-C.

RESULTS

The severity of AC was mild in 51 patients and moderate in 49. Surgical outcomes revealed a distribution of difficulty scores, with grade C indicating high difficulty, showing significant differences in operative time, blood loss, achieving a critical view of safety, bailout procedures, and postoperative hospital stay compared with grades A and B. Regarding the preoperative risk factors, multivariate analysis identified age >61 years (p = .008), body mass index >27.0 kg/m2 (p = .007), and gallbladder wall thickness >6.2 mm (p = .001) as independent risk factors for grade C in DLC.

CONCLUSION

The difficulty score proposed in TG18 provides an objective framework for evaluating surgical difficulty, allowing for more accurate risk assessments and improved preoperative planning in DLC for AC.

Acute cholecystitis management in high-risk, critically ill, and unfit-for-surgery patients: the Italian Society of Emergency Surgery and Trauma (SICUT) guidelines

Dealing with acute cholecystitis in high-risk, critically ill, and unfit-for-surgery patients is frequent during daily practice and requires complex management. Several procedures exist to postpone and/or prevent surgical intervention in those patients who temporarily or definitively cannot undergo surgery. After a systematic review of the literature, an expert panel from the Italian Society of Emergency Surgery and Trauma (SICUT) discussed the different issues and statements in subsequent rounds. The final version of the statements was discussed during the annual meeting in Rome (September 2022). The present paper presents the definitive conclusions of the discussion. Fifteen statements based on the literature evidence were provided. The statements gave precise indications regarding the decisional process and the management of patients who cannot temporarily or definitively undergo cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Acute cholecystitis management in high-risk, critically ill, and unfit-for-surgery patients should be multidisciplinary. The different gallbladder drainage methods must be tailored according to each patient and based on the expertise of the hospital. Percutaneous gallbladder drainage is recommended as the first choice as a bridge to surgery or in severely physiologically deranged patients. Endoscopic gallbladder drainage (cholecystoduodenostomy and cholecystogastrostomy) is suggested as a second-line alternative especially as a definitive procedure for those patients not amenable to surgical management. Trans-papillary gallbladder drainage is the last option to be reserved only to those unfit for other techniques. Delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with percutaneous gallbladder drainage is suggested in all those patients recovering from the conditions that previously discouraged surgical intervention after at least 6 weeks from the gallbladder drainage.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on outcomes of cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis: a national cohort study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with significant disruptions to healthcare provision globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand. It remains unclear how this disruption affected the surgical management of acute cholecystitis and whether there are ongoing impacts.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of two multicentre cohort studies (CHOLECOVID and CHOLENZ) on patients who underwent cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Participants were categorized into pre-pandemic (September-November 2019), pandemic (March-May 2020), and late-pandemic (August-October 2021) phases. Baseline demographics, clinical management, and 30-day postoperative complications were assessed between phases. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the impact of timing of operation on rates of hospital readmission and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

517 participants were included, of whom 85 (16%) were in the pre-pandemic-phase, 52 (10%) were in the pandemic phase, and 380 (73%) were in the late-pandemic phase. Pandemic and late-pandemic phase participants were more comorbid and had higher rates of obesity and deranged blood results than pre-pandemic. After multivariable adjustment, there were no differences in rates of hospital readmission or postoperative complications at 30-day follow-up across phases.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 pandemic had minimal impacts on the provision of cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in Aotearoa New Zealand. However, patients managed during the COVID-19 pandemic were more comorbid and had higher rates of obesity and elevated inflammatory markers.

Impact of biliary stents in the performance of the EUS-guided tissue acquisition: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

Pancreatobiliary tumours are challenging to diagnose exclusively by imaging methods. Although the optimum moment for carrying out the EUS is not well defined, it has been suggested that the presence of biliary stents may interfere with the proper staging of tumours and the acquisition of samples. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of biliary stents on EUS-guided tissue acquisition yield.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic review in different databases, such as PubMed, Cochrane, Medline, and OVID Database. A search was made of all studies published up to February 2022.

RESULTS

Eight studies were analyzed. A total of 3185 patients were included. The mean age was 66.9±2.7 years; 55.4% were male gender. Overall, 1761 patients (55.3%) underwent EUS guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) with stents in situ, whereas 1424 patients (44.7%) underwent EUS-TA without stents. The technical success was similar in both groups (EUS-TA with stents: 88% vs EUS-TA without stents: 88%, OR=0.92 [95% CI 0.55-1.56]). The type of stent, the needle size and the number of the passes were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

EUS-TA has similar diagnostic performance and technical success in patients with or without stents. The type of stent (SEMS or plastic) does not seem to influence the diagnostic performance of EUS-TA. Future prospectives and RCT studies are needed to strengthen these conclusions.

Comparing indications, complexity and outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection between centers with and without a liver transplant program: a French nationwide study

BACKGROUND

There are no data to evaluate the difference in populations and impact of centers with liver transplant programs in performing laparoscopic liver resection (LLR).

METHODS

This was a multicenter study including patients undergoing LLR for benign and malignant tumors at 27 French centers from 1996 to 2018. The main outcomes were postoperative severe morbidity and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 3154 patients were included, and 14 centers were classified as transplant centers (N = 2167 patients, 68.7 %). The transplant centers performed more difficult LLRs and more resections for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients who more frequently had cirrhosis. A higher rate of performing the Pringle maneuver, a lower rate of blood loss and a higher rate of open conversion (all p < 0.05) were observed in the transplant centers. There was no association between the presence of a liver transplant program and either postoperative severe morbidity (<10 % in each group; p = 0.228) or mortality (1 % in each group; p = 0.915).

CONCLUSIONS

Most HCCs, difficult LLRs, and cirrhotic patients are treated in transplant centers. We show that all centers can achieve comparable safety and quality of care in LLR independent of the presence of a liver transplant program.

Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Single-Use Duodenoscope Applied to Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography

OBJECTIVES

Secondary infections due to transmission via the duodenoscope have been reported in up to 3% of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies. The use of single-use duodenoscopes has been suggested. We investigate the cost-effectiveness of these duodenoscopes use in cholangiopancreatography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cost-effectiveness analysis was implemented to compare the performance of cholangiopancreatographies with reusable duodenoscopes versus single-use duodenoscopes. Effectiveness was analyzed by calculating quality-adjusted life years (QALY) from the perspective of the National Health System. Possibility of crossover from single-use to reusable duodenoscopes was considered. A willingness-to-pay of €25,000/QALY was set, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated, and deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Considering cholangiopancreatographies with single-use and reusable duodenoscopes at a cost of €2900 and €1333, respectively, and a 10% rate of single-use duodenoscopes, ICER was greater than €3,000,000/QALY. A lower single-use duodenoscope cost of €1211 resulted in an ICER of €23,583/QALY. When the unit cost of the single-use duodenoscope was €1211, a crossover rate of more than 9.5% made the use of the single-use duodenoscope inefficient.

CONCLUSIONS

Single-use duodenoscopes are cost-effective in a proportion of cholangiopancreatographies if its cost is reduced. Increased crossover rate makes single-use duodenoscope use not cost-effective.

The effects of photoactivated ciprofloxacin and bile acids on biofilms on bile duct catheters

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the potential of a novel photoactivatable ciprofloxacin to act against bacterial infections and microbiomes related to biliary diseases. It also evaluated treatment by combining the impact of bile acids and antibiotics on biofilms. Innovative strategies were evaluated to address the elusive bile duct microbiome resulting in biofilm-related infections linked to biliary catheters. The healthy biliary system is considered sterile, but bile microbiomes can occur in disease, and these correlate with hepatobiliary diseases. Causes include biofilms that form on internal-external biliary drainage catheters. These biliary catheters were used to noninvasively study the otherwise elusive bile microbiome for a pilot study.

METHODS

A new photoactivatable antibiotic was tested for efficacy against human-derived pathogenic bacterial isolates - Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli - and catheter-derived bile duct microbiomes. In addition, the effect of bile acids on the antibiotic treatment of biofilms was quantified using crystal violet staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and biofilm image analysis. Two novel approaches for targeting biliary biofilms were tested.

RESULTS

A photoactivated antibiotic based on ciprofloxacin showed efficacy in preventing biofilm formation and reducing bacterial viability without harming eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, combination treatment of antibiotics with bile acids, such as ursodesoxycholic acid, mildly influenced biofilm biomass but reduced bacterial survival within biofilms.

CONCLUSION

Bile acids, in addition to their endocrine and paracrine functions, may enhance antibiotic killing of bacterial biofilms compared with antibiotics alone. These approaches hold promise for treating biliary infections such as cholangitis.

The Accuracy of Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Detection of Gallbladder Disease: A Meta-analysis

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this meta-analysis was to systematically assess the diagnostic value of point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in the detection of gallbladder diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies up to May 22, 2023. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic were calculated using the bivariate model. Subgroup analysis based on cholecystitis and cholelithiasis was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of seven studies with 1464 participants were identified in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity of POCUS for the detection of gallbladder disease was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.93) and the pooled specificity was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87, 0.96). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of POCUS for the detection of acute cholecystitis were 0.73 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.86) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.98). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of POCUS for the detection of gallstones were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.96) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.95).

CONCLUSION

POCUS was a favorable modality for the detection of patients suspected of gallbladder disease, especially for cholelithiasis. Physicians are advised to use POCUS in clinical practice as a non-invasive test to detect gallbladder disease.

Efficacy of perioperative oral care management in the prevention of surgical complications in 503 patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy for resectable malignant tumor: A multicenter retrospective analysis using propensity score matching

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticoduodenectomy has been associated with a high mortality rate and significant postoperative morbidity. Recently, perioperative oral care management has been reported to be effective in preventing postoperative pneumonia and surgical site infection. In this study, we examined the effect of perioperative oral care management in reducing complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy, including surgical site infection.

METHODS

This retrospective multicenter study included 503 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy at 8 facilities between January 2014 and December 2016. Among these, 144 received perioperative oral management by dentists and dental hygienists (oral management group), whereas the remaining 359 did not (control group). The oral care management program included oral health instructions, removal of dental calculus, professional mechanical tooth cleaning, removal of tongue coating, denture cleaning, instructions for gargling, and tooth extraction. The participants were matched using propensity scores to reduce background bias. Various factors were examined for correlation with the development of complications.

RESULTS

The incidence of organ/space surgical site infection was significantly lower in the oral management group than in the control group (8.0% vs 19.6%, P = .005). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that hypertension and lack of perioperative oral management were independent risk factors for organ/space surgical site infection. Lack of perioperative oral management had an odds ratio of 2.847 (95% confidence interval 1.335-6.071, P = .007).

CONCLUSION

Perioperative oral care management reduces the occurrence of surgical site infections after pancreaticoduodenectomy and should be recommended as a strategy to prevent infections in addition to antibiotic use.

Application of 3-Step Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Acute Difficult Cholecystitis

BACKGROUND

With the aging of the global population, the incidence rate of acute cholecystitis is increasing. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered as the first choice to treat acute cholecystitis. How to effectively avoid serious intraoperative complications such as bile duct and blood vessel injury is still a difficult problem that puzzles surgeons. This paper introduces the application of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a new surgical concept, in acute difficult cholecystitis.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis was carried out from January 2019 to January 2021. A total of 36 patients with acute difficult cholecystitis underwent 3-step laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The general information, clinical features, surgical methods, surgical results, and postoperative complications of the patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

All patients successfully completed the surgery, one of them was converted to laparotomy, and the other 35 cases were treated with 3-step laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Postoperative bile leakage occurred in 2 cases (5.56%), secondary choledocholithiasis in 1 case (2.78%), and hepatic effusion in 1 case (2.78%). No postoperative bleeding, septal infection, and other complications occurred, and no postoperative colon injury, gastroduodenal injury, liver injury, bile duct injury, vascular injury, and other surgery-related complications occurred. All 36 patients were discharged from hospital after successful recovery. No one died 30 days after surgery, and there was no abnormality in outpatient follow-up for 3 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Three-step laparoscopic cholecystectomy seems to be safer and more feasible for acute difficult cholecystitis patients. Compared with traditional laparoscopic cholecystectomy or partial cholecystectomy, 3-step laparoscopic cholecystectomy has the advantages of safe surgery and less complications, which is worth trying by clinicians.

Perioperative strategies for patients undergoing subtotal cholecystectomy: a single-center retrospective review of 102 procedures

BACKGROUND

Calculous gall bladder disease is often handled by laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In cases where a safe dissection of the hepatocystic triangle cannot be carried out, a subtotal cholecystectomy (STC) may be performed. The perioperative management of patients undergoing STC is characterized by limited evidence. This large single-center series explores some of the perioperative aspects and outcomes after STC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population includes all patients who underwent STC at Oslo University Hospital (Ullevål and Aker Hospitals) from 01.01.2014 to 30.09.2020. A STC was defined as a cholecystectomy where there was a failure to control the cystic duct during surgery. Study variables included demographic data, comorbidities, previous biliopancreatic disease, indication for surgery, perioperative information, subsequent interventions and outcome data.

RESULTS

During the study period, 2376 cholecystectomies were performed, and 102 (4.3%) were categorized as STC. Of all patients with STC, 48 (47.1%) had an intra- or postoperative ERCP during the index hospital admission. The indication for ERCP was bile leak in 37 (42.6%) of the cases. The bile leak resolution rate was 60.0 % in intraoperative ERCP vs 95.7% in postoperative ERCP. Among the STC patients, there were no injuries to the central bile ducts. Later, one patient has undergone a remnant cholecystectomy, following fenestrating STC.

CONCLUSION

STC was a safe bailout strategy for dissection in the hepatocystic triangle in difficult cholecystectomies. Intraoperative ERCP increased procedure time and was associated with a lower rate of leak resolution, as compared to postoperative ERCP.

A case of acute obstructive suppurative pancreatic ductitis complicated with acute cholangitis diagnosed only after the removal of a pancreatic duct stent

Acute obstructive suppurative pancreatic ductitis (AOSPD) is a rare complication of chronic pancreatitis that presents with high fever and abdominal pain. A 63-year-old man underwent plastic bile duct stent and plastic pancreatic duct stent (PDS) placement for benign stricture in the intrapancreatic bile and pancreatic ducts associated with chronic pancreatitis; the stents were routinely replaced. Seven months after the last replacement, the patient presented to our hospital with dark urine but without fever or abdominal pain. Subsequent blood tests revealed elevated levels of hepatobiliary enzymes, white blood cells, and C-reactive protein. However, the pancreatic enzyme levels remained unchanged, and abdominal computed tomography showed the absence of inflammation around the pancreas. He was initially diagnosed with acute cholangitis (AC) due to bile duct stent dysfunction and subsequently underwent emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. As obstruction of the PDS was suspected, both bile duct stent and PDS were replaced. Although the collected bile did not exhibit purulence, a white purulent fluid was released after replacing the PDS. Cultures from the bile and pancreatic exudates revealed the presence of Klebsiella oxytoca. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed with AOSPD and AC. In this patient, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed after the diagnosis of AC alone; however, relying solely on AC treatment might not have ameliorated the patient's condition. The patient did not complain of any abdominal pain and was diagnosed with AOSPD only after the replacement of his PDS. Our case suggests that AOSPD may be a pitfall in the identification of the source of inflammation in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Elective Cholecystectomy After Endoscopic Gallbladder Stenting for Acute Cholecystitis: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of endoscopic gallbladder stenting (EGBS) on subsequent cholecystectomy. We retrospectively compared the surgical outcomes of EGBS, followed by elective cholecystectomy with those of immediate cholecystectomy (IC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 503 patients were included in this study. Patients who underwent EGBS as initial treatment for acute cholecystitis, followed by elective cholecystectomy, were included in the EGBS group and patients who underwent IC during hospitalization were included in the IC group. Propensity score matching analysis was used to compare the surgical outcomes. In addition, the factors that increased the amount of bleeding were examined by multivariate analysis after matching.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven matched pairs were obtained after propensity matching the EGBS group and the IC group. The rate of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the EGBS versus IC groups was 91.2% versus 49.1% ( P < 0.001). The amount of bleeding was 5 mL in the EGBS versus 188 mL in the IC group ( P < 0.001). In the EGBS and IC groups, multivariate analysis of factors associated with more blood loss revealed IC (odds ratio: 4.76, 95% CI: 1.25-20.76, P = 0.022) as an independent risk factor.

CONCLUSION

EGBS as the initial treatment for acute cholecystitis and subsequent elective cholecystectomy after the inflammation has disappeared can be performed in minimally invasive procedures and safely.

Cholelithiasis prevalence and risk factors in individuals with severe or profound intellectual and motor disabilities

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and risk factors of cholelithiasis in individuals with severe or profound intellectual and motor disabilities (SPIMD) are poorly characterised. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk determinants of cholelithiasis in a cohort with SPIMD under medical care in a residential facility.

METHODS

We categorised 84 patients in a residential hospital for persons with SPIMD into groups: those with (Group CL) and without (Group N) cholelithiasis. Gallstones were detected via computed tomography, ultrasonography or both. We evaluated gastrostomy status, nutritional and respiratory support, constipation, and bladder and kidney stones. Data were significantly analysed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

The prevalence rate of cholelithiasis in our SPIMD cohort was 27%. There were no significant differences in sex, age, weight, height, or Gross Motor Function Classification System between the two groups. However, more patients received enteral nutrition (39.13% vs. 6.56%; P = 0.000751) and were on ventilator support (56.52% vs. 19.67%; P = 0.00249) in Group CL than in Group N. Enteral nutrition [odds ratio (OR) 10.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.98-54.7] and ventilator support (OR 20.0, 95% CI 1.99-201.0) were identified as independent risk factors for the prevalence of cholelithiasis in patients with SPIMD.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with SPIMD demonstrated an increased prevalence of cholelithiasis, with a notable association between nutritional tonic use and respiratory support. Therefore, to emphasise the need for proactive screening, it is crucial to devise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies specific to patients with SPIMD. Further investigation is essential to validate our findings and explore causative factors.

Evaluation of the Validity of Endoscopic Transpapillary Gallbladder Drainage for Acute Cholecystitis Based on the Tokyo Guidelines 2018

GOALS

We evaluated the validity of endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) as a bridging therapy prior to elective Lap-C for the patients with acute cholecystitis (AC).

BACKGROUND

The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 recommend early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Lap-C) for patients with AC, however, some patients require the preoperative drainage because of inadequate for early Lap-C du to background and comorbidities.

STUDY

We performed a retrospective cohort analysis using data from our hospital records from 2018-2021. In total, 71 cases of 61 patients with AC underwent ETGBD.

RESULTS

The technical success rate was 85.9%. Patients in the failure group had more complicated branching of the cystic duct. The length of time until feeding was started and until WBC levels normalized, and the length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in the success group. The median waiting period for surgery was 39 days in the ETGBD success cases. The median operating time, amount of bleeding, and length of postoperative hospital stay were 134 min, 83.2g, and 4 days, respectively. In patients who underwent Lap-C, the waiting period for surgery and the operating time were similar between the ETGBD success and failure groups. However, the temporary discharge period after drainage and the length of postoperative hospital stay were significantly longer in the patients with ETGBD failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that ETGBD has equivalent efficacy prior to elective Lap-C despite some challenges that lower its success rate. Preoperativ ETGBD can improve patient quality of life by eliminating the need for a drainage tube.

Risk factors analyses associated with postoperative infection in choledochoscopy for intrahepatic bile duct stones (IHDs): a single-center retrospective study in real-world setting

BACKGROUND

Choledochoscopy is a highly effective approach for managing intrahepatic bile duct stones (IHDs). However, postoperative infection is a common complication that significantly impacts treatment outcomes. Despite its clinical relevance, the risk factors associated with this procedure remain largely unexplored.

METHODS

This study focused on a consecutive cohort of patients who underwent choledochoscopy for IHDs at our institution between January 2016 and December 2022. The primary objective was to analyze the relationship between various clinical factors and postoperative infection, and to compare the postoperative infection of different choledochoscopic procedures.

RESULTS

The study cohort consisted of 126 patients, with 60 individuals (47.6%) experiencing postoperative infection. Notably, preoperative biliary obstruction (odds ratio [OR] 1.861; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.314-8.699; p = 0.010) and operation time (OR 4.414; 95% CI 1.635-12.376; p = 0.004) were identified as risk factors for postoperative infection. Additionally, biliary tract infections (60.00%) were primarily responsible for postoperative infection, with Escherichia coli (47.22%) being the predominant bacterial strain identified in bile cultures. Furthermore, biliary tract obstruction (OR 4.563; 95% CI 1.554-13.401; p = 0.006) and body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.186; 95% CI 1.015-1.386; p = 0.031) were determined to be independent risk factors for postoperative biliary tract infection.

CONCLUSIONS

The occurrence of postoperative infection in patients undergoing choledochoscopy was primarily associated with the duration of the operation and the presence of preoperative biliary obstruction.

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage without dilation by using a 0.035-inch stiff guidewire

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage for patients with cholecystitis and high surgical risk is commonly performed by dilating the fistula before inserting the delivery sheath; however, this carries an increased risk of peritonitis. To overcome this problem, we developed a new technique that did not require dilation, using a 0.035-inch stiff guidewire, and retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of this technique. This retrospective case series report collected data on non-surgical patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage for various indications at Steel Memorial Muroran Hospital between November 2020 and October 2022. A total of 71 patients were included (mean age 83 ± 7.6 years; 33 women and 38 men). Breakthrough of the delivery sheath without dilation of the fistula was successful in 97.2% (n = 69) of patients. The success rate of stent placement was 98.6% (n = 70), as was the clinical success rate. Complications occurred in 2.8% (n = 2) of patients. Early and late adverse events occurred in 2.8% (n = 2) and 12.7% (n = 9) of patients, respectively. The mean procedure time was 24.8 ± 9.3 min. If a 0.035-inch stiff guidewire is used, the dilation procedure can be omitted in the endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage using self-expandable metal stents.

Symptomatic gallstone disease: Recurrence patterns and risk factors for relapse after first admission, the RELAPSTONE study

BACKGROUND

Delayed cholecystectomy in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease is associated with recurrence. Limited data on the recurrence patterns and the factors that determine them are available.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine the pattern of relapse in each symptomatic gallstone disease (acute pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, symptomatic choledocholithiasis, and biliary colic) and determine the associated factors.

METHODS

RELAPSTONE was an international multicenter retrospective cohort study. Patients (n = 3016) from 18 tertiary centers who suffered a first episode of symptomatic gallstone disease from 2018 to 2020 and had not undergone cholecystectomy during admission were included. The main outcome was relapse-free survival. Kaplan-Meier curves were used in the bivariate analysis. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to identify prognostic factors associated with relapses.

RESULTS

Mean age was 76.6 [IQR: 59.7-84.1], and 51% were male. The median follow-up was 5.3 months [IQR 2.1-12.4]. Relapse-free survival was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.77-0.80) at 3 months, 0.71 (95% CI: 0.69-0.73) at 6 months, and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.61-0.65) at 12 months. In multivariable analysis, older age (HR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.49-0.66), sphincterotomy (HR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.49-0.68) and higher leukocyte count (HR = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.70-0.90) were independently associated with lower risk of relapse, whereas higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (HR = 1.22; 95% CI: 1.02-1.46) and multiple cholelithiasis (HR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.34) were associated with higher relapse rates.

CONCLUSION

The relapse rate is high and different in each symptomatic gallstone disease. Our independent predictors could be useful for prioritizing patients on the waiting list for cholecystectomies.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy in elderly patients with acute cholecystitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is often preferred over early cholecystectomy (EC) for elderly patients presenting with acute cholecystitis (AC). However, there is a lack of solid data on this issue. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched the Medline and Web of Science databases for reports published before December 2022. Studies that assessed elderly patients (aged 65 years and older) with AC treated using PC, in comparison with those treated with EC, were included. Outcomes analyzed were perioperative outcomes and readmissions. The literature search yielded 3279 records, from which 7 papers (1208 patients) met the inclusion criteria. No clinical trials were identified. Patients undergoing PC comprised a higher percentage of cases with ASA III or IV status (OR 3.49, 95%CI 1.59-7.69, p = 0.009) and individuals with moderate to severe AC (OR 1.78, 95%CI 1.00-3.16, p = 0.05). No significant differences were observed in terms of mortality and morbidity. However, patients in the PC groups exhibited a higher rate of readmissions (OR 3.77, 95%CI 2.35-6.05, p < 0.001) and a greater incidence of persistent or recurrent gallstone disease (OR 12.60, 95%CI 3.09-51.38, p < 0.001). Elderly patients selected for PC, displayed greater frailty and more severe AC, but did not exhibit increased post-interventional morbidity and mortality compared to those undergoing EC. Despite their inferior life expectancy, they still presented a greater likelihood of persistent or recurrent disease compared to the control group.

ERCP endoscopic minimally invasive treatment of acute suppurative obstructive cholangitis: A study of 47 patients

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy for acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis (AOSC) in patients with different underlying conditions. The present study comprised 47 patients diagnosed with AOSC, with a mean age of 70±14 years. Minimally invasive endoscopic treatments, including endoscopic duodenal papillary sphincterotomy, endoscopic duodenal nasobiliary drainage and/or placement of an endobiliary duct stent drainage tube, were performed. Variations in the levels of the white blood cell count, liver function, procalcitonin (PCT) and carbohydrate antigen-199 (CA199) were examined, compared and evaluated both prior to and following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Among the 47 patients, 45 had a high fever, although their body temperature returned to normal after 7 days of ERCP treatment. The infection was difficult to control completely in two cases, including one case of biliary anastomosis secondary tumor with stenosis and AOSC and another case of an elderly patient with multiple choledocholithiasis complicated with sepsis. Within 7 days following treatment, the abdominal pain was resolved in 27 patients and jaundice subsided in 29 patients. On the 7th day after endoscopic treatment, the blood leukocyte, liver function, PCT and CA-199 parameters of all patients were significantly improved compared with those at admission. A total of 35 bile cultures yielded positive results, with Escherichia coli accounting for 11 cases (31.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae accounting for 7 cases (20%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounting for 5 cases (14.3%), Enterococcus faecus accounting for 4 cases (11.4%) and other strains making up the remaining 17 cases. No serious complications were encountered with these patients, such as perforation, bleeding, severe pancreatitis or mortality, following ERCP. In conclusion, ERCP has been shown to be a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment method for elderly patients with AOSC, yielding a high rate of success.

Long-term prognosis and risk factors associated with post-ERCP pneumobilia in patients with common bile duct stones

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Post-ERCP pneumobilia is not uncommon; however, studies focusing on the long-term prognosis of patients with post-ERCP pneumobilia are limited. This study aimed to explore long-term prognosis and risk factors associated with post-ERCP pneumobilia in patients with common bile duct stones (CBDSs).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1380 patients who underwent ERCP for CBDSs at our hospital from January 2010 to December 2017. Patients were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and divided into pneumobilia and nonpneumobilia groups, followed by propensity score matching. The matched groups were then compared in terms of incidence rates of both single and multiple recurrences of CBDSs, acute cholangitis, and acute cholecystitis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors associated with pneumobilia.

RESULTS

After propensity matching, there was no significant difference in the rate of single recurrence of CBDSs (22.5% vs 30%; P = .446) between the pneumobilia and nonpneumobilia groups. However, the incidences of multiple recurrences of CBDSs (32.5% vs 12.5%; P = .032) and acute cholangitis without stone recurrence (32.5% vs 2.5%; P = <.001) were significantly higher in the pneumobilia group. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, in addition to a dilated CBD (diameter of >1 cm) (odds ratio [OR], 2.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-3.76; P = .043), endoscopic sphincterotomy with moderate incision (OR, 5.38; 95% CI, 1.14-25.47; P = .034) and with large incision (OR, 8.7; 95% CI, 1.83-41.46; P = .007) were identified as independent risk factors for pneumobilia after initial ERCP.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with post-ERCP pneumobilia have increased risk of multiple recurrences of CBDSs and acute cholangitis without stone recurrence. Independent risk factors for pneumobilia include peripapillary diverticulum, a dilated CBD (>1 cm), and endoscopic sphincterotomy with moderate and large incisions. A normal-sized CBD appears to serve as a secondary barrier against enterobiliary reflux, necessitating further research for confirmation.

Factors predicting technical failure of endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage for acute cholecystitis

Objectives

Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) is a highly technical procedure, but few studies have evaluated factors that predict its technical success. Therefore, in this study, we sought to identify predictors of technically successful ETGBD.

Methods

One hundred and eighty-two patients who underwent ETGBD for acute cholecystitis at our hospital were retrospectively investigated. Factors associated with technical failure were identified by focusing on clinical characteristics, anatomical features (direction of the cystic duct branch and course of the cystic duct), and procedural factors (cystic duct and gallbladder with or without contrast and cystic duct injury).

Results

The technical success rate was 84.6% (154/182) and the clinical success rate was 96.1% (148/154). The adverse event rate was 11.0% (20/182; cystic duct injury in 13 patients, pancreatitis in six, and liver abscess in one. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the right cranial direction and spiral-type course of the cystic duct to be significant anatomical features and cystic duct injury to be a significant procedural feature contributing to the technical failure of ETGBD.

Conclusions

ETGBD is a highly practical procedure for patients with acute cholecystitis. However, difficulty is encountered in some cases because of anatomical and procedural factors. Our results suggest that ETGBD may be difficult and thus should not be performed in cases with the right cranial direction or spiral-type course of the cystic duct or those with cystic duct injury.

Prediction of remaining surgery duration in laparoscopic videos based on visual saliency and the transformer network

BACKGROUND

Real-time prediction of the remaining surgery duration (RSD) is important for optimal scheduling of resources in the operating room.

METHODS

We focus on the intraoperative prediction of RSD from laparoscopic video. An extensive evaluation of seven common deep learning models, a proposed one based on the Transformer architecture (TransLocal) and four baseline approaches, is presented. The proposed pipeline includes a CNN-LSTM for feature extraction from salient regions within short video segments and a Transformer with local attention mechanisms.

RESULTS

Using the Cholec80 dataset, TransLocal yielded the best performance (mean absolute error (MAE) = 7.1 min). For long and short surgeries, the MAE was 10.6 and 4.4 min, respectively. Thirty minutes before the end of surgery MAE = 6.2 min, 7.2 and 5.5 min for all long and short surgeries, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed technique achieves state-of-the-art results. In the future, we aim to incorporate intraoperative indicators and pre-operative data.

Application of the Left Lateral Decubitus Position in Laparoscopic Right Posterior Lobectomy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of the left lateral decubitus position in laparoscopic right posterior lobe tumor resection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic right posterior lobectomy from January 2020 to March 2023 were retrospectively collected and divided into group A (left lateral decubitus position group, n=30) and group B (conventional position group, n=35) according to different body positions. Intraoperative and postoperative data were collected and compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

The operation time (210.43±57.56 vs. 281.97±65.89, t =5.887, P <0.05), hilar occlusion time (23.97±14.25 vs. 35.79±12.62, t =4.791, P <0.05), intraoperative blood loss (162.14±72.61 vs. 239.65±113.56, t =5.713, P <0.05), postoperative feeding time (1.13±0.36 vs. 1.57±0.67, t =3.681, P <0.05), postoperative visual analog scale score (5.16±0.89 vs. 7.42±1.31, t =3.721, P <0.05), postoperative abdominal drainage tube indwelling time (4.58±1.34 vs. 5.42±1.52, t =4.553, P <0.05), incidence rate of complications (43.33% vs. 82.86%, χ 2 =11.075, P <0.05) in group A were lower than those in group B ( P <0.05). Symptoms/side effects (32.42±3.42 vs. 27.44±3.31, t =4.331, P <0.05), and there were significant differences in social function (33.55±2.56 vs. 29.31±3.32, t =4.863, P <0.05).

CONCLUSION

For right posterior lobe tumors of the liver, the left lateral decubitus position has many advantages in laparoscopic right posterior lobectomy, such as a wide field of view, simple steps, a short operation time, less bleeding, and a high postoperative quality of life. It is an effective treatment for right posterior lobe tumors of the liver and is worthy of being widely popularized.

The efficacy of bile liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND

Diagnosing biliary tract cancer is difficult because endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is performed fluoroscopically, and the sensitivity of bile cytology is low. Liquid biopsy of bile using targeted sequencing is expected to improve diagnosis and treatment, but few studies have been conducted. In this study, we examined whether liquid biopsy of bile improves the diagnostic sensitivity of biliary strictures.

METHODS

A total of 72 patients with biliary strictures who underwent ERCP at Chiba University Hospital between April 2018 and March 2021 were examined. Of these, 43 and 29 were clinically and pathologically diagnosed as having malignant and benign biliary strictures, respectively. We performed targeted sequencing of bile obtained from these patients, and the sensitivity of this method was compared with that of bile cytology. Detection of at least one oncogenic mutation was defined as having malignancy.

RESULTS

The sensitivity of bile cytology was 27.9%, whereas that of genomic analysis was 46.5%. Comparing bile cytology alone with the combination of cytology and genomic analysis, the latter was more sensitive (53.5%, p < .001). Among the 43 patients with malignant biliary strictures, mutations with FDA-approved drugs were detected in 11 (26%).

CONCLUSIONS

Liquid biopsy of bile can potentially diagnose malignancy and detect therapeutic targets.

Preoperative difficulty assessment of interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard treatment for benign gallbladder disease. However, few studies have reported the difficulty of interval cholecystectomy after cholecystitis because early cholecystectomy is recommended for acute cholecystitis. In this study, we evaluated the difficulties associated with interval cholecystectomy for cholecystitis with gallstones.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed patients with gallstones who underwent interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystitis at our institution between January 2012 and December 2021. Patients were classified into laparoscopic total cholecystectomy and bailout procedure groups depending on whether they were converted to a bailout procedure, and their characteristics and outcomes were subsequently compared. Additionally, a logistic regression analysis of the preoperative factors contributing to bailout procedure conversion was performed.

RESULTS

Of the 269 participants, 39 converted to bailout procedure, and bile duct injury occurred in one case (0.4%). In patient characteristics comparison, patients in the bailout procedure group were significantly older, had more impacted stones, had higher post-treatment choledocholithiasis, had severe cholecystitis, and had a higher rate of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage. There were no differences in the bile duct injury or perioperative complications between the two groups. In logistic regression multivariate analysis of the factors contributing to the bailout procedure, post-treatment of choledocholithiasis (P < .001), impacted stone (P = .002), and age ≥71 (P = .007) were independent risk factors.

CONCLUSION

Impacted stones and choledocholithiasis are risk factors for conversion to bailout procedure and high difficulty in interval cholecystectomy. For such patients, interval cholecystectomy should be performed cautiously.

Textbook outcome in urgent early cholecystectomy for acute calculous cholecystitis: results post hoc of the S.P.Ri.M.A.C.C study

INTRODUCTION

A textbook outcome patient is one in which the operative course passes uneventful, without complications, readmission or mortality. There is a lack of publications in terms of TO on acute cholecystitis.

OBJETIVE

The objective of this study is to analyze the achievement of TO in patients with urgent early cholecystectomy (UEC) for Acute Cholecystitis. and to identify which factors are related to achieving TO.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a post hoc study of the SPRiMACC study. It´s a prospective multicenter observational study run by WSES. The criteria to define TO in urgent early cholecystectomy (TOUEC) were no 30-day mortality, no 30-day postoperative complications, no readmission within 30 days, and hospital stay ≤ 7 days (75th percentile), and full laparoscopic surgery. Patients who met all these conditions were taken as presenting a TOUEC.

OUTCOMES

1246 urgent early cholecystectomies for ACC were included. In all, 789 patients (63.3%) achieved all TOUEC parameters, while 457 (36.6%) failed to achieve one or more parameters and were considered non-TOUEC. The patients who achieved TOUEC were younger had significantly lower scores on all the risk scales analyzed. In the serological tests, TOUEC patients had lower values for in a lot of variables than non-TOUEC patients. The TOUEC group had lower rates of complicated cholecystitis. Considering operative time, a shorter duration was also associated with a higher probability of reaching TOUEC.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge of the factors that influence the TOUEC can allow us to improve our results in terms of textbook outcome.