Gastrojejunal interposition for esophageal replacement

Management of long gap esophageal atresia: A systematic review and evidence-based guidelines from the APSA Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee

BACKGROUND

Treatment of the neonate with long gap esophageal atresia (LGEA) is one of the most challenging scenarios facing pediatric surgeons today. Contributing to this challenge is the variability in case definition, multiple approaches to management, and heterogeneity of the reported outcomes. This necessitates a clear summary of existing evidence and delineation of treatment controversies.

METHODS

The American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee drafted four consensus-based questions regarding LGEA. These questions concerned the definition and determination of LGEA, the optimal method of surgical management, expected long-term outcomes, and novel therapeutic techniques. A comprehensive search strategy was crafted and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were utilized to identify, review and report salient articles.

RESULTS

More than 3000 publications were reviewed, with 178 influencing final recommendations. In total, 18 recommendations are provided, primarily based on level 4-5 evidence. These recommendations provide detailed descriptions of the definition of LGEA, treatment techniques, outcomes and future directions of research.

CONCLUSIONS

Evidence supporting best practices for LGEA is currently low quality. This review provides best recommendations based on a critical evaluation of the available literature. Based on the lack of strong evidence, prospective and comparative research is clearly needed.

TYPE OF STUDY

Treatment study, prognosis study and study of diagnostic test.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level II-V.

Surgical techniques for esophageal replacement in children

PURPOSE

Surgical techniques for esophageal replacement (ER) in children include colon interposition, gastric tube, gastric transposition, and jejunal interposition. This review evaluates the merits and demerits of each.

METHOD

Surgical techniques, complications, and outcome of ER are reviewed over last seven decades.

RESULTS

Colon interposition is the time-tested procedure with minimal and less serious complications. Long-term complications include reflux, halitosis, colonic segment dilatation, and anastomotic stricture, sometimes requiring surgical interventions especially for dilatation and reflux. Gastric tube is technically more risky, and associated with early serious complications like prolonged leak in neck or mediastinum, graft necrosis, and ischemia leading to stricture of the tube. Long-term results are good. Gastric transposition is much simpler, can be performed in emergency and in newborns. It involves a single anastomosis in the neck. Post-operative complications include gastric stasis, bile reflux, restricted growth, and decreased pulmonary functional capacity. Jejunal interposition has not been used extensively due to short mesentery but long-term results are good in expert hands.

CONCLUSION

Colon is the most preferred and safest organ for ER. Stomach is a vascular and muscular organ with lower risk of ischemia. Gastric tube is a demanding technique. Jejunum or ileum is alternative for redo cases.

[Modern esophageal surgery and late functional results as equations with several unknowns--Hungarian Academy of Sciences Doctoral Thesis]

Using the same surgical method and anatomically ideal primary healing, the functional results could even be different later. Trying to identify various factors being responsible for the above differences, 637 patient's data, who underwent previous oesophago-gastric surgery between 1985-2005, were analyzed. Biochemical, histological and electrophysiological examinations had been evaluated. Developing hypertrophy-like metabolic changes and enteric ganglionitis as morphological alternations of LES muscles induced by GERD may be reasons for complaints after antireflux surgery. The marking of Z-line with endoscopic clips followed by an immediately upright contrast study and substractional evaluation is appropriate for detecting true short esophagus. Open surgical procedures are justified even in the new millennium in cases when the patient already underwent previous upper abdominal operations - due to an increased risk of injury because of adhesions - in cases of primarily recurrent paraesophageal hernias after an unsuccessful open and/or laparoscopic reconstruction, as well as in cases of reflux with complications. When adenocarcinomas of the gastro-oesophageal junction are examined preoperatively, the ratio of the performed catabolic - AMAN, CB, and DPP I - enzymatic activity of the tissue sample from the tumour and adjacent intact mucosa within 2 cm of the tumour may have a prognostic value even in the preoperative examination period, and neo-adjuvant treatment should be considered in these group of patients. The patients' post-operative complaints and symptoms change during the post-operative period and correlate with the parameters of the myoelectric and contractile activities of the "Akiyama stomach". Tachygastria seems to be the major pathogenetic factor involved in the contractile dysfunction. Gastro-jejuno-duodenal interposition represents an adequate 'second-best' method of choice if technical difficulties emerge with jejunal or colon interposition following limited resection of the oesophagus performed due to early Barrett's carcinoma or non-dilatable peptic stricture.

Synchronous electrogastrographic and manometric study of the stomach as an esophageal substitute

AIM: To investigate the electric and contractile mechanisms involved in the deranged function of the transposed stomach in relation to the course of the symptoms and the changes in contractile and electrical parameters over time.

METHODS: Twenty-one patients after subtotal esoph-agectomy and 18 healthy volunteers were studied. Complaints were compiled by using a questionnaire, and a symptom score was formed. Synchronous electrogas-trography and gastric manometry were performed in the fasting state and postprandially.

RESULTS: Eight of the operated patients were symptom-free and 13 had symptoms. The durations of the postoperative periods for the symptomatic (9.1±6.5 mo) and the asymptomatic (28.3±8.8 mo) patients were significantly different. The symptom score correlated negatively with the time that had elapsed since the operation. The percentages of the dominant frequency in the normogastric, bradygastric and tachygastric ranges differed significantly between the controls and the patients. A significant difference was detected between the power ratio of the controls and that of the patients. The occurrence of tachygastria in the symptomatic and the symptom-free patients correlated negatively both with the time that had elapsed and with the symptom score. There was a significant increase in motility index after feeding in the controls, but not in the patients. The contractile activity of the stomach increased both in the controls and in the symptom-free patients. In contrast, in the group of symptomatic patients, the contractile activity decreased postprandially as compared with the fasting state.

CONCLUSION: The patients’ post-operative complaints and symptoms change during the post-operative period and correlate with the parameters of the myoelectric and contractile activities of the stomach. Tachygastria seems to be the major pathogenetic factor involved in the contractile dysfunction.