Impact of gastrointestinal symptoms and psychological disturbances on patients' quality of life after restrictive or malabsorptive bariatric surgery

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the presence and impact of Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, physical and psychological disturbances on patients' QoL after sleeve gastrectomy (SG), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS).

METHODS

A prospective, observational, cross-sectional, comparative study was carried-out. GI symptoms and patients' QoL were evaluated by the SF-36 questionnaire and the GI quality of life index (GIQLI). Correlation between GI symptoms, psychological disturbances and QoL scores was analysed.

RESULTS

95 patients were included (mean age 50.5 years, range 22-70; 76 females). Presence of GI symptoms was a consistent finding in all patients, and postprandial fullness, abdominal distention and flatulence had a negative impact on patients' QoL. Patients after SG showed a worsening of their initial psychological condition and the lowest QoL scores. Patients after RYGB showed the best GI symptoms-related QoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Both restrictive and malabsorptive bariatric surgical procedures are associated with GI symptoms negatively affecting patients' QoL. Compared to SG and BPD/DS, patients after RYGB showed the best GI symptoms-related QoL, which can be used as additional information to help in the clinical decision making of the bariatric procedure to be performed.

Real-world costs and dynamics of surveillance in patients who underwent surgery for low-risk branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms

Surveillance costs and appropriateness of surgery of "low-risk" BD-IPMNs are relevant issues. In this study we evaluated the rate of correct indication for pancreatectomy defined as high grade dysplasia (HGD) at histology in 961 patients who underwent surveillance for a median of 5.1 years. Undertreatment and overtreatment were defined as invasive cancer and low grade dysplasia (LGD) at histology, respectively. Of the 66 patients (6.9%) who were operated, only 16 (23.8%) had a HGD while 40 (59.7%) had a LGD and 10 (14.9%) an invasive cancer, without differences regarding timing of surgery. The mean surveillance cost was € 194.9 ± 107.6 per patient-year, with a median cost of € 277.1 ± 148.2 in the correct surgery group compared with € 222.7 ± 111.6 and € 197 ± 102.7 in the overtreatment and undertreatment groups. The surveillance mean cost from diagnosis to surgery was € 854.8. Rate of appropriate surgery in BD-IPMNs under surveillance is low.

Identification of patients with branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and very low risk of cancer: multicentre study

BACKGROUND

Different surveillance strategies for patients with low-risk branch-duct (BD) intraductal papillary neoplasm (IPMN) have been described. The aim of this study was to describe the natural history of low-risk BD-IPMN, and to identify risk factors for the development of worrisome features (WF)/high-risk stigmata (HRS) and of pancreatic malignancies.

METHODS

This was a multicentre retrospective study of patients with BD-IPMN who were under active surveillance between January 2006 and December 2015. Patients were eligible if they had a low-risk lesion and had a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Outcomes were development of WF/HRS or cytologically/histologically confirmed malignant IPMN.

RESULTS

Of 837 patients included, 168 (20 per cent) developed WF/HRS. At the end of the observation time, 132 patients (79 per cent) with WF/HRS were still under surveillance without progression to pancreatic cancer. Factors associated with the development of WF or HRS in multivariable analysis included localized nodules (versus diffuse: hazard ratio (HR) 0.43, 95 per cent c.i. 0.26 to 0.68), cyst size 15-19 mm (versus less than 15 mm: HR 1.88, 1.23 to 2.87) or at least 20 mm (versus less than 15 mm: HR 3.25, 2.30 to 4.60), main pancreatic duct size over 3 mm (versus 3 mm or less: HR 2.17, 1.41 to 3.34), and symptoms at diagnosis (versus no symptoms: HR 2.29, 1.52 to 3.45). Surveillance in an endoscopy-oriented centre was also associated with increased detection of WF or HRS (versus radiology-oriented: HR 2.46, 1.74 to 3.47).

CONCLUSION

Conservative management of patients with low-risk BD-IPMN is safe and feasible.

Agreement among Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRI-MRCP) and Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) in the evaluation of morphological features of Branch Duct Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm (BD-IPMN)

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the agreement between the imaging modalities MRI-MRCP and EUS in cystic lesions of the pancreas which were thought to be a BD-IPMN.

METHODS

Multicenter retrospective study included all patients between 2010 and 2015 with a suspected BD-IPMN who underwent an EUS and MRI-MRCP within 6 months or less of each other. Location, number, size, worrisome features and high-risk stigmata were evaluated. Interobserver agreement was evaluated by Kappa score.

RESULTS

173 patients were included (97 UHSC, 76 UCLH-RFH), mean age 65 (range 25-87 years), 66 males. When comparing both modalities there was good agreement for the location of the cyst. The median lesion size was larger by MRI-MRCP than EUS although it was not significant. With regards to worrisome features, there was moderate agreement for main PD of 5-9 mm and abrupt change (k = 0.45 and 0.52). Fair agreement was seen for the cyst wall thickening (k = 0.25). No agreement was seen between the presence of non-enhanced mural nodules or lymphadenopathy (k < 0). With regards to high-risk stigmata, poor agreement was obtained for the detection of an enhanced solid component (k = 0.12). No agreement was observed for main PD > 10 mm (k < 0).

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicentre study of patients with a BD-IPMN under active surveillance, most disagreement between these modalities was seen in the proximal pancreas. There was generally only minimal concordance between the imaging findings of EUS and MRI-MRCP for the detection of high-risk stigmata and worrisome features.

A clinical model for predicting lymph node metastasis in submucosal invasive (T1) colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

No single histopathological feature of submucosal invasive colorectal cancer (T1-CRC) can reliably predict the risk for lymph node metastasis (LNM).

AIM

The purpose of the study was to develop a prediction model of LNM in T1-CRC.

METHODS

Ninety-seven surgically resected T1-CRC at our institution were retrospectively evaluated. Morphology, localization, grading, mode of growth, presence of background adenoma, lymphoid infiltration, angiolymphatic invasion, budding, and depth of invasion were assessed. Mortality and morbidity related to surgery were also evaluated. Benefit-risk balance was assessed according to the presence of severe complications and to the presence of LNM.

RESULTS

Fourteen cases had LNM (14%). Eight patients (8%) presented severe surgical complications and there were two deaths (2 %). Infiltrative growth pattern (OR 31.91, 95% CI 2.37-428.36; p = 0.009) and the absence of lymphoid infiltrate (OR 28.75; 95% CI 2.13-388.37; p = 0.011) were the only variables independently associated with LNM in the multivariate analysis. Both variables were included in the prediction model together with sessile morphology (OR 4.88; 95% CI 0.81-29.3; p = 0.083) and poorly differentiated carcinoma (OR 11.77; 95% CI 0.77-179.83; p = 0.076). A 0-100 score was developed (infiltrative growth pattern: no = 0, yes = 33; lymphoid infiltrate: no = 29, yes = 0; sessile morphology: no = 0, yes = 15; poorly differentiated: no = 0, yes = 23). Cutoff point to indicate additional surgery was set in 35 points (i.e., 10% risk LNM). Discrimination of the prediction model was excellent (AUC 0.90; 95% CI 0.81-0.99).

CONCLUSION

Combined evaluation of infiltrative growth pattern, lymphoid infiltration, poorly differentiated carcinoma, and sessile appearance showed good performance for discriminating T1-CRC patients with LNM. The benefit-risk balance was in favor of surgery when at least two of these criteria were present.