Early endoscopic treatment of symptomatic pancreatic necrotic collections

EUS-guided transmural endoscopic drainage is commonly used in the treatment of WOPN in the late phase of ANP. The role of endoscopic intervention remains unclear in the early phase of ANP. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate early endoscopic treatment of ANCs compared with endoscopic drainage of WOPN. Overall, 71 patients with ANP who underwent transmural endoscopic drainage for necrotic collections were included. Endoscopic intervention was performed within the first four weeks of ANP in 25 (35.21%) patients with ANC (Group 1) and in 46 (64.79%) patients after four weeks since the onset of ANP with WOPN (Group 2). The overall mean age of patients was 49.9 (22–79) years and 59 of them were males. The mean time of active drainage and duration of total endoscopic treatment was 26.8 and 16.9 days (P = 0.0001) and 270.8 and 164.2 days (P = 0.0001) in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. The average total number of endoscopic interventions was 9.5 and 4.5 in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.0001). The clinical success rate, frequency of complications of endoscopic interventions, long-term success rate, and recurrence rate were not significantly different between the groups (P > 0.05 for each). Transmural endoscopic drainage is effective method of treatment of early ANCs within the first four weeks of ANP. However, compared with endoscopic intervention in WOPN, more interventions and longer duration of drainage are required.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Interbody Debridement and Fusion for Pyogenic Lumbar Spondylodiskitis: Surgical Technique and the Comparison With Percutaneous Endoscopic Drainage and Debridement

Objective: Surgical treatment of severe infectious spondylodiskitis remains challenging. Although minimally invasive percutaneous endoscopic drainage and debridement (PEDD) may yield good results in complicated cases, outcomes of patients with extensive structural damage and mechanical instability may be unsatisfactory. To address severe infectious spondylodiskitis, we have developed a surgical technique called percutaneous endoscopic interbody debridement and fusion (PEIDF), which comprises endoscopic debridement, bonegraft interbody fusion, and percutaneous posterior instrumentation.Methods: Outcomes of PEIDF in 12 patients and PEDD in 15 patients with infectious spondylodiskitis from April 2014 to July 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Outcome were compared between 2 kinds of surgical procedures.Results: Patients in PEIDF group had significantly lower rate of revision surgery (8.3% vs. 58.3%), better kyphosis angle (-5.73° ± 8.74 vs. 1.07° ± 2.70 in postoperative; 7.09° ± 7.23 vs. 0.79° ± 4.08 in kyphosis correction at 1 year), and higher fusion rate (83.3% vs. 46.7%) than those who received PEDD.Conclusion: PEIDF is an effective approach for treating infectious spondylodiskitis, especially in patients with spinal instability and multiple medical comorbidities.

P-P09 Salvage transgastric necrosectomy as a part of a step-up approach to managing acute necrotising pancreatitis

Background The use of EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) guided drainage with endoscopic LAMS (lumen apposing metal stent) necrosectomy is an emerging treatment option for walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) secondary to acute severe pancreatitis. It can delay or remove the need for surgical necrosectomy, which can be associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, the endoscopic approach is not always successful due to a multitude of factors and salvage transgastric necrosectomy can be performed using the tract created by the LAMS to achieve internal drainage and remove necrotic pancreas. Methods We describe our unit’s experience in managing WOPN in two patients. We suggest a treatment pathway of WOPN which includes a step-up approach including salvage transgastric necrosectomy in patients where multiple endoscopic necrosectomies and washouts have failed. Results Two patients, aged 67 and 69, were admitted as intensive care transfers for gallstone and alcohol pancreatitis respectively. They underwent a step-up approach to treat their infected WOPN, starting with the deployment of LAMS and endoscopic necrosectomy. They both showed brief clinical improvement after repeated endoscopic necrosectomy but further imaging showed ongoing large collections that could not be treated endoscopically. Both patients underwent successful transgastric open necrosectomy where necrotic pancreatic tissue was accessed surgically through the already created cyst-gastrostomy. This had the advantage of internal drainage of the collection into the stomach without the need for external surgical drains. Conclusions The emphasis in the treatment of WOPN has shifted to minimally invasive percutaneous or endoscopic drainage modalities. Endoscopically inserted LAMS may not always achieve definitive drainage of the WOPN but should be employed in the first instance as they are associated with reduced morbidity and mortality compared to surgery. Ultimately, open necrosectomy with washout remains the definitive management strategy in the step-up approach. We believe that the trans-gastric open necrosectomy approach can be used successfully in patients where the minimally invasive approach has failed.

Direct Endoscopic Necrosectomy: Timing and Technique

Walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) is one of the local complications of acute pancreatitis (AP). Several interventional techniques have been developed over the last few years. The purpose of this narrative review is to explore such methodologies, with specific focus on endoscopic drainage and direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN), through evaluation of their indications and timing for intervention. Findings indicated how, after the introduction of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), DEN is becoming the favorite technique to treat WOPN, especially when large solid debris or infection are present. Additionally, DEN is associated with a lower adverse events rate and hospital stay, and with improved clinical outcome.

The Role of Lumen-Apposing Metal Stents in Transmural Endoscopic Drainage of Postinflammatory Pancreatic and Peripancreatic Fluid Collections

Rapid development of advanced gastrointestinal endoscopic techniques contributed to the appearance of new biomedical materials including polymers, which are used for the production of different types of endoprostheses. Endotherapy (ET) of postinflammatory pancreatic and peripancreatic fluid collections (PPFCs) with the use of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) is an effective method of treatment. This paper describes the high efficacy of ET and its potential complications, which are mostly related to the design of the LAMS used. The high efficacy of LAMS in the transmural drainage of PPFCs is associated with lower safety of treatment. Complications of ET presented in the manuscript are mainly related to endoprosthesis’ construction. This paper presents possible directions of development in the field of transmural LAMSs, which in the future may contribute to the invention of an innovative type of LAMS based on new biomedical technologies. Possibly, subsequent novel endoprosthesis projects, based on the above results, will be able to meet the current needs and requirements associated with endoscopic transmural drainage procedures in cases of postinflammatory PPFCs. The ultimate goal is to improve safety of minimally invasive techniques for treatment of the local consequences of pancreatitis.

Endoscopic transmural drainage and necrosectomy in acute necrotizing pancreatitis: A review

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis occurs in 10%–20% of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) which is one of the most important acute abdominal diseases that require hospital admission. Pancreatic necrosis is also associated with high mortality and morbidity. In the past 20 years, the treatment of pancreatic necrosis has shifted from open necrosectomy to minimally invasive techniques, such as endoscopic interventions. With the development of endoscopic techniques, the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic interventions have improved, but there exist several unresolved problems. Currently, there is no unified standard approach for endoscopic treatment of pancreatic necrosis that takes into account local expertise, anatomical features of necrosis, patients’ preferences, and comorbidity profile. We reviewed the current status of endoscopic therapy for acute necrotizing pancreatitis, focusing on the new endoscopic drainage technique and necrosectomy protocol.

Current treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts: a systematic review

Background. Pancreatic pseudocysts stand among current challenges in modern medicine. Their treatment uses variant instrumental techniques and implies a multispecialty approach. Trials in surgery and gastroenterology have aimed to identify an optimal strategy to tackle pancreatic pseudocysts for reducing complications and the recurrence rate, suggesting ultrasound-guided percutaneous, laparoscopic and flexible endoscopic drainage as promising treatment choices.Objectives. A summarising review of diagnostic and therapeutic methods for pancreatic pseudocyst treatment and comparison of ultrasound-guided percutaneous vs. surgical and endoscopic drainage techniques.Methods. The review examines the classification, epidemiology and methods for diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts. Only comparative full-text studies published within 2014–2021, as well as selected impactive publications within 2002–2013, have been included. The eLibrary, Elsevier and PubMed resources were queried for the article or journal title fields against the keywords (separate or combined) “pancreatic pseudocyst” [псевдокиста поджелудочной железы], “pseudocyst drainage” [дренирование псевдокисты], “surgical drainage” [хирургическое дренирование], “endoscopic drainage” [эндоскопическое дренирование], cystogastrostomy [цистогастростомия], gastrojejunostomy [гастроеюностомия], “duodenal-cystic anastomosis” [цистодуоденоанастомоз], “transpapillary drainage” [транспапиллярное дренирование], “transmural drainage and esophagogastroduodenoscopy” [трансмуральное дренирование и эзофагогастродуоденоскопия]. Records have been selected for topic-related scientific value.Results. The review systematically surveys 68 scientific papers in the focus area and summarises the most common surgical methods for pancreatic pseudocyst treatment. Based on the main principle, the methods are classified into three categories, ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage, surgical drainage and flexible endoscopic drainage. The major classifications and treatment techniques are highlighted for their advantages and disadvantages.Conclusion. There exist no generally adopted strategy for pancreatic pseudocyst treatment in current clinical practice and no evidence on a particular method application in a large patient cohort. The publication survey identifies the techniques of percutaneous, surgical and endoscopic drainage with ultrasound control as highly effective overall among other surgical treatments.

Transduodenal drainage of hard-to-reach pancreatic pseudocyst under endosonography control

The aim of the investigation was to demonstrate the possibility of modern technology of endoscopic drainage of difficultly accessible pancreatic pseudocyst of complex configuration using endosonography.Material and methods: a patient with a long history of recurrent chronic pancreatitis and a pseudocyst of complex configuration and anatomical location formed on this background was subjected to internal drainage of postnecrotic cyst under the control of endosonography in November 2020.Result: The surgical intervention and postoperative period were without complications. Control CT scan of the abdominal cavity organs after 3 months showed complete reduction and disappearance of the cyst. The follow-up period up to the present time is 5 months. The patient had no complaints at the moment.Conclusion: this clinical observation demonstrates the advantages of minimally invasive intraluminal transduodenal access. The used access permitted to perform surgery in maximum organ preserving variant with the best functional result.

Splenic injury following endoscopic drainage of a large pancreatic pseudocyst: a case report

Background Many pancreatic pseudocysts spontaneously resolve, but larger or symptomatic pseudocysts may require procedural management. Though endoscopic ultrasound guided approaches are standard of care and have high success rates, complications can include bleeding, infection, and splenic perforation. This patient case report details an unusual series of complications of endoscopic cystogastrostomy that should encourage clinicians to evaluate for anatomic disruptions caused by mass effects of pancreatic pseudocysts prior to endoscopic pseudocyst drainage. Case presentation A 53-year-old African American male with a past medical history notable for alcohol use disorder, chronic pancreatitis, and insulin dependent diabetes presented with a 4-day history of left upper quadrant abdominal pain. Computed tomography imaging with contrast revealed enlargement of a known pancreatic pseudocyst to 15.9 × 10.4 cm. Due to pseudocyst size and the patient’s symptoms, endoscopic cystogastrostomy stent placement was performed. However, postprocedurally, he developed leukocytosis to 19,800 cells/m3 (from 14,100 cells/m3 preoperatively) as well as acute hypoxemic respiratory failure with a large left pleural effusion. Postprocedural computed tomography with contrast demonstrated a new large subcapsular splenic hematoma in communication with a new subdiaphragmatic fluid collection. Due to suspicion of endoscopic procedural complication, he underwent open laparotomy which revealed grade 4 splenic laceration, septic splenic hematoma, and a subdiaphragmatic abscess. Conclusions While endoscopic drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst was technically successful, this case demonstrates complications from mass effect of a large pancreatic pseudocyst which putatively tore the splenorenal ligament, leading to excessive separation of the left kidney and spleen. If anatomic disruptions caused by mass effect from a pancreatic pseudocyst are recognized through preprocedural abdominal imaging, such cases may be considered for early open repair versus cystogastrostomy.