World Journal of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

BACKGROUND: Transoral outlet reduction (TORe) is a minimally invasive endoscopic revision of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for weight recurrence; however, little has been published on its clinical implementation in the community setting. AIM: To characterize the safety and efficacy of TORe in the community setting for adults with weight recurrence after RYGB. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of argon plasma coagulation and purse-string suturing for gastric outlet reduction in consecutive adults with weight recurrence after RYGB at a single community center from September 2020 to September 2022...

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) has been the traditional surgical treatment for achalasia. Recently, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has demonstrated similar clinical outcomes with shorter procedure times. Studies comparing the direct cost-effectiveness of POEM vs LHM are limited. AIM: To compare costs of POEM vs LHM. METHODS: This retrospective chart review aimed to compare the outcomes and cost of clinical care between patients who underwent POEM and LHM procedures for achalasia...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is a minimally invasive procedure used in the treatment of obesity, with a complication rate of less than 2% of cases. There have been only two reported cases worldwide of gallbladder injuries as a major complication of ESG. CASE SUMMARY: We present the case of a 34-year-old patient who developed a complication after ESG. The patient experienced epigastric and right hypochondrium pain 12 h after the procedure, and a positive Murphy's sign was identified on physical examination...

BACKGROUND: Asparaginase (ASP) is an important drug in combined chemotherapy regimens for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); ASP-associated pancreatitis (AAP) is the main adverse reaction of ASP. Recurrent pancreatitis is a complication of AAP, for which medication is ineffective. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in treating recurrent pancreatitis due to AAP. METHODS: From May 2018 to August 2021, ten children (five males and five females; age range: 4-13 years) with AAP were treated using ERCP due to recurrent pancreatitis...

BACKGROUND: We invented Endoscopic Ruler, a new endoscopic device to measure the size of varices in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. AIM: To assess the feasibility and safety of Endoscopic Ruler, and evaluate the agreement on identifying large oesophageal varices (OV) between Endoscopic Ruler and the endoscopists, as well as the interobserver agreement on diagnosing large OV using Endoscopic Ruler. METHODS: We prospectively and consecutively enrolled patients with cirrhosis from 11 hospitals, all of whom got esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with Endoscopic Ruler...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) is being increasingly used in practice (either as a bridge to cholecystectomy in high-risk patients or as destination therapy in non-surgical patients). Stents are used to create a conduit between the lumen of the gallbladder (GB) and the intestinal lumen through the gastric or enteric routes. Among the various types of stents used, cautery-enhanced lumen apposing metallic stents (LAMS) may be associated with fewer adverse events (AEs)...

BACKGROUND: Esophageal replacement (ER) with gastric pull-up (GPU) or jejunal interposition (JI) used to be the standard treatment for long-gap esophageal atresia (LGEA). Changes of the ER grafts on a macro- and microscopic level however, are unknown. AIM: To evaluate long-term clinical symptoms and anatomical and mucosal changes in adolescents and adults after ER for LGEA. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted including all LGEA patients ≥ 16 years who had undergone GPU or JI between 1985-2003 at two tertiary referral centers in the Netherlands...

BACKGROUND: Antiretroviral treatment (ART) has improved the life expectancy of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As these patients age, they are at increased risk for developing non-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome defining malignancies (NADMs) such as colon cancers. AIM: To determine which factors are associated with the development of precancerous polyps on screening colonoscopy in patients with HIV and to investigate whether HIV disease status, measured by viral load and CD4 count, might influence precancerous polyp development...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic biopsy is mandatory for the diagnosis of malignant and premalignant ampullary tumours. The commonly reported inadvertent complications following routine mucosal biopsy include perforation and haemorrhage. Acute pancreatitis is an extremely rare complication following this procedure. CASE SUMMARY: This report details the case of a 59-year-old man who underwent biopsy of the ampulla for a suspected periampullary tumour. Following the procedure, the patient presented with symptoms of acute pancreatitis which was substantiated by laboratory and radiological investigations...

BACKGROUND: Dental injury is the leading cause of litigation in anaesthesia but an underrecognized preventable complication of endoscopy. AIM: To determine frequency and effects of dental injury in endoscopy, we present findings from an audit of outpatient endoscopy procedures conducted at a tertiary university hospital and a systematic review of literature. METHODS: Retrospective review of 11265 outpatient upper endoscopy procedures over the period of 1 June 2019 to 31 May 2021 identified dental related complications in 0...

BACKGROUND: Subepithelial lesions (SELs) are gastrointestinal tumors with heterogeneous malignant potential. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is the leading method for evaluation, but without histopathological analysis, precise differentiation of SEL risk is limited. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising aid for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal lesions in the absence of histopathology. AIM: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of AI-assisted EUS in diagnosing SELs, especially lesions originating from the muscularis propria layer...

BACKGROUND: Candy cane syndrome (CCS) is a condition that occurs following gastrectomy or gastric bypass. CCS remains underrecognized, yet its prevalence is likely to rise due to the obesity epidemic and increased use of bariatric surgery. No previous literature review on this subject has been published. AIM: To collate the current knowledge on CCS. METHODS: A literature search was conducted with PubMed and Google Scholar for studies from May 2007, until March 2023...

During endoscopy, an endoscopist is inevitably faced with the occasional "difficult colonoscopy," in which the endoscopist finds it challenging to advance the endoscope to the cecum. Beyond optimization of technique, with minimized looping, minimal insufflation, sufficient sedation, and abdominal splinting when needed, sometimes additional tools may be needed. In this review, we cover available techniques and technologies to help navigate the difficult colonoscopy, including the ultrathin colonoscope, rigidizing overtube, balloon-assisted colonoscopy and the abdominal compression device...

Recent advancements in endoscopy equipment have facilitated endoscopists' detection of neoplasms in the oral cavity and pharyngolaryngeal regions. In particular, image-enhanced endoscopy using narrow band imaging or blue laser imaging play an integral role in the endoscopic diagnosis of oral and pharyngolaryngeal cancers. Despite these advancements, limited studies have focused on benign lesions that can be observed during esophagogastroduodenoscopy in the oral and pharyngolaryngeal regions. Therefore, this mini-review aimed to provide essential information on such benign lesions, along with representative endoscopic images of dental caries, cleft palate, palatal torus, bifid uvula, compression by cervical osteophytes, tonsil hyperplasia, black hairy tongue, oral candidiasis, oral and pharyngolaryngeal ulcers, pharyngeal melanosis, oral tattoos associated with dental alloys, retention cysts, papilloma, radiation-induced changes, skin flaps, vocal cord paresis, and vocal fold leukoplakia...

Endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) is an increasingly popular treatment option for wall defects in the upper gastrointestinal tract. After its initial description for the treatment of anastomotic leaks after esophageal and gastric surgery, it was also implemented for a wide range of defects, including acute perforations, duodenal lesions, and postbariatric complications. Apart from the initially proposed handmade sponge inserted using the "piggyback" technique, further devices were used, such as the commercially available EsoSponge and VAC-Stent as well as open-pore film drainage...

BACKGROUND: While colon endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is an effective technique, removal of larger polyps often requires piecemeal resection, which can increase recurrence rates. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the colon offers the ability for en bloc resection and is well-described in Asia, but there are limited studies comparing ESD vs EMR in the West. AIM: To evaluate different techniques in endoscopic resection of large polyps in the colon and to identify factors for recurrence...

Recently, endoscopic intraductal radiofrequency ablation (ID-RFA) has attracted attention as a local treatment method for malignant biliary obstruction (MBO). ID-RFA causes coagulative necrosis of the tumor tissue in the stricture and induces exfoliation. Its effects are expected to extend the patency period of biliary stents and prolong the survival period. Evidence for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) is gradually accumulating, and some reports show significant therapeutic effects in eCCA patients without distant metastasis...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) stands as an accurate imaging modality for esophageal cancer staging, however utilization of EUS in early-stage cancer management remains controversial. Identification of non-applicability of endoscopic interventions with deep muscular invasion with EUS in pre-intervention evaluation of early-stage esophageal cancer is compared to endoscopic and histologic indicators. AIM: To display the role of EUS in pre-intervention early esophageal cancer staging and how the index endoscopic features of invasive esophageal malignancy compare for prediction of depth of invasion and cancer management...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an effective therapy for class I-II obesity, but there are knowledge gaps in the published literature about its implementation in patients with class III obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2 ]. AIM: To evaluate the safety, clinical efficacy, and durability of ESG in adults with class III obesity. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study that used prospectively collected data on adults with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 who underwent ESG and longitudinal lifestyle counseling at two centers with expertise in endobariatric therapies from May 2018-March 2022...

Therapeutic flexible endoscopic robotic systems have been developed primarily as a platform for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of early-stage gastrointestinal cancer. Since ESD can only be performed by highly skilled endoscopists, the goal is to lower the technical hurdles to ESD by introducing a robot. In some cases, such robots have already been used clinically, but they are still in the research and development stage. This paper outlined the current status of development, including a system by the author's group, and discussed future challenges...