Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty in class III obesity: Efficacy, safety, and durability outcomes in 404 consecutive patients.

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/m].

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/m who underwent ESG and longitudinal lifestyle counseling at two centers with expertise in endobariatric therapies from May 2018-March 2022.

Long-term clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and chronic liver disease: US multicenter COLD study.

Background: COVID-19 is associated with higher morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLDs). However, our understanding of the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with CLD is limited.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter, observational cohort study of adult patients with CLD who were diagnosed with COVID-19 before May 30, 2020, to determine long-term clinical outcomes.

Diverging Incidence Trends for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Rural and Urban Settings in the United States.

In the United States, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fastest growing cause of cancer-related deaths and was the 5th most common cause in 2020. One in 5 Americans lives in a rural area, yet little is known about temporal changes in HCC incidence by rural-urban residence. Area-specific data are critical to guide public health strategies and clinical interventions.

Bridging the Gap: Patient Navigation Increases Colonoscopy Follow-up After Abnormal FIT.

Introduction: Recent studies indicate low rates of follow-up colonoscopy after abnormal fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) within safety net health systems. A patient navigation (PN) program is an evidence-based strategy that has been shown to improve colonoscopy completion in private and public healthcare settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a PN program to encourage follow-up colonoscopy after abnormal FIT within a large safety net hospital system.

Presentation, Management, and Outcomes Across the Rural-Urban Continuum for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is 1 of few cancers with rising incidence and mortality in the United States. Little is known about disease presentation and outcomes across the rural-urban continuum.

Methods: Using the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry, we identified adults with incident hepatocellular carcinoma between 2000 and 2016.

Diagnosis of Focal Nodular Hyperplasia (FNH) after Liver Transplantation.

Following liver transplantation (LT), recipients can develop benign and malignant hepatic masses just like any other patient. Patients transplanted for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergo surveillance imaging, and any new mass seen on imaging must be carefully evaluated to rule out recurrent cancer. Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign tumor of the liver that most often occurs in women and is rarely symptomatic.

Pump-probe imaging of pigmented cutaneous melanoma primary lesions gives insight into metastatic potential.

Metastatic melanoma is associated with a poor prognosis, but no method reliably predicts which melanomas of a given stage will ultimately metastasize and which will not. While sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has emerged as the most powerful predictor of metastatic disease, the majority of people dying from metastatic melanoma still have a negative SLNB. Here we analyze pump-probe microscopy images of thin biopsy slides of primary melanomas to assess their metastatic potential.

Comparing in vivo pump-probe and multiphoton fluorescence microscopy of melanoma and pigmented lesions.

We demonstrate a multimodal approach that combines a pump-probe with confocal reflectance and multiphoton autofluorescence microscopy. Pump-probe microscopy has been proven to be of great value in analyzing thin tissue sections of pigmented lesions, as it produces molecular contrast which is inaccessible by other means. However, the higher optical intensity required to overcome scattering in thick tissue leads to higher-order nonlinearities in the optical response of melanin (e.