[The biliointestinal bypass: a thirty-years experience].

Aim: Aim of our study was the evaluation of Italian experience with bilio-intestinal bypass in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity.

Materials And Methods: 1030 patients; mean age 36.1 years; preoperative mean weight Kg 136.

The bilio-intestinal bypass.

Background: Since 1990 we adopted the bilio-intestinal bypass (BIBP) for all morbid obese patients eligible to a malabsorption procedure. Since 2001 we used laparoscopic technique.

Materials And Methods: 102 patients; mean age 35.

Adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity. Our experience.

Background: The adjustable gastric banding is considered the most common procedure in Europe for the treatment of morbid obesity. We report our experience with this procedure, that was introduced in our Departments of Surgery since 1993.

Methods: From December 1993 to December 2004, 684 morbid obese patients (139 males and 545 females) underwent adjustable gastric banding (AGB) in our departments of Surgery.

[The BIB intragastric balloon].

Introduction: Since 1998, we adopted in our clinical practice for obesity treatment the new intragastric balloon (BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon, BIB), it has the characteristics of an "ideal gastric balloon" (Workshop Tarpon Springs, 1987).

Materials And Methods: Since March 1998 we have placed by endoscopic approach 518 BIB in 480 patients affected by first, second and severe morbid obesity; 124 male and 356 female, mean age 41.6 years (18-72), mean weight Kg 116.

Prevention of pouch dilatation after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

Background: The major long-term complication of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is dilatation of the gastric pouch, that is reported with a frequency ranging from 1 to 25%, and often requires removal of the band. In addition to the usual recommendations of bariatric surgery centers and dietetic advice to prevent this complication, over the last 4 years we introduced a technical modification of the procedure.

Methods: From Nov 1993 to Dec 2004, 684 morbidly obese patients underwent adjustable gastric banding, 83 patients by open surgery and 601 patients by laparoscopy.

Obese teenagers treated by Lap-Band System: the Italian experience.

Background: Little is known about obesity surgery in young and adolescent patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate results of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in obese teenagers.

Methods: Patients < or = 19 years old selected from the database of the Italian Collaborative Study Group for Lap-Band were analyzed according to mortality, comorbidities, laparotomic conversion, intra- and postoperative complications, body mass index (BMI), and % excess weight loss (EWL) at different times of follow-up.

The Italian Group for LAP-BAND: predictive value of initial body mass index for weight loss after 5 years of follow-up.

Background: Laparoscopic of the LAP-BAND System placement stage of obesity is a safe operation, but its indication in terms of stage of obesity is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the 5 years stage of obesity results for weight loss in patients with varying preoperative ranges of body mass index (BMI).

Methods: Data were obtained from the Italian Collaborative Study Group for LAP-BAND System (GILB) registry.

Italian Group for Lap-Band System: results of multicenter study on patients with BMI < or =35 kg/m2.

Background: The Lap-Band System is the most common bariatric operation world-wide. Current selection criteria do not include patients with BMI < or = 35. We report the Italian multicentre experience with BMI < or = 35 kg/m(2) over the last 5 years.

Intragastric balloon: another option for treatment of obesity and morbid obesity.

Background/aims: The BioEnterics Intragrastric Balloon (BIB, BioEnterics, Santa Barbara, CA) in association with restricted diet has been used for the treatment of obesity and morbid obesity.

Methodology: Since March 1998, 349 BIB were placed in 303 obese and morbidly obese patients; 95 patients were male and 208 female; mean age was 41.5 years (19-70); mean weight was 118.

Results of the Italian multicenter study on 239 super-obese patients treated by adjustable gastric banding.

Background: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) is the most common bariatric operation. This study is a retrospective analysis of the multicenter Italian experience in patients with BMI > 50 over the last 4 years.

Methods: An electronic data sheet made for LAGB-operated patients since January 1996, was mailed and e-mailed to all surgeons involved in this kind of procedure in Italy.

Lap Band adjustable gastric banding system: the Italian experience with 1863 patients operated on 6 years.

Background: The Lap Band system procedure is currently the most common bariatric surgical procedure worldwide. This is an interim report of the experience of the 27 Italian centers participating in the national collaborative study group for Lap Band (GILB).

Methods: An electronic database was specifically created.

Treatment of morbid obesity with intragastric balloon in association with diet.

Background: The BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB, BioEnterics, Santa Barbara, CA) in association with restricted diet has been used for the treatment of obesity and morbid obesity.

Methods: Since March 1998, 322 BIB were placed in 281 obese and morbidly obese patients; 73 patients were male and 208 female; mean age was 41.6 years (21-70); mean weight was 117.

Laparoscopic Italian experience with the Lap-Band.

Background: An increasing number of surgeons with different levels of experience with laparoscopic surgery and open obesity surgery have started to perform laparoscopic implantation of the Lap-Band.

Methods: An electronic patient data sheet was created and was mailed and e-mailed to all surgeons performing laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB) in Italy. Patients were recruited since January 1996.

Intragastric balloon in obese patients.

Background: Since March 1998, 143 BioEnterics Intragastric Balloons (BIB) were placed in 132 obese and morbidly obese patients, to study the clinical possibilities of a new system, both from the point of view of the materials used and the application method.

Methods: 36 patients were male and 96 female; mean age was 43 years (21-70); mean weight was 115.4 kg (67-229), and mean BMI was 41.

Adjustable gastric banding: 5-year experience.

Background: From 1993 to 1999, 172 patients underwent adjustable silicone gastric banding (ASGB) or laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB). In 109 patients the adjustable band was placed via laparoscopy; in the other patients it was placed via laparotomy (prelaparoscopic era, conversions from other bariatric operations, conversions for laparoscopic failure). The conversion rate from laparoscopy to laparotomy was 9.

Iatrogenic injury in videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy: difficult surgical correction biliary tract.

Two cases of biliary tract serious lesions during videolaparoscopic cholecystectomy are reported. In the first case of lithiasic cholecystitis there had been a complete damage of the common biliary duct; in the second case there had been a double main biliary duct binding with removal of a biliary tract segment. In both cases a biliary confluence-jejunal anastomosis with Roux-en-Y loop was made up.

[Surgery of morbid obesity: intestinal bypass to adjustable gastric banding].

The authors present their experience at the Centre for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity at Milano University where since 1974, 603 obese patients underwent surgery: 312 jejuno-ileal bypass (JIB), 70 bilio-intestinal bypass (BIB), 102 horizontal gastroplasties (HGP), 44 silastic ring vertical gastroplasties (SRVGP) and 75 adjustable silastic gastric banding (ASGB). Average follow-up for these procedures is 16, 6, 11, 4 years and 24 months respectively. Weight loss is satisfactory in all cases even though the percentages vary in the different procedures.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of the cervical lymph nodes in preoperative staging of esophageal neoplasms.

Background: The detection of cervical lymph node metastases plays an important role in staging of patients affected by esophageal cancer to perform the best therapeutic approach.

Methods: We report our experience concerning the ultrasound evaluation of the cervical area in 174 patients with esophageal cancer. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the neck can be done with a 7.

Ultrasonographic imaging of neoplasms of the cervical esophagus.

Background/aims: We studied the effectiveness of ultrasonography in evaluating the cervical esophagus for the presence of large masses arising from the esophageal wall and consequently, the modifications of the visceral lumen.

Materials And Methods: The cervical esophagus can be evaluated by ultrasound with longitudinal and axial scans, using the left thyroid lobe as an acoustic window. The cervical esophagus can be visualized from the C5 to D2 vertebrae.

Instrumental treatment of recurrent lithiasis of biliary tract with stenosis of hepatico-jejunal anastomosis.

The optimal treatment for recurrent stones of the biliary tract in patients previously treated by hepatic-jejunal anastomosis with Roux en Y loop is debated and the criteria are not fully defined. Age, cardiopulmonary diseases, diabetes, multiple previous surgery of the biliary tract, size, number, and type of stones are some of the factors to evaluate before choosing the most convenient approach. We present two high surgical risk patients with recurrent biliary tract stones previously treated with hepatic-jejunal anastomosis and Roux en Y loop, and treated successfully.

Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of Model Complexes of Copper Nitrite Reductase.

The copper(I) and copper(II) complexes with the nitrogen donor ligands bis[(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)methyl]amine (1-BB), bis[2-(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]amine (2-BB), N-acetyl-2-BB (AcBB), and tris[2-(1-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]nitromethane (TB) have been studied as models for copper nitrite reductase. The copper(II) complexes form adducts with nitrite and azide that have been isolated and characterized. The Cu(II)-(1-BB) and Cu(II)-AcBB complexes are basically four-coordinated with weak axial interaction by solvent or counterion molecules, whereas the Cu(II)-(2-BB) and Cu(II)-TB complexes prefer to assume five-coordinate structures.

Utility of Hydrogen and Methane Breath Tests in Combination with X-Ray Examination after a Barium Meal in the Diagnosis of Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth after Jejuno-Ileal Bypass for Morbid Obesity.

To study why the symptoms of abdominal bloating occurring in a number of patients after jejuno-ileal bypass for morbid obesity become resistant to antibiotics, we used a method which combined a hydrogen breath test after lactulose with an X-ray examination of the abdomen after barium. Ten operated patients with bloating symptoms resistant to antibiotics, ten operated patients without symptoms or with pre-existing symptoms, that had remitted after antibiotic treatment and ten nonoperated obese controls were investigated. There was a significant correlation between post-surgical symptoms persisting after antibiotics and the exhalation of large amounts of hydrogen of colonic origin (> 100 parts per million) after lactulose.