Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography-guided versus endoscopic ultrasound-guided technique for pancreatic duct cannulation in patients with pancreaticojejunostomy stenosis: a systematic literature review.

Background: Stenosis of the pancreaticojejunostomy is a well-known long-term complication of pancreaticoduodenectomy. Traditionally, the endoscopic approach consisted of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP). Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided intervention has emerged as an alternative, but the success rate and adverse event rate of both treatment modalities are poorly known.

Tailored access to the hepatobiliary system in post-bariatric patients: a tertiary care bariatric center experience.

Background: In bariatric surgery patients, pancreaticobiliary access via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is technically challenging and the optimal approach for the evaluation and treatment of biliary tree-related pathologies has been debated. Besides laparoscopy-assisted ERCP (LA-ERCP) as standard of care, EUS-directed transgastric ERCP (EDGE) and hepaticogastrostomy (HGS) with placement of a fully covered metal stent have emerged as novel techniques. The objective of this study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of three different endoscopic approaches (LA-ERCP, EDGE, and HGS) in bariatric patients.

No Difference in Survival between Neo-Adjuvant Chemotherapy and Neo-Adjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy in Gastric Cardia Cancer Patients: A Contemporary View from the National Cancer Database.

Introduction: Both neo-adjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), in addition to surgical resection of gastric cardia cancer, improves survival outcomes. We assessed whether NACRT or NAC had superior overall survival (OS) and relative survival (RS) outcomes using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

Methods: The NCDB from 2006 to 2014 was reviewed to identify non-metastatic adult gastric cardia cancer patients who underwent surgical resection and received NACRT or NAC.

High rate of positive lymph nodes in T1a gallbladder cancer does not translate to decreased survival: a population-based, propensity score adjusted analysis.

Background: Current consensus guidelines suggest that gallbladder cancer (GBC) patients with resected T1a disease can be observed while patients with T1b or greater lesions should undergo lymphadenectomy (LNE). The primary aim of this study was to critically explore the impact of LNE in early-stage GBC on overall survival (OS) on a population-based level.

Method: The 2004-2014 National Cancer Database was reviewed to identify non-metastatic GBC patients with T1a, T1b, or T2 disease and grouped whether a dedicated LNE was performed.