Procedure-related readmissions following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in a liver transplant cohort.

Background And Aim: Data on post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) adverse events and readmission rates in liver transplantation (LT) patients remain scarce. This study determined the 30-day procedure-related readmission rate following ERCP in an LT cohort at an Australian tertiary academic center.

Methods: All unplanned readmissions within 30 days following ERCP in orthotopic LT patients between December 2012 and August 2021 were retrospectively identified.

Safety and efficacy of Kaffes intraductal self-expanding metal stents in the management of post-liver transplant anastomotic strictures.

Background: Endoscopic management is the first-line therapy for post-liver-transplant anastomotic strictures. Although the optimal duration of treatment with plastic stents has been reported to be 8-12 months, data on safety and duration for metal stents in this setting is scarce. Due to limited access to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in our centre, there was a change in practice towards increased usage and length-of-stay of the Kaffes biliary intraductal self-expanding stent in patients with suitable anatomy.

Readmission rate and complications following biopsy of the ampulla of Vater-A retrospective data analysis.

Background And Aim: Obtaining endoscopic biopsies from the ampulla of Vater is important for the diagnosis of lesions that are suspicious for neoplasia. The clinical safety profile is not well defined in the literature. Our aim was to evaluate the procedure-related readmission rate and complications from ampullary biopsy in patients undergoing duodenoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

High-flow oxygen oxygenating mouthguard in short upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Anaesthetic care during upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy has the unique challenge of maintaining ventilation and oxygenation a shared upper airway. Supplemental oxygen is recommended by international society guidelines, however, the optimal route or rate of oxygen delivery is not known. Various oxygen delivery devices have been investigated to improve oxygenation during upper GI endoscopy, however, these are limited by commercial availability, costs and in some cases, the expertise required for insertion.

Endoscopy training in Australia during COVID-19: Efficacy and knowledge assessment of gastroenterology and general surgery trainees.

Background And Aim: During COVID-19, restrictions to elective endoscopy were introduced worldwide. A reduction in procedures may impact trainees' endoscopy learning. This study aims to assess Australian advanced gastroenterology and general surgery trainees' self-perceived efficacy and knowledge in endoscopy during the pandemic.

The role of a novel self-expanding metal stent in variceal bleeding: a multicenter Australian and New Zealand experience.

Refractory variceal bleeding is associated with high mortality in patients with chronic liver disease. A fully-covered self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) has been reported to have excellent rates of technical success and initial bleeding control; however, studies to date are small and limited to Europe and Asia. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this SEMS for control of refractory variceal bleeding (VB).

Long-term clinical outcomes of lipiodol marking using standard gastroscopy for image-guided radiotherapy of upper gastrointestinal cancers.

Background: Image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) has significantly improved the precision in which radiotherapy is delivered in cancer treatment. Typically, IGRT uses bony landmarks and key anatomical structures to locate the tumor. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of peri-tumor fiducials in enabling even more accurate delineation of target and normal tissue.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder and bile duct drainage with lumen apposing metal stent: A large multicenter cohort (with videos).

Background And Aim: Cholecystectomy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are the gold standard for managing acute cholecystitis and malignant biliary obstruction, respectively. Recent advances in therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) have provided alternatives for managing patients in whom these approaches fail, namely, EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GB) and EUS-guided bile duct drainage (EUS-BD). We aimed to assess the technical and clinical success of these techniques in the largest multicenter cohort published to date.

The EUS molecular evaluation of pancreatic cancer: A prospective multicenter cohort trial.

Background And Objectives: Patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (A-PDAC) are not candidates for surgical resection and are often offered palliative chemotherapy. The ready availability of a safe and effective tumor sampling technique to provide material for both diagnosis and comprehensive genetic profiling is critical for informing precision medicine in A-PDAC, thus potentially increasing survival. The aim of this study is to examine the feasibility and benefits of routine comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of A-PDAC using EUS-FNA material.

Unpacking the challenge of gastric varices: A review on indication, timing and modality of therapy.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding from oesophageal or gastric varices is an important medical condition in patients with portal hypertension. Despite the emergence of a number of novel endoscopic and radiologic therapies for oesophagogastric varices, controversy exists regarding the indication, timing and modality of therapy. The aim of this review is to provide a concise and practical evidence-based overview of these issues.

Significant detection of new germline pathogenic variants in Australian Pancreatic Cancer Screening Program participants.

Background: The Australian Pancreatic Cancer Screening Program (APCSP) offers endoscopic ultrasound surveillance for individuals at increased risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with all participants requiring assessment by a Familial Cancer Service before or after study enrolment.

Methods: Individuals aged 40-80 years (or 10 years younger than the earliest PDAC diagnosis) were eligible for APCSP study entry if they had 1) ≥ two blood relatives with PDAC (at least one of first-degree association); 2) a clinical or genetic diagnosis of Hereditary Pancreatitis or Peutz-Jeghers syndrome irrespective of PDAC family history; or 3) a known PDAC predisposition germline pathogenic variant (BRCA2, PALB2, CDKN2A, or Lynch syndrome) with ≥one PDAC-affected first- or second-degree relative. Retrospective medical record review was conducted for APCSP participants enrolled at the participating Australian hospitals from January 2011 to December 2019.

Drainage of pancreatic fluid collections using a lumen-apposing metal stent with an electrocautery-enhanced delivery system.

Background And Aim: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a lumen-apposing metal stent with an electrocautery-enhanced delivery system (EDS-LAMS) for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) in regular clinical practice.

Methods: A retrospective and subsequent prospective analysis was undertaken of all patients who underwent EUS-guided drainage of their PFCs using the EDS-LAMS at 17 tertiary therapeutic endoscopy centers.

Results: Two hundred eight cases of EDS-LAMS deployment were attempted in 202 patients (mean age 52.

Video consultations during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic are associated with high satisfaction for both doctors and patients.

Background And Aim: Telehealth has become the standard of care during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aimed to assess doctor and patient satisfaction of endoscopy-related telehealth clinics with video consultations.

Methods: A prospective observational study of patients consecutively booked to attend two endoscopy-related telehealth clinics at an ambulatory tertiary care setting was conducted from July to October 2020.

Outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound as a one-off pancreatic cancer screening tool for 122 high- and moderate-risk patients.

Background And Aim: Pancreatic cancer (PC) carries a poor prognosis and is often detected at later stages. Screening programs for moderate- and high-risk people are still under debate. We present the results from a prospective study on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as a one-off screening tool for pancreatic cancer screening.

Benefits of phone consultation for endoscopy-related clinics in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background And Aim: During COVID-19 outbreak, restrictions to in-person consultations were introduced with a rise in telehealth. An indirect benefit of telehealth could be better attendance. This study aimed to assess "failure-to-attend" (FTA) rate and satisfaction for two endoscopy-related compulsory telehealth clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and mild intellectual disability in a patient with a novel de novo truncating TRIM8 mutation.

Mutations in the TRIM8 gene have been described in patients with severe developmental delay, intellectual disability and epilepsy. Only six patients have been described to date. All the previous mutations were truncating variants clustered in the C-terminus of the protein.

Success and complications of an intra-ductal fully covered self-expanding metal stent (ID-FCSEMS) to treat anastomotic biliary strictures (AS) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

Background: Anastomotic biliary strictures (AS) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) belong to the most common biliary complications and cause the biggest morbidity burden after OLT. Metal stents for benign biliary strictures are gaining acceptance with many published series. Traditional metal stent designs seem to have poor durability in AS after OLT.

Endoscopic investigation in non-iron deficiency anemia: a cost to the health system without patient benefit.

Background And Aims: The indication for endoscopy to investigate anemia of causes other than iron deficiency is not clear. Increasing numbers of endoscopic procedures for anemia raises concerns about costs to the health system, waiting times, and patient safety. The primary aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of endoscopy in patients referred to undergo investigation for anemia.

Risk stratification in acute upper GI bleeding: comparison of the AIMS65 score with the Glasgow-Blatchford and Rockall scoring systems.

Background And Aims: The American College of Gastroenterology recommends early risk stratification in patients presenting with upper GI bleeding (UGIB). The AIMS65 score is a risk stratification score previously validated to predict inpatient mortality. The aim of this study was to validate the AIMS65 score as a predictor of inpatient mortality in patients with acute UGIB and to compare it with established pre- and postendoscopy risk scores.

A novel endoscopic marker for radiological localization and image-guided radiotherapy in esophageal and gastric cancers (with video).

Background And Aims: Radiotherapy is an accepted modality in the treatment of esophageal cancers and is currently being evaluated in conjunction with chemotherapy for the neoadjuvant treatment of gastric cancers. Our aim was to assess whether a novel endoscopically inserted marker can be used to improve radiological assessment of the primary cancer and allow for image-guided radiotherapy.

Methods: A phase II feasibility study was conducted at a tertiary-care center.

A pilot study of EUS-guided fiducial insertion for the multidisciplinary management of gastric cancer.

Background And Study Aims: The 5-year survival rates for gastric cancer remain poor despite evolving therapies, and fiducial insertion via endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is novel within this setting. We aimed to assess the feasibility of fiducial insertion for response assessment and anatomic localization in patients with gastric cancer.

Patients And Methods: A prospective phase II feasibility study was undertaken at Austin Health (Victoria, Australia) from February 2011 to November 2012.