International Delphi Expert Consensus on Safe Return to Surgical and Endoscopic Practice: From the Coronavirus Global Surgical Collaborative.

Objective: The aim of this work is to formulate recommendations based on global expert consensus to guide the surgical community on the safe resumption of surgical and endoscopic activities.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused marked disruptions in the delivery of surgical care worldwide. A thoughtful, structured approach to resuming surgical services is necessary as the impact of COVID-19 becomes better controlled.

Efficacy of transoral fundoplication vs omeprazole for treatment of regurgitation in a randomized controlled trial.

Background & Aims: Transoral esophagogastric fundoplication (TF) can decrease or eliminate features of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in some patients whose symptoms persist despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. We performed a prospective, sham-controlled trial to determine if TF reduced troublesome regurgitation to a greater extent than PPIs in patients with GERD.

Methods: We screened 696 patients with troublesome regurgitation despite daily PPI use with 3 validated GERD-specific symptom scales, on and off PPIs.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: evolution and review.

Esophageal cancer remains one of the most deadly cancers with a low overall 5-year survival rate of 17%. Surgical options for esophageal cancer are varied, and debate exists on the best option. The literature was searched for articles discussing minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) compared with open esophagectomy (OE), and articles were chosen at the discretion of the authors.

Radiofrequency energy delivery to the lower esophageal sphincter reduces esophageal acid exposure and improves GERD symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Studies of endoscopic application of radiofrequency energy to the lower esophageal sphincter for gastroesophageal reflux control have produced conflicting reports of its effectiveness. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies to assess the impact of this treatment.

Methods: Twenty studies were included.

Transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy does not lead to increased risk of infectious complications.

Background: It remains important to determine the risk of bacterial contamination and infectious complications of the peritoneal cavity as it pertains to transgastric natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures. The infectious implications of such procedures have been quantified in animal models. This report discusses the infectious risks of transgastric endoscopic peritoneoscopy (TEP) in a human clinical trial.

Radiofrequency energy delivery to the lower esophageal sphincter (Stretta procedure) does not provide long-term symptom control.

The Stretta procedure (radiofrequency energy application to the lower esophageal sphincter) is a unique endoluminal technique for the management of gastroesophageal reflux. This article reports on the long-term effectiveness of the Stretta procedure in patients with significant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) referred to a surgical practice. Patients who underwent Stretta with a minimum of 36 months follow-up were included.

Pain and wound healing in surgical patients.

Background: Human and animal laboratory studies have shown that stress delays healing of standardized punch biopsy wounds.

Purpose: This 5-week prospective study of 17 women who underwent elective gastric bypass surgery addressed the association between postsurgical pain intensity and subsequent healing of a standard 2.0-mm punch biopsy wound.