Eduardo Rodrigues-Pinto1, Pedro Pereira1, Bernardo Sousa-Pinto2, Hany Shehab3, Rolando Pinho4, Michael C Larsen5, Shayan Irani5, Richard A Kozarek5, Antonio Capogreco6, Alessandro Repici6, Ealaf Shemmeri7, Brian E Louie7, Pawel Rogalski8, Andrzej Baniukiewicz8, Andrzej Dabrowski8, João Correia de Sousa9, Silvia Barrias9, Yervant Ichkhanian10, Vivek Kumbhari10, Mouen A Khashab10, Nicole Bowers11, Allison R Schulman11, Guilherme Macedo1. 1. Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal. 2. MEDCIDS, Department of Community Medicine, Information and Health Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; CINTESIS, Center for Health Technology and Services Research, Porto, Portugal. 3. Gastroenterology Department, Cairo University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. 4. Department of Gastroenterology, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. 5. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. 6. Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital, Humanitas University, Milan, Italy. 7. Division of Thoracic Surgery, Swedish Cancer Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA. 8. Department of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. 9. Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital de Santo António/Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal. 10. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. 11. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Therapeutic endoscopy plays a critical role in the management of upper GI (UGI) postsurgical leaks. Data are scarce regarding clinical success and safety. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic therapy for UGI postsurgical leaks and associated adverse events (AEs) and to identify factors associated with successful endoscopic therapy and AE occurrence. METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicenter, international study of all patients who underwent endoscopic therapy for UGI postsurgical leaks between 2014 and 2019. RESULTS: Two hundred six patients were included. Index surgery most often performed was sleeve gastrectomy (39.3%), followed by gastrectomy (23.8%) and esophagectomy (22.8%). The median time between index surgery and commencement of endoscopic therapy was 16 days. Endoscopic closure was achieved in 80.1% of patients after a median follow-up of 52 days (interquartile range, 33-81.3). Seven hundred seventy-five therapeutic endoscopies were performed. Multimodal therapy was needed in 40.8% of patients. The cumulative success of leak resolution reached a plateau between the third and fourth techniques (approximately 70%-80%); this was achieved after 125 days of endoscopic therapy. Smaller leak initial diameters, hospitalization in a general ward, hemodynamic stability, absence of respiratory failure, previous gastrectomy, fewer numbers of therapeutic endoscopies performed, shorter length of stay, and shorter times to leak closure were associated with better outcomes. Overall, 102 endoscopic therapy-related AEs occurred in 81 patients (39.3%), with most managed conservatively or endoscopically. Leak-related mortality rate was 12.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal therapeutic endoscopy, despite being time-consuming and requiring multiple procedures, allows leak closure in a significant proportion of patients with a low rate of severe AEs.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Therapeutic endoscopy plays a critical role in the management of upper GI (UGI) postsurgical leaks. Data are scarce regarding clinical success and safety. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic therapy for UGI postsurgical leaks and associated adverse events (AEs) and to identify factors associated with successful endoscopic therapy and AE occurrence. METHODS: This was a retrospective, multicenter, international study of all patients who underwent endoscopic therapy for UGI postsurgical leaks between 2014 and 2019. RESULTS: Two hundred six patients were included. Index surgery most often performed was sleeve gastrectomy (39.3%), followed by gastrectomy (23.8%) and esophagectomy (22.8%). The median time between index surgery and commencement of endoscopic therapy was 16 days. Endoscopic closure was achieved in 80.1% of patients after a median follow-up of 52 days (interquartile range, 33-81.3). Seven hundred seventy-five therapeutic endoscopies were performed. Multimodal therapy was needed in 40.8% of patients. The cumulative success of leak resolution reached a plateau between the third and fourth techniques (approximately 70%-80%); this was achieved after 125 days of endoscopic therapy. Smaller leak initial diameters, hospitalization in a general ward, hemodynamic stability, absence of respiratory failure, previous gastrectomy, fewer numbers of therapeutic endoscopies performed, shorter length of stay, and shorter times to leak closure were associated with better outcomes. Overall, 102 endoscopic therapy-related AEs occurred in 81 patients (39.3%), with most managed conservatively or endoscopically. Leak-related mortality rate was 12.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal therapeutic endoscopy, despite being time-consuming and requiring multiple procedures, allows leak closure in a significant proportion of patients with a low rate of severe AEs.