Browsing by Author "Bick, Benjamin L."

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    A comparative study between single-operator pancreatoscopy with intraductal lithotripsy and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for the management of large main pancreatic duct stones
    (Springer, 2022) Bick, Benjamin L.; Patel, Feenalie; Easler, Jeffrey J.; Tong, Yan; Watkins, James L.; McHenry, Lee; Lehman, Glen; Fogel, Evan L.; Gromski, Mark A.; Sherman, Stuart; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background and aims: Endoscopic management of large main pancreatic ductal (MPD) stones often require treatment with lithotripsy. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been the mainstay therapy, and single-operator pancreatoscopy with intraductal (intracorporeal) lithotripsy (SOPIL) is an emerging technique. However, no comparative studies between these techniques exist. We therefore aimed to compare ESWL to SOPIL for the treatment of large MPD stones. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study comparing patients who were treated with ESWL or SOPIL from September 2013 to September 2019 at a single tertiary center. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with technical success and efficient stone clearance (≤ 2 procedures to clear stones). Results: There were 240 patients who were treated with ESWL and 18 treated with SOPIL. The overall technical success rate of stone clearance was 224/258 (86.8%), which was similar between the ESWL and SOPIL groups (86.7% vs 88.9%, p = 1.000). A SOPIL approach required fewer total procedures (1.6 ± 0.6 vs 3.1 ± 1.5, p < 0.001) and less aggregate procedure time (101.6 ± 68.2 vs 191.8 ± 111.6 min, p = 0.001). Adverse event rates were similar between the groups (6.3% vs 5.6%, p = 1.000). The use of SOPIL was independently associated with greater efficiency compared to ESWL (OR 5.241 [1.348-20.369], p = 0.017). Stone size > 10 mm was associated with less efficient stone clearance (OR 0.484 [0.256-0.912], p = 0.025). Conclusion: Both ESWL and SOPIL are safe and effective endoscopic adjunct modalities for treating large pancreatic duct stones. SOPIL is an emerging alternative to ESWL that is potentially more efficient for lithotripsy and MPD stone clearance.
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    EUS-guided fine needle injection is superior to direct endoscopic injection of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate for the treatment of gastric variceal bleeding
    (Springer, 2018) Bick, Benjamin L.; Al-Haddad, Mohammad; Liangpunsakul, Suthat; Ghabril, Marwan S.; DeWitt, John M.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background Endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate into gastric varices may be performed by EUS-guided fine needle injection (EUS-FNI) or direct endoscopic injection (DEI). The aim of this study is to compare the rate of recurrent GV bleeding and adverse events between DEI and EUS-FNI for treatment of GV. Methods In a single-center study, a retrospective cohort of patients with actively/recently bleeding or high-risk GV treated with DEI were compared with a prospective cohort of similar patients treated with EUS-FNI. Repeat endoscopy after index treatment was performed 3 months later or earlier if rebleeding occurred. The main outcomes assessed were rates of GV or overall rebleeding and adverse events. Results Forty patients (mean age 57.2 ± 9.1 years, 73% male) and 64 patients (mean age 58.0 ± 12.5 years, 52% male) underwent DEI and EUS-FNI, respectively. Compared to the DEI group, the frequency of isolated gastric varices type 1 (IGV1) were higher (p < 0.001) but MELD scores were lower (p = 0.004) in the EUS-FNI group. At index endoscopy, EUS-FNI utilized a lower mean volume of cyanoacrylate (2.0 ± 0.8 mL vs. 3.3 ± 1.3 mL; p < 0.001) and injected a greater number of varices (1.6 ± 0.7 vs. 1.1 ± 0.4; p < 0.001) compared to DEI. Overall, GV rebleeding [5/57 (8.8%) vs. 9/38 (23.7%); p = 0.045] and non-GV-related gastrointestinal bleeding [7/64 (10.9%) vs. 11/40 (27.5%); p = 0.030] were less frequent in the EUS-FNI group compared to the DEI group, respectively. Adverse event rates were similar (20.3% vs. 17.5%, p = 0.723). Conclusions EUS-guided CYA injection of active or recently bleeding GV in patients with portal hypertension appears to decrease the rate of GV rebleeding despite injection of more varices and less CYA volume during the initial endoscopic procedure. Adverse events are similar between the two groups. EUS-FNI appears to be the preferred strategy for treatment of these patients.
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    Gastric Adenocarcinoma of the Remnant Stomach PresentingWith a Cystic Intra-abdominal Mass 11 Years After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2022-06-27) Khneizer, Gebran W.; Mahendraker, Neetu; Bick, Benjamin L.; Medicine, School of Medicine
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    High yield of synchronous lesions in referred patients with large lateral spreading colorectal tumors
    (Elsevier, 2017-01) Bick, Benjamin L.; Ponugoti, Prasanna L.; Rex, Douglas K.; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background and Aims There are few data on the prevalence of synchronous colorectal lesions in patients who have large lateral spreading tumors (LLSTs). We sought to describe the rate of synchronous lesions found in patients who underwent endoscopic resection of large sessile adenomas and serrated lesions. Methods This is a retrospective assessment of a prospectively created database of 728 consecutive patients with resected LLSTs who underwent complete clearing of the colon during 2 colonoscopies by a single expert endoscopist. Results The 728 patients with resected LLSTs and complete clearing had 4578 synchronous lesions, including 584 patients (80.2%) with at least 1 synchronous conventional adenoma, 132 (18.1%) with at least 1 synchronous conventional adenoma ≥ 20 mm in size, 294 (40.4%) with at least 1 synchronous advanced conventional adenoma, and 6 patients with a synchronous lesion with cancer. Patients with an index large sessile conventional adenoma compared with those with an index large serrated lesion had on average more synchronous conventional adenomas (4.8 vs 2.9, P = .001) and fewer synchronous serrated lesions (1.4 vs 4.5, P < .001). Of the 97 patients with a serrated class index lesion, 28 (28.9%) met criteria for serrated polyposis. Conclusions There is a very high prevalence of synchronous lesions, including other large and advanced synchronous lesions, in patients with flat or sessile conventional adenomas and serrated colorectal polyps. Patients with LLSTs in the colon need detailed clearing of the rest of the colon. Patients referred for endoscopic resection of serrated lesions ≥ 20 mm have a very high prevalence of serrated polyposis. This study has potential implications for further stratification of high-risk patient groups in postpolypectomy surveillance guidelines.
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    Improving Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Patients Referred to a Gastroenterology Clinic
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2019-07) Bick, Benjamin L.; El-Halabi, Mustapha; Jones, Keaton R.; Kahi, Charles J.; Fayad, Nabil F.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Colonoscopy and fecal immunochemistry testing (FIT) are the primary recommended CRC screening modalities. The purpose of this study is to improve rates of CRC screening in Veterans and County hospital patients referred to gastroenterology fellow's clinics. A total of 717 patients between ages of 49 and 75 years were seen. Previous CRC screening was not performed in 109 patients (15.2%) because of not being offered (73.4%) or declining (26.6%) screening. Patients who received previous CRC screening compared with no previous screening were older (mean age 62.3 years vs. 60.3 years, p < .003), white (88.6% vs. 78.3%, p < .027), and more likely to be Veterans patients (90.8% vs. 77.5%, p < .001). After systematically discussing options for screening with 78 of the 109 unscreened patients, 56 of them (71.8%) underwent screening with either colonoscopy (32) or FIT (24). Patients seen by fellows in their last year of training agreed to undergo screening more often than those seen by other fellows (100% vs. 66.2%, p < .033). Systematic discussions about both colonoscopy and FIT can improve the overall rates of CRC screening.
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    Microbiology of bile aspirates obtained at ERCP in patients with suspected acute cholangitis
    (Thieme, 2022) Gromski, Mark A.; Gutta, Aditya; Lehman, Glen A.; Tong, Yan; Fogel, Evan L.; Watkins, James L.; Easler, Jeffrey J.; Bick, Benjamin L.; McHenry, Lee; Beeler, Cole; Relich, Ryan F.; Schmitt, Bryan H.; Sherman, Stuart; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background: The cornerstone of treatment for acute cholangitis is source control with biliary drainage and early antibiotics. The primary aim of this study was to describe the microbiology of bile aspirate pathogens obtained at the time of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients suspected of having acute cholangitis. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, patients were included if a bile aspirate was collected at ERCP for suspicion of acute cholangitis, from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2016. Results: There were 721 ERCP procedures for suspected acute cholangitis with bile culture results, with 662 positive bile cultures (91.8 %). Pathogens included: Enterococcus species (spp.) 448 (67.7 %); Klebsiella spp. 295 (44.6 %); Escherichia coli 269 (40.6 %); Pseudomonas spp. 52 (7.9 %); and anaerobes 64 (9.7 %). Susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae and E.coli isolates to ciprofloxacin was 88 % and 64 %, respectively. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases and carbapenem resistance were found in 7.9 % and 3.6 % of Enterobacteriaceae, respectively. There were 437 concurrent blood cultures, of which 174 were positive (39.8 % of cultures drawn). Prior biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) was evident in 459 ERCP cases (63.7 %), and was associated with increased frequency of Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Enterococcus spp. Prior biliary ES significantly increased the probability of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Conclusions: The vast majority of bile cultures (91.8 %) were positive. The susceptibilities of E.coli and K.pneumoniae to ciprofloxacin are lower than historically noted. A notable portion of cultures contained pathogenic drug-resistant organisms. Prior biliary ES is associated with a higher frequency of certain organisms and higher frequency of VRE.
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    Multicenter evaluation of the clinical utility of laparoscopy-assisted ERCP in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass
    (Elsevier, 2017) Abbas, Ali M.; Strong, Andrew T.; Diehl, David L.; Brauer, Brian C.; Lee, Iris H.; Burbridge, Rebecca; Zivny, Jaroslav; Higa, Jennifer T.; Falcão, Marcelo; El Hajj, Ihab I.; Tarnasky, Paul; Enestvedt, Brintha K.; Ende, Alexander R.; Thaker, Adarsh M.; Pawa, Rishi; Jamidar, Priya; Sampath, Kartik; de Moura, Eduardo Guimarães Hourneaux; Kwon, Richard S.; Suarez, Alejandro L.; Aburajab, Murad; Wang, Andrew Y.; Shakhatreh, Mohammad H.; Kaul, Vivek; Kang, Lorna; Kowalski, Thomas E.; Pannala, Rahul; Tokar, Jeffrey; Aadam, A. Aziz; Tzimas, Demetrios; Wagh, Mihir S.; Draganov, Peter V.; Ponsky, Jeffrey; Greenwald, Bruce D.; Uradomo, Lance T.; McGhan, Alyson A.; Hakimian, Shahrad; Ross, Andrew; Sherman, Stuart; Bick, Benjamin L.; Forsmark, Christopher E.; Yang, Dennis; Gupte, Anand; Chauhan, Shailendra; Hughes, Steven J.; Saks, Karen; Bakis, Gennadiy; Templeton, Adam W.; Saunders, Michael; Sedarat, Alireza; Evans, John A.; Muniraj, Thiruvengadam; Gardner, Timothy B.; Ramos, Almino C.; Santo, Marco Aurelio; Nett, Andrew; Coté, Gregory A.; Elmunzer, Joseph; Dua, Kulwinder S.; Nosler, Michael J.; Strand, Daniel S.; Yeaton, Paul; Kothari, Shivangi; Ullah, Asad; Taunk, Pushpak; Brady, Patrick; Pinkas, Haim; Faulx, Ashley L.; Shahid, Haroon; Holmes, Jordan; Pannu, Davinderbir; Komanduri, Srinadh; Bucobo, Juan Carlos; Dhaliwal, Harry; Rostom, Alaa; Acker, Brent W.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background and Aims The obesity epidemic has led to increased use of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). These patients have an increased incidence of pancreaticobiliary diseases yet standard ERCP is not possible due to surgically altered gastroduodenal anatomy. Laparoscopic-ERCP (LA-ERCP) has been proposed as an option but supporting data are derived from single center small case-series. Therefore, we conducted a large multicenter study to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcomes of LA-ERCP. Methods This is retrospective cohort study of adult patients with RYGB who underwent LA-ERCP in 34 centers. Data on demographics, indications, procedure success, and adverse events were collected. Procedure success was defined when all of the following were achieved: reaching the papilla, cannulating the desired duct and providing endoscopic therapy as clinically indicated. Results A total of 579 patients (median age 51, 84% women) were included. Indication for LA-ERCP was biliary in 89%, pancreatic in 8%, and both in 3%. Procedure success was achieved in 98%. Median total procedure time was 152 minutes (IQR 109-210) with median ERCP time 40 minutes (IQR 28-56). Median hospital stay was 2 days (IQR 1-3). Adverse events were 18% (laparoscopy-related 10%, ERCP-related 7%, both 1%) with the clear majority (92%) classified as mild/moderate whereas 8% were severe and 1 death occurred. Conclusion Our large multicenter study indicates that LA-ERCP in patients with RYGB is feasible with a high procedure success rate comparable with that of standard ERCP in patients with normal anatomy. ERCP-related adverse events rate is comparable with conventional ERCP, but the overall adverse event rate was higher due to the added laparoscopy-related events.
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    Outcomes in Endoscopic and Operative Transgastric Pancreatic Debridement
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2021) Maatman, Thomas K.; McGuire, Sean P.; Flick, Katelyn F.; Madison, Mackenzie K.; Al-Haddad, Mohammad A.; Bick, Benjamin L.; Ceppa, Eugene P.; DeWitt, John M.; Easler, Jeffrey J.; Fogel, Evan L.; Gromski, Mark A.; House, Michael G.; Lehman, Glen A.; Nakeeb, Attila; Schmidt, C. Max; Sherman, Stuart; Watkins, James L.; Zyromski, Nicholas J.; Surgery, School of Medicine
    Objectives: Select patients with anatomically favorable walled off pancreatic necrosis may be treated by endoscopic (Endo-TGD) or operative (OR-TGD) transgastric debridement (TGD). We compared our experience with these 2 approaches. Summary background data: Select necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) patients are suitable for TGD which may be accomplished endoscopically or surgically. Limited experience exists contrasting these techniques exists. Methods: Patients undergoing Endo-TGD and OR-TGD at a single, high-volume pancreatic center between 2008 and 2019 were identified from a prospective database. Patient characteristics, procedural details, and outcomes of these 2 groups were compared. Results: Among 498 NP patients undergoing necrosis intervention, 160 (32%) had TGD: 59 Endo-TGD and 101 OR-TGD. The groups were statistically similar in age, comorbidity, pancreatitis etiology, necrosis anatomy, pancreatitis severity, and timing of TGD from pancreatitis insult. OR-TGD required 1.1 ± 0.5 and Endo-TGD 3.0 ± 2.0 debridements/patient. Fewer hospital readmissions and repeat necrosis interventions, and shorter total inpatient length of stay were observed in OR-TGD patients. New-onset organ failure [Endo-TGD (13%); OR-TGD (13%); P = 1.0] was similar between groups. Hospital length of stay after TGD was significantly longer in patients undergoing Endo-TGD (13.8 ± 20.8 days) compared to OR-TGD (9.4 ± 6.1 days; P = 0.047). Mortality was 7% in Endo-TGD and 1% in OR-TGD (P = 0.04). Conclusions: Operative and endoscopic transgastric debridement achieve necrosis resolution with different temporal and procedural profiles. Clear multidisciplinary communication is essential to determine appropriate approach to individual necrotizing pancreatitis patients.
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    Pain Sensitivity and Psychiatric Comorbidities in Chronic Pancreatitis Patients With and Without Pain: Past Experience Matters
    (Elsevier, 2022) Phillips , Anna E.; Bick, Benjamin L.; Faghih , Mahya; Yadav, Dhiraj; Drewes , Asbjørn M.; Singh , Vikesh K.; Olesen , Søren S.; Pancreatic Quantitative Sensory Testing (P-QST) Consortium; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background and Aims Pain is the primary symptom of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and has been associated with abnormal pain processing and psychologic distress. Little is known about these phenomena in patients with painless disease. The aim of this study was to characterize patterns of pain processing and psychologic distress in patients with primary painless vs painful CP. Methods This was a cross-sectional multicenter study of 235 patients with definitive CP. Patients were categorized based on current and past pain history; current pain (79%), no current (but prior) pain (11%), and painless CP (10%). Demographic information and clinical data including symptoms of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were collected. All patients underwent quantitative sensory testing to assess patterns of pain processing. Results A total of 235 patients (57% males, mean age 53.9 ± 14.0 years, 41% alcohol etiology) were included. Compared to patients with painless CP, enhanced pain sensitivity was observed in both patients with current pain (odds ratio [OR] 3.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.11–9.77], P = .032) and no current pain (OR 4.07; 95% CI [1.10–15.03], P = .035). Patients with current pain also had increased depression prevalence compared to patients with painless CP (OR 6.15; 95% CI [1.28–29.41], P = .023), while no difference was seen for patients with no current pain (OR 1.24; 95% CI [0.19–8.26], P = .824). Conclusion Total absence of pain in CP is associated with normal pain processing and low prevalence of psychologic distress, whereas patients with prior pain experience appear to have persistent and enhanced pain sensitivity even in the absence of clinical pain and psychologic distress.
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    Prevalence of primary painless chronic pancreatitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis
    (Elsevier, 2022-04) Bhullar, Furqan A.; Faghih, Mahya; Akshintala, Venkata S.; Ahmed, Ahmed I.; Lobner, Katie; Afghani, Elham; Phillips, Anna E.; Hart, Phil A.; Ramsey, Mitchell L.; Bick, Benjamin L.; Kuhlmann, Louise; Drewes, Asbjørn M.; Yadav, Dhiraj; Olesen, Søren S.; Singh, Vikesh K.; P-QST Consortium; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background/objectives: While pain is the predominant symptom of chronic pancreatitis (CP), a subset of patients may experience a painless course. This systematic review aimed to determine the prevalence of primary painless CP. Methods: MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Web of Science Core Collection databases were searched for published studies through September 15, 2020 that included at least 10 consecutive patients with CP and which reported the number with painless CP. The presence of a history of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), diabetes mellitus (DM) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PA) in the painless CP patients was also recorded. A random effects model was used to determine pooled prevalence estimates with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Among the 5057 studies identified and screened, 42 full-text articles were included in the final analysis. There were a total of 14,277 patients with CP among whom 1569 had painless CP. The pooled prevalence of painless CP was 12% (95% CI 10-15%). Among a subset of studies that reported on calcifications (n = 11), DM (n = 12), EPI (n = 8) and history of RAP (n = 14), the pooled prevalence estimates were 96% (95% CI 73-100%), 51% (95% CI 32-70%), and 47% (95% CI 15-81%), respectively. Alcohol, idiopathic/genetic and other etiologies were attributed to be the cause of painless CP in 32.4%, 56.9% and 8.9% patients, respectively. Conclusion: Approximately one in ten patients with CP have primary painless disease with the majority being attributable to an idiopathic/genetic etiology. Further research is needed to determine the optimal management of these patients.