[More accurate tumor diagnosis results in more efficient treatment. New techniques makes the preoperative staging of gastrointestinal cancer possible].
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Publications and source records attributed to L Lundell.
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Decreased bone mineral density and an increased risk of fracture have been reported many years after gastric resections due to peptic ulcer disease. Corresponding information after total gastrectomy is, however, contradictory and incomplete. Twenty-two gastric cancer patients who were long-term survivors after total gastrectomy (mean of eight years) were investigated. They had whole body DXA scans performed both after a mean of five and eight years after the operation. Serum levels of relevant blood tests were determined. Our patients lost 3.2 kg of their body weight (P<0.006) with a corresponding loss of lean body mass (P<0.0001). We were unable to demonstrate any difference in bone density from values seen in age- and sex-matched controls. We found a slight elevation of osteocalcine levels but only a minor increase in parathyroid hormone levels. Body weight had the greatest impact on the T score. The impact of total gastrectomy on calcium homoeostasis and bone mineral density seems to be marginal. The close relationship between bone mineral density and body weight suggest the pivotal importance of maintaining weight control.
The introduction of laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery has led to a renewed interest in the operative treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). Three groups of patients can be identified who are particularly suited to laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery. Failure to respond to medical treatment has been historically the main determinant for those referred for anti-reflux surgery. With the availability of modern anti-secretory drugs most patients with chronic GORD can control their symptoms adequately by these means. Even effective medical therapy, however, is not without problems. In many patients rapid and consistent relapse of symptoms and oesophagitis occurs on cessation of therapy. Some of these patients do not want to be reliant on a form of medication that has yet to firmly establish its record for safety over many years of continued use. A second readily identifiable group of patients are those who are often described as 'volume refluxers'. They are bothered by persistent fluid regurgitation despite adequate control of their heartburn with acid suppressive drugs. Third there are those individuals who develop oesophageal strictures and those with Barrett's oesophagus and concomitant reflux symptoms and also those with respiratory complications associated with presumed aspiration of gastric juice into the pharynx and into the respiratory tree. The low morbidity associated with laparoscopic surgery that has been achieved in the best modern series means that the pendulum may swing back to surgery and therefore it is even more important that the right operation (fundoplication) is done for the right patient. Failure to create an adequate crural repair behind the wrap is associated with a risk of early post-operative para-oesophageal herniation and proximal wrap migration. The question of tailored anti-reflux surgery based on the pre-operative motor function of the body of the oesophagus is widely applied, although the scientific basis for these selective approaches is rather weak. Partial fundoplication seems to be associated with very low rates of dysphagia and of gas bloat. Assessment of the post-operative result should ideally be done by an independent observer and should consider not only traditional outcome measures but also the impact of surgery on the quality of the patient's life. Investigations on the cost effectiveness of these surgical therapeutic strategies suggest important benefits of surgery, which should be incorporated into the clinical decision process when assessing different long-term management alternatives for patients with chronic GORD.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Secondary oesophageal peristalsis contributes to oesophageal volume clearance and may be impaired in a significant proportion of patients with chronic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). This study aimed to investigate the triggering of secondary peristalsis in chronic GORD patients compared to those previously operated on with anti-reflux surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Healthy volunteers, chronic GORD patients with proven oesophagitis and patients successfully operated on with anti-reflux surgery (> 3 years ago) were investigated. Secondary peristalsis was elicited by oesophageal distension by a bolus of air (10 ml) injected rapidly into the mid-portion of the oesophagus. The peristaltic characteristics in the distal oesophagus were assessed by use of stationary manometry. RESULTS: The primary peristaltic amplitude in the distal third of the oesophagus was significantly higher (P < 0.002) in the non-operated GORD cases than in those recruited for surgery. Furthermore, a difference in the frequency of failed primary peristalsis was revealed (2.1 versus 8.4%) between the non-operated and operated patients. Secondary peristalsis occurred in 65 +/- 13.2% (mean +/- SE) of the healthy subjects on stimulation, which was a higher figure than in the GORD patients. In patients investigated after successful anti-reflux surgery, a secondary peristaltic wave was elicited in only 26 +/- 7.2% of the attempts, which was significantly lower than the 46 +/- 7.7% seen in non-operated GORD patients (P < 0.05). A direct comparison between motor characteristics of primary and secondary peristalsis revealed that the latter amplitudes were significantly lower both in the non-operated and in the operated cases (P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The triggering of secondary peristalsis seems to be impaired in chronic GORD patients. Investigating similar patients > 3 years after successful anti-reflux surgery revealed an even lower prevalence of secondary peristaltic waves, implying persistence of the abnormality after surgery and consistent with other evidence that GORD is associated with a primary defect in oesophageal motor function.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: The efficacy of antireflux surgery (ARS) and omeprazole treatment in the control of gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD) are well established. We have compared these two therapeutic options in a randomized, clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred and ten patients with erosive oesophagitis were enrolled into the trial. After a run-in period when all patients had < or = 40 mg of omeprazole daily to heal the oesophagitis and relieve symptoms, 155 patients were randomized to continuous omeprazole therapy and 155 to open antireflux surgery, of whom 144 later had an operation. One hundred and thirty-nine and 129 in the omeprazole and antireflux surgery groups, respectively, completed the 3-year follow-up. Symptoms, 24-h pH monitoring and endoscopy were used to document the outcome. Quality of life was evaluated by the psychological general well-being (PGWB) index and the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS). RESULTS: Analysis of time to treatment failure (defined as moderate to severe GORD symptoms for > or = 3 days during the last 7 days, oesophagitis or changed therapy) revealed a significant difference in favour of antireflux surgery (P = 0.0016). Seventeen patients originally submitted to antireflux surgery experienced symptom relapse alone, 14 had oesophagitis at endoscopy and another six had omeprazole for different reasons, leaving 97 patients in clinical remission after 3 years. The corresponding figures in the omeprazole arm were 50 relapses, 18 with oesophagitis, two had surgery, leaving 77 patients in remission. Allowing a dose adjustment in the case of relapse in those on omeprazole therapy to either 40 or 60 mg, the curves describing the failure rates were not significantly different from each other. Quality of life assessment showed a comparable outcome in the two study groups. CONCLUSION: In this randomized multicentre trial we found antireflux surgery to be very efficacious in controlling GORD, a level of control which could also be achieved by omeprazole provided that advantage was taken of the opportunity of adjusting the dose.
Adult hyperinsulinaemia is usually caused by benign insulinomas. These tumours are often small, and are associated with excellent outcome of surgical removal. In cases of negative outcome of surgical exploration, or of persistent hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia, the possibility must be considered of some rare condition such as the presence of metastatic insulinoma, B-cell hyperplasia, multiple micro- or macro-adenomas, hyperinsulinaemia factitia, or nesidiodysplasia. The latter is the most common cause of hyperinsulinaemia in children but is rare in adults. It is defined as a maldistributed islet cell mass within the normal exocrine pancreas, with disturbed control of hormone synthesis/secretion resulting in hormone overproduction, usually hyperinsulinaemia. In persistent hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia of infancy, inactivating mutations of the sulphonylurea receptor gene is one possible cause of nesidiodysplasia. Adult nesidiodysplasia is discussed in the article, and illustrated by the case of a patient undergoing distal pancreatectomy for hyperinsulinaemia, the diagnosis being subsequently established histologically. Following spleen- and duodenum-preserving subtotal (95%) pancreatectomy, the patient was symptom-free.
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A hypothesis has been formulated that mandates the adjustment of antireflux surgery to either a total or a partial wrap depending on the motor function of the esophagus to avoid dysphagia and other obstructive complaints. This hypothesis has been tested in a randomized, clinical trial where 106 chronic gastroesophageal reflux patients were allocated to either a total Nissen-Rossetti (n = 53) or a Toupet partial posterior (n = 53) fundoplication, irrespective of their preoperative esophageal motor function. All patients were followed at least 3 years, during which time none had a relapse of moderate to severe reflux symptoms. Motor dysfunctions defined as peristaltic amplitude </= 30 mmHg in the distal third and failed primary peristalsis with or without > 20% simultaneous contractions were noted in 67 patients preoperatively, but these patients did not have a specific symptom profile (e.g., dominated by obstructive symptoms) nor did seven patients with "aperistaltic esophagus." The incidence of dysphagia decreased from 20% preoperatively to 8% (mild) at 3 years after the operation with no difference between the surgical procedures. We were unable to demonstrate a relation between preoperative manometric findings and postoperative symptoms when assessed in the total group or when subdivided by the type of fundoplication (r < 0.3). Flatulence occurred more frequently among those with a total fundic wrap (p < 0.01). When patients representing motor dysfunction (see above) were specifically analyzed, we again observed no difference in outcome between those having a total or a partial fundic wrap. In conclusion, the concept of tailoring antireflux surgery based on the preoperative motor function of the esophagus in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease was not supported by the results of this clinical trial.
AIM: To observe the natural course of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients without oesophagitis following effective symptom relief, and to determine the place of acid pump inhibitor therapy in the long-term management of these patients. METHODS: We investigated the efficacy of on-demand therapy with omeprazole 20 mg or 10 mg, or placebo in a double-blind, randomized multicentre trial. It involved 424 patients with troublesome heartburn without endoscopic evidence of oesophagitis in whom heartburn had been resolved with short-term treatment. Patients were told to take study medication on demand once daily on recurrence of symptoms until symptoms resolved over a 6-month period. They also had access to antacids. The primary efficacy variable was time to discontinuation of treatment, due to unwillingness to continue. RESULTS: According to life-table analysis, after 6 months the remission rates were 83% (95% CI: 77-89%) with omeprazole 20 mg, 69% (61-77%) with omeprazole 10 mg, and 56% (46-64%) with placebo (P < 0.01 for all intergroup differences). The mean (s.d.) number of study medications used per day in these groups was 0.43 (0.27), 0.41 (0.27) and 0.47 (0.27), respectively. The use of antacids was highest in the placebo group and lowest in the omeprazole 20 mg group. Treatment failure was associated with more than a doubling of antacid use, and a deterioration in patient quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 50% of patients with heartburn who do not have oesophagitis need acid inhibitory therapy in addition to antacid medication to maintain a normal quality of life. On-demand therapy with omeprazole 20 mg, is an effective treatment strategy in these patients.
BACKGROUND: To define the clinical role of antireflux surgical procedures a proper understanding of their mode of action is required. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of total or posterior partial fundoplication on the function of the lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) in the basal state as well as during stimulation. METHODS: Patients with chronic reflux (n = 24) were randomized either to a total fundic wrap or to a posterior partial (Toupet) fundoplication. Basal LOS function was investigated as well as the response to inhibitory stimuli 4 years after operation. Inhibitory stimulation was elicited by water swallows and by gas distension (750 ml air insufflation into the stomach). RESULTS: Basal LOS tone was substantially higher (P = 0.01) after a total than a partial wrap, as was the nadir pressure after water swallows (10.1 versus 3.4 mmHg). Body position did not affect this difference. Transient LOS relaxations occurred only occasionally in the basal state. The frequency of transient LOS relaxation increased somewhat during the first 10 min of stomach distension with more occurring in patients who underwent a Toupet procedure. Common oesophagogastric cavities were more often seen in this latter group of patients after gas distension of the stomach. CONCLUSION: These physiological observations on the LOS after total and posterior partial fundoplication explain the observed clinical differences in favour of the latter operation. The partial fundoplication seems to restore the physiology of the gastro-oesophageal junction more adequately, allowing air to be vented from the stomach without jeopardizing the antireflux barrier.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: A hypothesis suggesting that profound acid inhibition therapy facilitates and hastens the development of gastric glandular atrophy in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori was investigated in this randomized study comparing omeprazole therapy with antireflux surgery (ARS) for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: Patients with esophagitis and/or chronic GERD were enrolled; 155 patients were randomized to ARS and 155 to long-term omeprazole therapy. Baseline data were obtained and repeated after 3 years in 131 ARS patients and in 139 omeprazole-treated patients. Histopathologic status of the oxyntic mucosa was assessed according to the Sydney system. RESULTS: Forty omeprazole-treated patients were infected with H. pylori compared with 53 in the ARS group. Basal gastrin levels were significantly higher in H. pylori-infected patients, particularly in the omeprazole group. No further increases in serum gastrin levels were observed during 3 years. Despite 3 years of therapy, only slight changes were found in the prevalence of inflammation in the corpus mucosa of H. pylori-infected subjects. A slow progression of gastric glandular atrophy was observed in these patients irrespective of therapy with no obvious difference between treatment regimens. Intestinal metaplasia (all of type I) was only exceptionally observed with no difference between the treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: Acid-suppressive therapy in the form of omeprazole maintained for 3 years facilitates neither the development of gastric glandular atrophy of the corpus mucosa nor the occurrence of intestinal metaplasia in H. pylori-infected GERD patients.
BACKGROUND: A disturbed epithelial barrier function has been promoted as one factor in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We therefore studied the effect of acid perfusion on the transmural potential difference (PD) of the distal esophagus in relation to onset of reflux symptoms. METHODS: PD was assessed during perfusion with saline and with 0.1 M HCl in healthy controls (n = 17) and in GERD patients without (n = 15) or with esophagitis (n = 6) and in remission after a fundoplication (n = 10). Heartburn and other upper GI symptoms were recorded concomitantly. Endoscopy-negative patients were studied before and after omeprazole treatment. RESULTS: HCl perfusion induced more lumennegative peak PD values in patients with active GERD, regardless of the presence or absence of esophagitis, than in healthy controls. After successful therapy, the PD response to acid perfusion equalled that of healthy subjects. Acid perfusion was associated with the onset of heartburn in most patients with active GERD but in none of the healthy subjects, and less frequently after medical and surgical therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The epithelial permeability to hydrogen ions differs between healthy subjects and patients with active GERD. Effective treatment, such as omeprazole or fundoplication, might improve the barrier function.
OBJECTIVE: Because improvement in quality of life (QoL) is an important therapeutic goal in patients with heartburn but without esophagitis, the aim of the present study was to compare the impact of omeprazole 20 mg or 10 mg daily with that of placebo on QoL in patients with heartburn as the predominant symptom. METHODS: QoL was measured at baseline and after 4 wk using two validated questionnaires, the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. RESULTS: The two questionnaires were completed by 163 patients in the omeprazole 20 mg group, 163 in the omeprazole 10 mg group, and 82 in the placebo group. The reflux dimension of the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale showed a significant improvement in terms of reflux symptoms on omeprazole 20 mg versus omeprazole 10 mg and placebo, and on omeprazole 10 mg compared with placebo. The total score of the PGWB index improved significantly more on both doses of omeprazole than on placebo. The mean scores rose from 96.8 to 103.9 on omeprazole 20 mg, from 98.4 to 106.0 on omeprazole 10 mg, and from 98.0 to 100.6 on placebo. All dimensions of the PGWB index improved on treatment with omeprazole, but the improvements were most pronounced in the dimensions depicting anxiety, depressed mood, and self-control. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that treatment with omeprazole 20 mg and omeprazole 10 mg restores QoL to a level comparable with that observed in a healthy population.
OBJECTIVE: During recent years considerable interest has been focused on quality of life as an additional therapeutic outcome measure in the surgical treatment of gastric carcinoma. However, the long term consequences of gastrectomy and the impact on quality of life of different reconstructive techniques are still a matter of controversy. To broaden the criteria for choice of treatment, we conducted a prospective randomized clinical trial to determine the impact of various gastrectomy procedures on quality of life during a 5-yr follow-up period. METHODS: Consecutive patients (n = 64) eligible for curative gastric cancer surgery were randomized to have either total (n = 31) or subtotal (n = 13) gastrectomy or a jejunal S-shaped pouch (n = 20) as a gastric substitute after total gastrectomy. Assessments of quality of life were made on seven occasions during a 5-yr period: within 1 wk before surgery, 3 and 12 months after the surgical intervention, and then once/yr. All patients were interviewed by one of two psychiatrists, who rated their symptoms and introduced standardized self-report questionnaires covering both general and specific aspects of life. The raters were blinded for the patients' group affiliations. RESULTS: Survival rates were similar in all treatment groups. Patients who had a total gastrectomy continued to suffer from alimentary symptoms, especially indigestion and diarrhea, during the entire follow-up period. However, patients who underwent subtotal gastrectomy had a significantly better outcome already during the first postoperative yr. Patients given a gastric substitute after gastrectomy improved with the passage of time and had an even better outcome in the long run. CONCLUSIONS: To optimize the rehabilitation after gastrectomy, patients' quality of life must be taken into consideration. When subtotal gastrectomy is clinically feasible, this procedure has advantages in the early postoperative period. However, a pouch reconstruction after total gastrectomy should be considered in patients having a favorable tumor status suggesting a fair chance of long term survival.
BACKGROUND: As part of a prospective observational trial, we set out to determine the direct and indirect costs of an open versus a laparoscopic fundoplication for chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). METHODS: Two groups of patients, each comprising 28 subjects, were studied. RESULTS: All patients received a functioning fundoplication that did not require any additional therapy. Because 19 and 12 patients in the open and laparoscopy groups, respectively, were employed in the work force, we were able to assess the costs due to loss of production. The mean operating time was similar for both groups, but postoperative stay differed significantly; though it amounted to 8 days for the open group, it was only 2 days for the laparoscopy group. Postoperative sick leave was 29.9 days in the open and 9.9 in the laparoscopy group (p < 0.05). The costs of the operations were 18,363 SEK for laparoscopy and 12,856 SEK for conventional fundoplication. On the other hand, the cost for hospital stay amounted to 35,488 SEK in the open group but was only 25,571 SEK for those undergoing laparoscopy. When we add outpatient visits, endoscopies, and other medical expenses, the total direct costs in the laparoscopy group come to 27,693 SEK, as compared to 37,482 SEK for the open fundoplication. The indirect medical costs, which were dominated by loss of production (36,732 versus 12,126 SEK), came to 37,126 and 12,595 SEK in the open and laparoscopy groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The total community-based costs for the open and laparoscopic operations for chronic GERD amounted to 74,608 and 40,289 SEK, respectively. Thus, we would recommend the laparoscopic procedure in most cases.
BACKGROUND: Mosapride is a novel prokinetic agent facilitating acetylcholine release from the enteric cholinergic neurones through a selective 5-HT4 receptor agonistic action. It is also active through its main metabolite M1, which is a 5-HT3 antagonist. The importance of motor dysfunction in the pathogenesis of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) makes it interesting to examine the effect of mosapride on oesophageal acid exposure. METHODS: The effect of mosapride on oesophageal 24-h acid reflux variables was studied in 21 patients with GERD symptoms and a pre-entry total acid exposure time (pH < 4) of more than 5%. Ambulatory pH monitoring was performed after treatment with 40 mg mosapride citrate or placebo q.d.s. for 2 days in random order, using a double-blind crossover technique, with a washout period of at least 5 days. RESULTS: Mosapride was significantly more effective than placebo in decreasing the total number of reflux episodes, the total number of reflux episodes lasting more than 5 min and the total time, as well as the amount of day time, of intra-oesophageal pH below 4. Consequently, mosapride also significantly improved total acid clearance time. CONCLUSION: Mosapride 40 mg q.d.s. is effective in decreasing acid reflux in the oesophagus in patients with GERD and therefore has the potential to be effective in the treatment of this disease.
BACKGROUND: Weight loss after total gastrectomy is a regular occurrence. Reconstruction with a gastric substitute has been suggested to facilitate recovery, but few randomized studies are available. METHODS: In a randomized study comparing subtotal, total and total gastrectomy with an S-shaped pouch, 36 patients who had total gastrectomy with or without a pouch survived for more than 3 (mean 5.2) years. Body composition (four-chamber model, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, anthropometric data) was evaluated before operation, after 12 months and at long-term follow-up. Food intake was registered as a 4-day food record at 12 months and at long-term follow-up. RESULTS: At long-term follow-up those allocated to the gastric substitute arm had lesser degrees of weight loss consisting mainly of the depletion of body fat stores, whereas lean body mass showed no significant decrease when adjusted for the process of ageing. There was no significant difference in food intake. CONCLUSION: Reconstruction with an S-shaped gastric substitute facilitates long-term recovery after total gastrectomy and should be considered when the prognosis is favourable.