Background: Persistent or de novo gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may be a significant clinical issue after gastric/bariatric surgical procedures. We investigated the effect of magnetic sphincter augmentation (MSA) in the treatment of GERD after previous gastric/bariatric surgery. Database: We conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement. We searched multiple databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus) up to May 2019. We also queried the prospectively collected database of patients who underwent MSA at our tertiary-care hospital and compared postsurgical to naïve patients operated during the same time period. Results: Seven studies (3 case series and 4 case reports), for a total of 35 patients, met the inclusion criteria in the systematic review. The most common index operation was a bariatric procedure, either sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. After MSA implant, the Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health-Related Quality of Life (GERD-HRQL) score significantly improved compared to baseline (P ϭ .005). Two patients (5.7%) required laparoscopic device removal. In the local institutional cohort series of 67 patients treated by MSA, the prevalence of preoperative grade B esophagitis, operative time, size of MSA, and length of stay were greater in patients with prior gastric surgery compared to naïve patients. Conclusions: MSA is a safe, simple, and standardized antireflux procedure. It is also feasible in patients with refractory GERD following gastric/bariatric surgery. Further prospective and comparative studies are needed to validate the preliminary clinical experience in this subset of patients.

Background: At present, little research has been done to clarify why some achalasia patients do not lose weight or are even obese and to investigate their nutritional status. The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors of malnutrition in these patients and to assess their response to treatment. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on consecutive patients referred to a tertiary-care center for laparoscopic or endoscopic treatment of achalasia. Demographics, anthropometric variables, presenting symptoms, and results of the objective investigation were recorded on a prospectively collected database. The severity of symptoms and the nutritional risk were assessed by the Eckardt score and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), respectively, before and after treatment. Results. Between 2013 and 2019, 171 patients met the study inclusion criteria. There were 87 (50.9%) male and the median age was 53.0 (39–66) years. The median Eckardt score was 6 (interquartile range 3). Based on the MUST score, 121 (70.8%) patients were classified at moderate/high risk of malnutrition. Of these, 93 (76.9%) were overweight or obese. Compared to low-risk group, predictive factors of moderate/high risk of malnutrition were higher Eckardt score [odds ratio (OR) 1.63; 95% CI, 1.35–1.99], more severe dysphagia (OR 2.68, 95% CI, 1.66–4.30), and greater absolute weight loss (OR 2.37; 95% CI, 1.77–3.17). The latter was the only independent predictive factor of malnutrition (OR 2.54; 95% CI, 1.69–3.82). After treatment, the measured MUST score was 0 in 96% of patients. Conclusions: Over 70% of achalasia patients were at moderate/high risk of malnutrition. These individuals may benefit from a perioperative multidisciplinary approach including dietary intervention to stabilize weight and improve their nutritional status.