No abstract

Removal of bile duct stones during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) usually includes papillotomy. Papillotomy is associated with occasional complications and in addition, the longterm sequelae of papillotomy in young patients having laparoscopic cholecystectomy remain unclear. As an alternative to papillotomy, this study prospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of endoscopic balloon sphincteroplasty to facilitate bile duct clearance. Of 32 patients with bile duct stones (diameter 3-30 mm) at ERCP, sphincteroplasty was considered inappropriate in four patients because of stone size (>20 mm) necessitating papillotomy for bile duct clearance. Spincteroplasty was performed in the remaining 28 patients to permit duct clearance by dormier basket, balloon or mechanical lithotripsy. The bile duct was cleared in 22 patients (79%) while additional measures including papillotomy or stent insertion were required in the remaining six patients (21%) because of stone size or technical difficulties. There was no associated papillary haemorrhage. Pancreatitis was seen in one patient (4%) but resolved within 24 hours. Our preliminary experience suggests that sphincteroplasty is a safe and effective sphincter preservation technique that significantly reduces the necessity for papillotomy in the management of bile duct stones.

Background Stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SCM) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) includes predominant apical or basal regional left ventricular dysfunction (RLVD) with concomitant changes in electrocardiogram or increase in cardiac enzymes. We hypothesized that difference in outcome is associated with the type of RLVD after SAH. Methods We studied a single-center retrospective cohort of SAH patients hospitalized between 2000 and 2010 with follow-up until 2013. We classified patients who had an echocardiogram for clinically indicated reasons according to the predominate location of RLVD as classic SCM-apical form and variant SCM-basal form. A Cox proportional hazard model and logistic regression were used to estimate risk for death and hospital complications associated with different RLVD, after adjustment for propensity to undergo echocardiography given clinical characteristics on admission. Results Among 715 SAH patients 28% (200/715) had an echocardiogram for clinical evidence of cardiac dysfunction during hospitalization, the most common being acute LV dysfunction, suspected acute ischemic event, changes in electrocardiogram and cardiac enzymes and arrhythmia. SCM was present in 59 patients (8% of all cohort and 30% of patients with echocardiogram, respectively) with similar distribution of SCM-basal (25/59) and SCM-Apical forms (34/59). SAH patients who had an echocardiogram for clinically indicated reasons had a significantly decreased risk-adjusted long-term survival compared to those without an echocardiogram, regardless of the presence of RLVD. SCM-basal was associated with cardiac complications (OR 6.1, 99% CI 1.8–20.2) and severe sepsis (OR 5.3 99% CI 1.6–17.2). Conclusions SAH patients with echocardiogram for a clinically indicated reason have a decreased long-term survival, regardless of the presence of RLVD. The association between severe sepsis and SCM-basal warrants future studies to determine their potential synergistic effect on LV systolic dysfunction among SAH patients.

No abstract