Introduction: TROJ (tumor-related obstructive jaundice) is one of the most common indications for endoscopic retrograde choleopancreatography (ERCP) with endoscopic biliary stenting. Despite the effectiveness of this procedure, especially in palliative patients, it is not without flaws. Ascending bacterial cholangitis, a common stenting complication, occurs in about 0.5–1.7% of cases. The authors’ intention was to investigate whether this complication occurs solely due to the procedure or whether it is a result of an underlying bacterial infection in the dilated, obstructed bile and pancreatic ducts. Methods: Sixteen patients with painless obstructive jaundice related to a tumor located in or in the proximity of the bile duct were enrolled for this study. Prior to endoscopic palliative stenting we harvested bile and pancreatic fluid and the proceeded with the initial procedure. Results: In 14 cases (87.5%) we managed to restore the patency of the bile duct endoscopically. Additionaly, we observed that in 13 cases (81.25%) bacteria were present in the bile and/or pancreatic fluid. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus mitis - present in 7 cases (43.75%). The most effective antibiotics for discovered S. mitis strains were cefuroxime and vancomycin. Conclusion: Primal bacterial pathogenes may be present in obstructed bile and pancreatic ducts prior to endoscopic intervention. The connection between Streptocccus mitis and TROJ needs further investigation.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem, occurring more frequently in developed countries. In Poland, it affects approximately 4 million people, which constitutes 10.8% of the population. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) requires renal replacement therapy – dialysis therapy or kidney transplantation. Kidney transplantation, supported by immunosuppressive therapy, is the preferred method of treating ESRD, improving the quality and length of life of patients.Aim and Methods: The aim of the study was to determine the long-term effects of kidney transplantation, including proper graft function, the frequency of adverse effects of immunosuppressive therapy, the degree of patient compliance with therapeutic recommendations, and the incidence of malignancies. A survey was conducted in a group of 137 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between 2006 and 2015. Hospitalization data were also analyzed, including age, body weight and blood type of the recipient.Results: Of the 137 patients studied, 61 were women and 76 were men. The mean age of the patients was 45.1 years. The most common etiology of CKD was glomerulonephritis. After kidney transplantation, 86.86% of patients declared normal graft function. Post-transplant weight gain was noted in 75.18% of patients. 11.68% of recipients developed malignancies, with an average time from transplantation to diagnosis of 5.1 years. Of the patients with cancer, 93.75% maintained normal graft function.Conclusions: Long-term effects of kidney transplantation are satisfactory, with a high percentage of patients maintaining normal graft function. Complications associated with immunosuppressive therapy are comparable to literature data. It is necessary to increase patient awareness of modifiable risk factors to improve treatment outcomes. The incidence of malignancy after transplantation is lower than in the literature, but the methodological limitations of the study must be taken into account. Cancer treatment had no significant effect on graft function in most cases.

Introduction: Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) is one of the most common disorders of the alimentary tract. Apart from troublesome symptoms, untreated GERD can lead to Barrett’s esophagus and, as a consequence, esophageal adenocarcinoma. As for now, the most common treatment of GERD is PPI pharmacotherapy. However, in a number of cases, this treatment is not sufficient or the patient does not tolerate PPI-group drugs. In such cases, interventional therapy is recommended. So far, laparoscopic fundoplication has been the only suggested option. Other, minimally invasive procedures such as Stretta, MUSE, TIFF, or EsophyX were not recommended due to the lack of clinical data. In 2014, Professor H.Inoue from the Digestive Diseases Center, Showa University in Japan reported on the first series of novel, endoscopic, anti-reflux procedures: anti-reflux mucosectomy (ARMS) and anti-reflux mucosal ablation (ARMA). Methods: We conducted our prospective, single-center study in 30 patients (14 female, 16 male) with PPI-refractory GERD. All patients underwent FSSG and GERD-HRQL evaluation and GE junction pressure study prior, 6 weeks and 6 months after the procedures. After the procedure, all patients received PPI treatment for 4 weeks. Results: We successfully completed the procedures in all 30 patients. The mean procedure time was 42 minutes. No complications occurred. In 86.67% (26) of our patients, we achieved total remission of GERD symptoms, FSSG scores < 6 and GERD-HRQL scores < 8. Conclusions: The results of our study show that ARMS and ARMA are simple, safe, improve GERD-related symptoms, and restore the GE junction’s anti-reflux capacity.

Endoscopic management of post-cholecystectomy cystic duct stump biliary leakage: Single-centre experience - Turkish Journal of Surgery

Laparoscopic adjustible gastric binding (LAGB) is one of most common surgical methods of treating obesity. Gastric band migration (erosion) is a typical LAGB complication, with a frequency of about 1-4%. The aim of the study was to present the possibilities of endoscopic diagnosis and treatment of this complication. The study was carried out in the Department of Gastroenterological, Oncological and General Surgery in Łódź. Between 2008 and 2015, 450 gastric bands were implanted using the laparoscopic technique in 318 (71%) women and 132 (29%) men. In this period 7 cases of band migration were diagnosed - 3 cases in men (2.3%) and 4 cases in women (1.3%), what presents 1.56% of general number of complications. Five out of 7 eroded bands were qualified for endoscopic removal. Four out of 5 qualified eroded bands were removed using the gastric band cutting technique. In one case we used the musculo-mucosal incision technique. In order to diagnose early perforations all patients underwent control passage examinations with oral contrast (gastrografin) 3-6 hours after the procedure. All 5 out of 5 qualified eroded gastric bands were successfully removed with the endoscopic method, which gives 100% success rate in own material. Two endoscopic methods were used: 1) endoscopic gastric band cutting, 2) endoscopic musculo-mucosal incision. Endoscopy gives a possibility of instant diagnosis of gastric band migration and early minimally invasive treatment. One of our endoscopic methods of removing the bands by making several incisions of the musculo-mucosal plicae has not yet been described in professional medical literature.