Citations

Goals: This study aimed to assess perspectives and practices among expert gastroenterologists regarding the screening, diagnosis, and management of BE. Background: Significant variability in the management of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) persists among physicians despite the development and dissemination of several clinical practice guidelines. Study: An online survey was conducted with 38 expert gastroenterologists specializing in BE management. The 38-question survey evaluated demographics, medical management, and attitudes toward endoscopic treatment, with responses analyzed for trends and variations. Results: Of the 38 experts, 34 (89%) responded. Respondents were primarily male (85%), with 82% affiliated with academic hospitals and 53% clinically focused on BE. Half discussed BE risks during initial consultations for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Most (61.8%) agreed BE should be considered in women with chronic GERD, and 88.2% regularly used narrow-band imaging (NBI). However, 44% were neutral or disagreed with diagnosing BE based solely on community gastroenterologist biopsies, and acceptance of Wide-Area Transepithelial Sampling with 3D Analysis (WATS-3D) for Barrett’s esophagus diagnosis and surveillance was limited. Fifty-three percent recommended ablation for nondysplastic BE. Fifty-two percent recommended indefinite daily PPI therapy after complete eradication of intestinal metaplasia (CEIM), regardless of symptoms. When encountering cardia intestinal metaplasia after endoscopic eradication, 38% recommended ablation, while 47% continued surveillance. Conclusion: This study highlights substantial variations in the management of BE among expert gastroenterologists, despite the existence of updated guidelines. Identifying these discrepancies is crucial for optimizing care. Further efforts are needed to standardize practices and enhance the implementation of evidence-based guidelines in clinical settings.

Background: Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is an established treatment for severe obesity and its related comorbidities. While long-term outcomes are often emphasized, early postoperative complications remain a critical metric of safety and resource utilization. Large database studies have reported national trends in MBS outcomes but are limited by lack of granularity, inconsistent definitions, and inclusion of heterogeneous surgical experience. This study aimed to provide a detailed analysis of 30-day postoperative complications following sleeve gastrectomy (SG), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and duodenal switch (DS) over a 17-year period at a single high-volume quaternary academic center. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study of adult patients who underwent primary laparoscopic SG, RYGB, or DS between 2008 and 2024. All procedures were performed by fellowship-trained, minimally invasive bariatric surgeons. Complications occurring within 30 days postoperatively were identified through comprehensive chart review and classified using the Clavien-Dindo grading system. Primary outcomes included incidence, severity, and type of complications, as well as rates of readmission, reoperation, and reintervention. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of overall and major complications. Results: Of 2190 patients included, 413 (18.9%) experienced at least 1 early complication, totaling 467 discrete events. DS had the highest complication rate (29.3%), followed by RYGB (18.4%) and SG (17.5%). RYGB was associated with a high burden of major complications, including anastomotic strictures, GI bleeding, and reoperations for obstruction or leak. The 30-day rates of readmission (2.0%) and reoperation (1.3%) were low across all groups. Independent predictors of major complications included venous stasis (aOR=3.22), renal insufficiency (aOR=2.65), and type 2 diabetes (aOR=1.96); both RYGB (aOR=2.25) and DS (aOR=2.77) carried higher risk than SG. Conclusion: This study provides a granular, procedure-specific profile of early complications after SG, RYGB, and DS. While all 3 procedures demonstrated acceptable safety profiles, DS had the highest overall complication rate, and RYGB carried the greatest burden of major complications. These findings underscore the variability in early postoperative outcomes by procedure type and reflect the value of institutional experience in characterizing complication profiles.

Abstract Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) have a propensity to transform to an accelerated or blast phase (MPN-AP/BP). The resulting disease has clinically similar manifestations to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) but worse clinical outcomes. Here we present the first comprehensive description of the transcriptomic characteristics of MPN-AP/BP. Our analysis incorporates data from 261 patients of the BeatAML cohort and 56 MPN-AP/BP patients, 11 of whom had paired samples from before and after transformation. We establish that transformed MPN is a transcriptionally distinct entity from de novo AML and chronic phase MPNs. Genomic pathways traditionally associated with MPN pathogenesis, such as IL2/STAT5 signaling and IL6/JAK/STAT3 signaling were enriched in chronic-phase MPNs but are absent in transformed disease, suggesting JAK2 directed therapy may be less effective in this disease phase. We also discovered that gene expression signatures associated with doxorubicin resistance are highly enriched in transformed MPNs, which may explain the lack of efficacy of standard AML therapies. In addition, we identify that lineage composition at the time of transformation may define distinct subsets of MPN-AP/BP patients, which may assist in the future development of novel treatment strategies.

Autonomic medicine is a rapidly evolving field focused on understanding diseases and processes that affect the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS regulates essential involuntary physiologic processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion. This review introduces the key anatomical structures, physiological mechanisms, and biochemical processes underlying autonomic function. The anatomy section focuses on the peripheral components of the ANS, including the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The physiological section explores the process of homeostasis and the intricate feedback systems that maintain this balance within the body. Finally, the biochemistry of autonomic signaling, focusing on the neurotransmitters acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, and their receptors, is reviewed. Pertinent clinical points are highlighted throughout, emphasizing the importance of the basic science to the clinical world. This review aims to provide a comprehensive basic science foundation for clinicians and researchers exploring the field of autonomic medicine.

Introduction: Mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) has emerged as a minimally invasive option for high-risk surgical candidates with severe and symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR), but post-procedure residual mitral valve (MV) dysfunction remains a significant concern. This study evaluates the clinical utility of combining artificial intelligence applied to electrocardiograms (ECG-AI) for diastolic dysfunction (DD) grading and the echocardiography-derived velocity time integral of the MV and left ventricular outflow tract ratio (VTIMV/LVOT) in predicting prognosis in patients post-M-TEER. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent M-TEER between 2014 and 2021 was conducted. Patients were categorized based on VTIMV/LVOT and ECG-AI scores into three groups: both normal parameters, either abnormal parameter, or both abnormal parameters to compare outcomes (mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events [MACE], and the need for subsequent MV reintervention) using Kaplan–Meier analysis, multivariable Cox regression models, and net reclassification improvement. Results: Overall, 250 patients were included; the median age was 79.5 (IQR: 73.1, 84.6) and 66.4% were male. The combined abnormal VTIMV/LVOT (≥2.5) and ECG-AI score for DD (>1) was associated with higher risk of one-year mortality (adjusted HR: 4.56 [1.04–19.89], p = 0.044) and MACE (adjusted HR: 3.72 [1.09–12.72], p = 0.037) compared to patients with both normal parameters. Conclusions: This study highlights the potential additive value of integrating VTIMV/LVOT and ECG-AI scores as a prognostic tool for a personalized approach to the post-operative evaluation and risk stratification in M-TEER patients.