Oesophagus, Stomach and Duodenum 2 Flashcards
GORD - Definitions
A condition which develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms – >2 episodes of heartburn per week and/or complications.
Dysfunction of the lower oesophageal sphincter predisposes to the gastro-oesophageal reflux of acid.
If reflux is prolonged or excessive it may cause oesophagitis, benign oesophageal stricture or Barrett’s oesophagus.
GORD - Predisposing Factors
Hiatus hernia, lower oesophageal sphincter hypotension, loss of oesophageal peristaltic function, abdominal obesity, gastric acid hypersecretion, delayed gastric emptying, overeating, smoking, alcohol, pregnancy, surgery in achalasia, drugs (TCAs, anticholinergics or nitrates), systemic sclerosis or Helicobacter pylori.
GORD - Los Angeles Classification
- Grade 1 – more than 1 mucosal break <5mm long not extending beyond 2 mucosal fold tops.
- Grade 2 – a mucosal break >5mm long but limited to the space between 2 mucosal fold tops.
- Grade 3 – a long mucosal break which involves <75% of the oesophageal circumference.
- Grade 4 – a long mucosal break that involves >75% of the oesophageal circumference.
GORD - Symptoms
- Oesophageal – heartburn (burning, retrosternal discomfort related to meals, lying down, stooping or straining and relived by antiacids), belching, acid brash (acid or bile regurgitation), waterbrash (excessive salivation) and odynophagia (painful swallowing from oesophagitis).
- Extra-oesophageal – nocturnal asthma, chronic cough, laryngitis (throat clearing) and sinusitis.
GORD - Complications
Oesophagitis, ulcers, benign strictures, Barrett’s oesophagus (transformation of the distal oesophagus from squamous to columnar epithelium) and oesophageal adenocarcinoma.
GORD - Investigations
Isolated symptoms do not require investigation but perform upper GI endoscopy if patient >55 years, symptoms >4 weeks, dysphagia, persistent symptoms despite treatment, relapsing symptoms or weight loss.
A barium swallow may show a hiatus hernia and 24 hour oesophageal pH monitoring ± manometry can help to diagnose GORD when endoscopy is normal.
GORD - Conservative Management
Lifestyle – encourage weight loss, smoking cessation, raise the bed head and have small, regular meals. Avoid hot drinks, alcohol, citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, carbonated drinks, spicy food, coffee, tea, chocolate and eating <3 hours before going to bed.
Avoid drugs affecting oesophageal motility (nitrates, anticholinergics, tricyclic antidepressants or calcium channel blockers) or that damage the mucosa (NSAIDs, K+ salts or bisphosphonates).
GORD - Medical Management
Give antacids e.g. 10mL Magnesium trisilicate mixture TDS or alginates e.g. 10-20mL Gaviscon advance TDS to relieve symptoms.
For oesophagitis give 30mg Lansoprazole OD/BD.
GORD - Surgical Management
A Nissen’s fundoplication is indicated if symptoms are severe, refractory to medical therapy and there is severe reflux confirmed by pH monitoring.
Atypical symptoms e.g. cough or laryngitis are less likely to improve following surgery than typical symptoms.
Hiatus Hernia - Definition
Common affecting 30% of patients over 30 years and 50% have symptomatic GORD.
80% are sliding where the gastro-oesophageal junction slides into the chest (through diaphragm) causing lower oesophageal sphincter to become less competent.
20% are rolling where the junction remains in the abdomen but a section of the stomach herniates into the chest next to the oesophagus.
Hiatus Hernia - Investigations
Barium swallow is the best diagnostic test (upper GI endoscopy can visualise the mucosa and diagnose oesophagitis but cannot reliably exclude a hiatus hernia).
Hiatus Hernia - Management
Lose weight, stop smoking, eat smaller meals earlier in the evening, raise the head of the bed and treat the symptoms of reflux – with antacids, H2 receptor antagonists, proton pump inhibitors or alginate preparations (form a raft on top of the stomach).
Indications for surgery are intractable symptoms despite aggressive medical therapy or complications e.g. ulceration, bleeding or stricture formation. However it is also advised to electively repair a rolling hiatus hernia prophylactically as it may strangulate which would be an emergency.
Laparoscopic Nissens Fundiplication
Fundus of the stomach is mobilised and wrapped around the lower end of the oesophagus providing a high pressure area designed to prevent reflux.
Ulcers - Definition and Epidemiology
- Definition – ulcer formation associated with acid and can occur at several sites e.g. the duodenum (most common), stomach, oesophagus, jejunum (in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome), Meckel’s diverticulum (if it contains ectopic gastric mucosa) or occasionally at the site of previous gastroenterostomy.
- Epidemiology – duodenal ulceration commonly occurs in men aged 45-55 years. Gastric ulceration tends to present later between 55-65 years. 95% of duodenal ulcers occur within 2cm of the pylorus.
Ulcers - Presentation
Peptic ulcers present with epigastric pain (worse at night and may radiate to the back), dyspepsia or bleeding.
There is no reliable method of distinguishing clinically between gastric and duodenal ulcers although pain may be eased by food in duodenal or worsened by food in gastric ulcers.
Ulcers - Risk Factors
Helicobacter pylori infection, prolonged use of NSAIDs, smoking, increased acid secretion, coffee consumption and co-morbidities such as liver or renal failure or hyper-parathyroidism.
Helicobacter pylori – the mechanism of injury is 2 fold – firstly the effects of toxins released from the bacteria and the body’s inflammatory response leads to direct injury of the protective gastric mucosal barrier. Secondly the associated gastritis is associated with increased gastrin induced acid secretion.
Ulcers - Investigations
Upper GI endoscopy to confirm the presence of an ulcer and to test for the presence of H pylori.
Biopsy of all gastric ulcers is essential to avoid missing early gastric malignancy.
Ulcers - Medical Management
Those colonised with H pylori should undergo eradication therapy (PPI and antibiotic regime).
Smoking cessation should be advised and NSAIDs and aspirin should be stopped and alternatives prescribed. With this regime the majority of ulcers can be managed medically.
Ulcers - Surgical Management
Usually only required for complications such as haemorrhage, perforation or pyloric stenosis though may be considered for the few patients who are not responsive or tolerant to medical therapy.
Ulcers - Elective Surgery
- Truncal or selective vagotomy – the vagus nerve stimulates acid secretion so division of these branches can reduce the amount of acid produced. Unfortunately other branches of the vagus nerve (called the nerves of Latarjet) normally relax the pyloric muscles enabling emptying of the stomach so a drainage procedure e.g. a pyloroplasty (a longitudinal incision is closed transversely to widen the pylorus) or gastroenterostomy (pylorus is bypassed) is also required.
- Antrectomy with vagotomy – the distal half of the stomach is removed (partial gastrectomy) in combination with a vagotomy. The stomach is then anastomosed directly with the duodenum (Bilroth I procedure) or with a loop of the jejunum (Bilroth II procedure or Polya gastrectomy).
- Gastrectomy with Roux en Y – is rarely required but may be in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.
Ulcers - Emergency Surgery
- Haemorrhage – may be controlled endoscopically with adrenaline injection, diathermy, laser coagulation or heat probe. An operation should be considered for severe haemorrhage or re-bleeding especially in elderly. During surgery the bleeding ulcer base is underrun or oversewn.
- Perforation – most patients undergo surgery though some advocate an initial conservative approach in patients without generalised peritonitis – nil by mouth, NG tube and IV antibiotics can prevent surgery in up to 50%. If emergency surgery is required a laparoscopic repair of the hole will usually suffice (although it has a worse reoccurrence rate than open repairs).
- Pyloric stenosis – a late complication presenting with vomiting of large amounts of food some hours after meals. First line management is with endoscopic balloon dilatation followed by maximal acid suppression (risk of perforation is 5%). If this is unsuccessful a drainage procedure e.g. gastro-enterostomy or pyloroplasty ± a highly selective vagotomy may be performed.
Types of Gastric Surgery
- For early gastric malignancy – may be treated with endoscopic resection.
- For localised disease – treated by curative gastrectomy – D1 resection – excision of tumour and perigastric nodes or D2 resection – a D1 procedure plus excision of coeliac axis lymph nodes.
- Roux en Y anastomosis – the proximal duodenum is oversewn, the proximal jejunum is divided from the distal duodenum and connects with the oesophagus (or proximal stomach after subtotal gastrectomy) whilst the distal duodenum is connected to the distal jejunum.
Gastric Surgery - Early Complications
Haemorrhage, duodenal stump leakage or failure of the stomach to empty and bilious vomiting – this is difficult to treat but again usually improves over time.
Gastric Surgery - Late Complications
Postvagotomy diarrhoea (give codeine phosphate), blind loop syndrome (e.g. in Bilroth II procedure leads to bacterial overgrowth, anaemia, malnutrition, weight loss), biliary vomiting, alkaline gastritis, anaemia (due to lack of intrinsic factor, vitamin B12 and iron), osteomalacia (due to lack of vitamin D and calcium) and recurrent ulceration or malignancy.
Dumping syndrome – abdominal distension, flushing, sweating, nausea and fainting after eating due to food of high osmotic potential being dumped in the jejunum causing oligaemia from rapid fluid shifts. Late dumping is due to rebound hypoglycaemia and occurs 1-3 hours after meals. Both tend to improve over time but may be helped by eating less carbohydrate and more guar and pectin (slows glucose absorption).
