Upper GI Flashcards
What are the presenting features of GORD?
Retrosternal burning chest/epigastric pain that is worse when lying down, after meals, bending over or straining.
- Excessive belching
- Odynophagia
- Chronic/Nocturnal cough
What are some red flag features you should check for that could indicate a GI malignancy when a person presents with GORD symptoms?
Dysphagia
Weight loss
Early sateity
Malaise
Loss of appetite
What investigations are done to confirm a diangosis of GORD?
Usually a Hx and resolution with PPI is enough
May do endoscopy if suspect malignancy (dysphagia or >55 with alarm symptoms) or complications
- Gold standard: 24h pH monitoring combined with oesophageal manometry to exclude oesophageal dysmotility. Used when medical treatment fails and surgery is being considered
What are the main post op complications of fundoplication?
Dysphagia (if too tight)
Bloating
Inability to vomit/belch (Gas-Bloat syndrome)
New onset diarrhoea
Most s/e settle after 6 weeks
What are some of the complications of GORD?
Aspiration pneumonia
Barrett’s oesophagus (Fundoplication does not lower risk of this developing into cancer)
Oesophagitis
Oesophageal strictures
Oesophageal cancer
What are the histological types of oesophageal cancer and what is their typical location?
SCC- middle and upper thirds. RF smoking and alcohol
adenocarcinoma - lower third RF barrets
palliative tx for oesophageal cancer
oesophageal stent
radio/chemo
thickened fluid and nutritional supplements
What are the main complications of an oesophagectomy used to treat oesophageal cancer?
- Pneumonia (most common)
- Anastomotic leak!!! (any deterioration in oesophagectomy patient is leak until proven otherwise)
- Death
- Post operative nutrition issues (lose reservoir capacity of stomach so need feeding jejunostomy or small frequent meals)
Why is an oesophageal perforation a surgical emergency that needs rapid recognition and management?
Perforation leads to leakage of stomach contents into the mediastinum and pleural cavity triggering a severe inflammatory response which rapidly becomes overwhelming causing physiological collapse and multi-organ failure and death
What is the surgical management of a full thickness oesophageal tear?
- On-table endoscopy to locate site and decide incision site
- Thoracotomy
- Control leak by repairing with diaphragm
- Wash out chest
- Decompress with Transgastric drain or endoscopically placed NG tube
- Feeding jejunostomy as need CT at 10-14 days to show no leakage before oral intake
What is the anatomy of the oesophagus in terms of the muscles?
25cm
Upper third + UOS: skeletal
Middle third: transition zone of skeletal and smooth
Lower third + LOS: smooth
Describe the peristalsis of the oesophagus.
Controlled by myenteric neurones
- Primary wave: under control of swallowing centre
- Secondary wave: activated in response to distension
What is achalasia and what is the pathophysiology of this?
Failure of relaxation of the LOS and progressive failure of contraction of the oesophageal smooth muscle
Food bolus gets stuck as cannot pass into stomach and proximal oesophagus damaged as constantly pushing against obstruction
Histologically there is progressive destruction of the ganglion cells in the myenteric plexus
How is achalasia managed conservatively?
Non-Pharmacological
Sleep with many pillows to stop regurg
Eat slowly
Chew food thoroughly
Take lots of fluids with food
Pharmacological
CCBs/Nitrates for temporary relief
Botox into LOS by endoscopy every few months
What is diffuse oesophageal spasm and what is the pathophysiology of this?
Multi-focal high amplitude contractions of the oesophagus
- Dysfunction of oesophageal inhibitory nerves