Abstract Background Symptomatic gallstones are common. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a bile acid that dissolves gallstones. There is increasing interest in UDCA for symptomatic gallstones, particularly in those unfit for surgery. Method A UK clinician survey of use and opinions about UDCA in symptomatic gallstones was performed, assessing clinicians’ beliefs and perceptions of UDCA effectiveness. A systematic review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases were searched for studies of UDCA for symptomatic gallstones (key terms included ‘ursodeoxycholic acid’; ‘UDCA’; ‘biliary pain’; and ‘biliary colic’). Information was assessed by two authors, including bias assessment, with independent review of conflicts. Results Overall, 102 clinicians completed the survey, and 42 per cent had previous experience of using UDCA. Survey responses demonstrated clinical equipoise surrounding the benefit of UDCA for the management of symptomatic gallstones, with no clear consensus for benefit or non-benefit; however, 95 per cent would start using UDCA if there was a randomized clinical trial (RCT) demonstrating a benefit. Eight studies were included in the review: four RCTs, three prospective studies, and one retrospective study. Seven of eight studies were favourable of UDCA for biliary pain. Outcomes and follow-up times were heterogenous, as well as comparator type, with only four of eight studies comparing with placebo. Conclusion Evidence for UDCA in symptomatic gallstones is scarce and heterogenous. Clinicians currently managing symptomatic gallstone disease are largely unaware of the benefit of UDCA, and there is clinical equipoise surrounding the benefit of UDCA. Level 1 evidence is required by clinicians to support UDCA use in the future.

Oesophageal perforation is an uncommon surgical emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. The timing and type of intervention is crucial and there has been a major paradigm shift towards minimal invasive management over the last 15 years. Herein, we review our management of spontaneous and iatrogenic oesophageal perforations and assess the short- and long-term outcomes. We performed a retrospective review of consecutive patients presenting with intra-thoracic oesophageal perforation between January 2004 and Dec 2020 in a single tertiary hospital. Seventy-four patients were identified with oesophageal perforations: 58.1

SummaryThe long‐term outcomes of weight loss maintenance induced by laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) followed by multidisciplinary medical care in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (beyond 3 years) are scarcely reported. Study aims were to determine the longer term metabolic outcomes following LAGB combined with medical care in patients with T2DM. This is a longitudinal analysis of 200 adults with T2DM who had LAGB between 2003 and 2008 and were followed up till 2013 at a single bariatric unit in a tertiary UK centre. A total of 200 patients (age 47 ± 9.7 years; body mass index [BMI] 52.8 ± 9.2 kg m−2; glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 7.9 ± 1.9% [62.8 mmol mol−1]; women, n = 123 [61.5%]; insulin treatment, n = 71 [35.5%]) were included. The mean follow‐up was 62.0 ± 13.0 months (range 18–84 months). There were significant reductions in body weight (−24.4 ± 12.3% [38 ± 22.7 kg]), HbA1c (−1.4 ± 2.0%), systolic blood pressure [BP] (−11.7 ± 23.5 mmHg), total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The proportion of patients requiring insulin reduced from 36.2% to 12.3%. The overall band complication rate was 21% (21 patients). LAGB when combined with multidisciplinary medical care significantly improved metabolic outcomes in patients with T2DM independent of diabetes duration, and baseline BMI over 5 years. Diabetes duration and baseline BMI did not predict changes in glycaemic control, BP or lipids following LAGB.

Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) has been an established bariatric procedure for the last three decades and was, for many years, the first-choice procedure for the treatment of chronic obesity. However, more recently, the popularity of the LAGB has been in sharp decline and has been replaced by other procedures such as the Roux-En-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. A key driver in this decline has been the high revision and early explanation rates reported in some studies.

Background: Laparoscopic anti-reflux surgery has become the standard treatment for symptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux disease refractory to medical therapy. Successful anti-reflux surgery involves safe, minimally invasive surgery, resulting in symptom resolution with minimal side effects. This study aims to assess the feasibility and safety of day case anti-reflux surgery focussing on peri- and post-operative outcomes as a measure of success. Methods: Data was collected from the hospital database from 2003 to 2012. Data collection included demographics, surgeon, mode of admission, length of stay and complications. Electronic records were independently scrutinised for all patients with a length of stay of more than two nights. Results: 723 patients underwent laparoscopic fundoplication +/- small hiatus hernia repair (< 5 cm) with a day case rate of 67.1%. The 30 day readmission rate in these patients was 2.9% (21/723 patients). Nine patients had a failure of their initial laparoscopic fundoplication (defined as recurrence of symptoms). Three patients required a re-operation within 12 months of their initial procedure (re-operation rate = 0.41% (3/723 patients)). Conclusion: Laparoscopic hiatal surgery can be performed safely as a day case in high volume specialist centres with good outcomes. Raising the national standard for day case fundoplication promotes good practice and should be the model for future commissioning.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of weight loss following gastric band surgery on multiple measures of peripheral blood neutrophil (PBN) function. Twenty-three obese patients undergoing gastric band surgery were recruited to a longitudinal intervention study, alongside non-obese, healthy gender- and age-matched controls. Eighteen pairs of patients and controls completed all stages of the study. PBNs were isolated by density centrifugation and a comprehensive analysis of PBN function was undertaken at various stages of the patients' bariatric surgical care pathway. Obese patients exhibited exaggerated PBN activity in response to various stimuli, characterised by higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation (n = 18, p < 0.001) and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (n = 10, p < 0.05) and lower PBN extracellular trap (NET) formation (n = 18, p < 0.01). PBN chemotactic accuracy was also impaired prior to surgery (n = 18, p < 0.01). Weight loss was associated with normalised NET production and lower ROS production and cytokine release relative to healthy controls. However, chemotactic accuracy remained impaired in patients. Weight loss following gastric band surgery was associated with a decrease in the pro-inflammatory activities of peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs). A hyper-inflammatory PBN phenotype, involving excess ROS and cytokine release, reduced NET formation and chemotaxis, may lead to a reduced ability to eliminate infection, alongside inflammation-mediated tissue damage in obese individuals.

Objective To investigate the effect of residential location and socioeconomic deprivation on the provision of bariatric surgery. Design Retrospective cross-sectional ecological study. Setting Patients resident local to one of two specialist bariatric units, in different regions of the UK, who received obesity surgery between 2003 and 2013. Methods Demographic data were collected from prospectively collected databases. Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD 2010) was used as a measure of socioeconomic status. Obesity prevalences were obtained from Public Health England (2006). Patients were split into three IMD tertiles (high, median, low) and also tertiles of time. A generalised linear model was generated for each time period to investigate the effect of socioeconomic deprivation on the relationship between bariatric case count and prevalence of obesity. We used these to estimate surgical intervention provided in each population in each period at differing levels of deprivation. Results Data were included from 1163 bariatric cases (centre 1–414, centre 2–749). Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated to measure the associations between predictor and response variables. Associations were highly non-linear and changed over the 10-year study period. In general, the relationship between surgical case volume and obesity prevalence has weakened over time, with high volumes becoming less associated with prevalence of obesity. Discussion As bariatric services have matured, the associations between demand and supply factors have changed. Socioeconomic deprivation is not apparently a barrier to service provision more recently, but the positive relationships between obesity and surgical volume we would expect to find are absent. This suggests that interventions are not being taken up in the areas of need. We recommend a more detailed national analysis of the relationship between supply side and demand side factors in the provision of bariatric surgery.

INTRODUCTION Laparoscopic Heller's myotomy (LHM) is the most effective therapy for achalasia of the oesophagus. Most case series of LHM report a length of hospital stay (LOS) >1 day. We present 14 years of experience of LHM to examine the safety and feasibility of LHM as a day case procedure. METHODS We retrospectively examined patients undergoing elective LHM for achalasia at our institution between 2000 and 2014. Demographics, episode statistics, prior investigations and interventions were collated. Outcomes, including LOS, complications and re-interventions, were compared for the periods before and after a consensus decision at our institution in 2008 to perform LHM as a day case procedure. RESULTS Sixty patients with a mean age of 41 ± 13 years were included, of whom 58% were male. The median LOS for all patients was 1 day (interquartile range [IQR] 0-2.25). Overall, LHM was performed as a day case in 27 (45%) cases, at 2/26 (7.7%) in the first period versus 25/34 (73.5%) in the second (p<0.01). There were no significant differences in age, gender or previous interventions between day surgery and non-day surgery groups. One patient required subsequent unplanned surgery, while six (10%) needed endoscopic treatment of recurrent symptoms within 12 months. CONCLUSIONS LHM can be performed safely as a day case procedure. Complication rates are low, with only a small proportion of patients requiring endoscopic treatment for symptom recurrence within 1 year.