Publications by authors named "Chin Hong Lim"

Background And Aims: Candy cane syndrome is a rare adverse event of gastric bypass or gastrectomy, where a blind jejunal pouch fills with food, causing dilation and compression of the efferent limb, leading to obstructive symptoms like vomiting and regurgitation. Surgical resection is curative but technically challenging, and endoscopic treatment using lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) insertion has been attempted.

Methods: This case describes a retrograde LAMS insertion in a patient with previous total gastrectomy who presented a decade later with dysphagia and food regurgitation.

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Background: Bariatric-metabolic surgery (BMS) reduces muscle mass due to rapid weight loss. The objective is to assess the prevalence of pre-operative low muscle strength and predictors of post-operative low muscle strength in Asian populations undergoing BMS.

Methods: This observational study included BMS patients from a single centre between January 2022 and May 2024.

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Introduction: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and gastric bypass (GB) are the most commonly performed bariatric surgeries. However, there is insufficient data on which leads to greater long-term (10 year) weight loss.

Methods: Subjects who underwent SG and GB from 2008-2013 were followed up at 2, 5, and 10 years post-operatively for weight and diabetes (DM) outcomes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) is an esophageal disorder with a high integrated relaxation pressure, and while symptoms are usually self-limiting, this study investigates factors that affect symptom resolution.
  • A cohort study of 53 patients revealed that while dysphagia and atypical chest pain were common symptoms, obesity was a significant risk factor for persistent symptoms, with only 37.5% of obese patients seeing resolution compared to 87.2% of non-obese patients.
  • The study emphasizes that addressing obesity may be crucial for improving outcomes in patients with functional EGJOO, as it significantly impacts the likelihood of symptom resolution.
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Objective: Bariatric surgery effectively treats non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The glutamate-serine-glycine (GSG) index has emerged as a non-invasive diagnostic marker for NAFLD, but its ability to monitor treatment response remains unclear. This study investigates the GSG index's ability to monitor NAFLD's response to bariatric surgery.

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Background: Perioperative FLOT (5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and docetaxel) is a standard of care for patients with locally advanced gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) in Western guidelines, but its use is limited in Asian patients. We report outcomes from a single Asian centre of perioperative FLOT with concomitant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) prophylaxis.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all 56 stage II to III GEA patients treated with perioperative FLOT at the National Cancer Centre Singapore between June 2017 and February 2024 was performed.

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Introduction: Intolerance frequently limits the use of intragastric balloons (IGBs) in the treatment of obesity. This includes refractory nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. Our study aims to identify predictors of balloon intolerance and early removal, which will help to guide patient selection for this intervention and peri-procedure care.

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Introduction: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is associated with postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis (EE). The role of crural repair during LSG is still controversial. The preoperative laxity of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), graded by the Hill's classification, is more predictive for postoperative GERD and EE after LSG than the presence of a hiatal hernia seen on endoscopy.

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Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a widely performed bariatric surgery, but it is associated with an increased risk of gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) in the long term. The addition of fundoplication to laparoscopic SG may improve lower oesophageal sphincter function and reduce postoperative GERD.

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety of SG plus fundoplication (SG + F) versus SG alone for the treatment of patients with severe obesity (≥35 kg/m).

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Objective: We aim to evaluate the cost-saving of the short stay ward (SSW) versus conventional inpatient care following sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). We also compared the readmission rates pre- and post-inception of the intravenous hydration clinic and analyzed the cost-savings.

Methods: Patients who underwent LSG between December 2021 to March 2022 with SSW care were compared with standard inpatient care.

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Background: Weight loss trajectories after bariatric surgery vary widely between individuals, and predicting weight loss before the operation remains challenging. We aimed to develop a model using machine learning to provide individual preoperative prediction of 5-year weight loss trajectories after surgery.

Methods: In this multinational retrospective observational study we enrolled adult participants (aged ≥18 years) from ten prospective cohorts (including ABOS [NCT01129297], BAREVAL [NCT02310178], the Swedish Obese Subjects study, and a large cohort from the Dutch Obesity Clinic [Nederlandse Obesitas Kliniek]) and two randomised trials (SleevePass [NCT00793143] and SM-BOSS [NCT00356213]) in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, with a 5 year follow-up after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric band.

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Background: Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity and reduces the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the long term. Less is known about the effects of bariatric surgery on liver fat, inflammation, and fibrosis during the early stages following bariatric surgery.

Aims: This exploratory study utilises advanced imaging methods to investigate NAFLD and fibrosis changes during the early metabolic transitional period following bariatric surgery.

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Background: Percentage excess weight loss (%EWL) and percentage total weight loss (%TWL) are used for reporting outcomes after bariatric surgery. However, they are not ideal for comparing outcomes on populations of varied initial body mass index (BMI). This study aimed to validate a recently introduced metric - percentage alterable weight loss (%AWL), after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB).

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Objectives: Postoperative outcomes vary considerably across bariatric patients and may be related to psychosocial factors. In this study, we examined whether a patient's family support predicts postsurgical weight loss and the remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design: Retrospective cohort study in Singapore.

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Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become the preferred bariatric procedure in many countries. However, new onset erosive esophagitis (EE) is a major shortcoming. Current recommendation is esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) should be performed routinely at 1 year and subsequently every 2-3 years to enable the early detection of Barrett's or esophageal adenocarcinoma.

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The rising prevalence of obesity in Singapore is a harbinger for a corresponding increase in obesity-related complications such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and coronary heart disease. Obesity is a complex disease driven by multiple factors, and hence, treatment cannot follow a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. Lifestyle modifications involving dietary interventions, physical activity and behavioural changes remain the cornerstone of obesity management.

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Background: Endoscopic bariatric therapies (EBT) has emerged as an effective treatment in the management of the patient with obesity. Unfortunately, most procedures involve only the restriction of gastric volume without altering the underlying metabolism. The objective of this study was to investigate the practicability and limitations of the metabolic altering procedures: "One anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB)" with "natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES)" on human cadavers.

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Purpose: Bariatric surgery is the most effective and durable treatment option for clinically severe obesity. Unfortunately, some degree of weight regain (WR) is common after nadir weight is achieved. Pharmacotherapy and revision surgery are potential options to treat this phenomenon.

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Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is one of the commonest bariatric procedures. However, it is associated with postoperative gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and erosive esophagitis (EE). This study aims to assess the impact of various preoperative clinical and endoscopic characteristics on the development of postoperative GERD and EE.

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Background/aims: Surgeons and endoscopists have started to use endoscopically inserted double pigtail stents (DPTs) in the management of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) leaks, including UGI anastomotic leaks. We investigated our own experiences in this patient population.

Methods: From March 2017 to June 2020, 12 patients had endoscopic internal drainage of a radiologically proven anastomotic leak after UGI surgery in two tertiary UGI centers.

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Background And Aim: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an alternative nonsurgical treatment option for obesity. However, most studies on the utility and efficacy of ESG are derived from the Western population. It is unknown if ESG elicits similar results in Asians with different fat distribution, sociocultural customs, and dietary practices.

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Purpose: Obesity increases the risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is one of the strongest risk factors for new-onset CKD even in the absence of metabolic risk factors. Weight loss has been shown to reduce renal hyperfiltration and proteinuria. Metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) remains an effective treatment for obesity and its metabolic-related complications.

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Background: Following bariatric surgery, accurate charting of weight loss and regain is crucial. Various preoperative factors affect postoperative weight loss, including age, sex, ethnicity, and surgical type. These are not considered by current weight loss metrics, limiting comparison of weight loss outcomes between patients or centers and across time.

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