Publications by authors named "Michael Bejjani"

Background And Aims: The role of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) as an emergent treatment for hospitalized patients with esophageal motility disorders and acute feeding incapacity is not well established. This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of POEM as an inpatient intervention for this group.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included patients aged ≥18 years who were hospitalized for severe symptoms of esophageal motility disorders and underwent emergent POEM during the same admission at 17 international centers from March 2012 to January 2024.

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Article Synopsis
  • Killian-Jamieson diverticulum (KJD) is a rare esophageal condition typically treated with surgery, but a new method called KJ-POEM (per-oral endoscopic myotomy) offers a minimally invasive alternative.
  • An international study reviewing 13 patients who underwent KJ-POEM found that both clinical and technical success rates were 100%, with significant symptom improvement post-procedure.
  • The procedure demonstrated excellent safety, with no adverse events reported, a short hospital stay of about 1 day, and no recurrence of symptoms during the follow-up period of nearly 9.5 months.
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Endoscopic ultrasound-directed transgastric intervention (EDGI) is a technique that creates an anastomosis between the gastric pouch or jejunum to the excluded stomach in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) anatomy to allow access to the pancreaticobiliary system. Thus far, management of anastomosis closure at the time of lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) removal has varied widely. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of primary closure at the time of LAMS removal using a through-the-scope (TTS) tack-based suture system.

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Article Synopsis
  • Z-POEM has emerged as an effective therapy for Zenker's diverticulum (ZD), showing excellent short-term results and now demonstrating long-term efficacy over a minimum of two years.
  • This study analyzed data from 89 patients across multiple international institutions, focusing on clinical success defined by significant symptom improvement without additional procedures in the first six months.
  • Results indicated a high technical success rate (97.8%), significant improvement in dysphagia and other symptoms, with only a 6.7% recurrence rate at around 37 months of follow-up, highlighting Z-POEM's safety and durability as a treatment option.
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Background And Aims: Large colon polyps removed by EMR can be complicated by delayed bleeding. Prophylactic defect clip closure can reduce post-EMR bleeding. Larger defects can be challenging to close using through-the-scope clips (TTSCs), and proximal defects are difficult to reach using over-the-scope techniques.

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Background: Zenker's diverticulum peroral endoscopic myotomy (zPOEM) is a minimally invasive treatment strategy for Zenker's diverticulum, with excellent results for management of small-to-moderate Zenker's diverticulum. We evaluated its use in the management of large Zenker's diverticulum.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study across 11 international centers including adult patients with large Zenker's diverticulum ≥ 40 mm treated by zPOEM between March 2017 and March 2022.

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Background: Developing effective gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding animal models is necessary to advance endoscopic hemostasis methods and train endoscopists on their use. Our aim, therefore, was to develop an effective and safe porcine GI bleeding model in the stomach and colon of large and small-sized oozing-type ulcers.

Methods: Gastric and colonic bleeding ulcers were created using either a hybrid endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) technique or a cap-assisted endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR-C) technique in 14 pigs.

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Background And Aims: Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is an established endoscopic treatment for achalasia; however, post-POEM rates of GERD remain a significant cause of concern. Single-session POEM with fundoplication (POEM-F) to treat achalasia was recently described to reduce post-POEM GERD. This study aims to report the technical feasibility, safety, and early outcomes of the first U.

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BACKGROUND : Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) is now widely used for esophageal motility disorders including achalasia. Closure of the mucosal incision site is a critical step of the procedure. We evaluated the use of a novel through-the-scope (TTS) suture system for closure of POEM mucosal incision sites.

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The utility of digital single- operator cholangiopancreatoscopy (D-SOCP) in surgically altered anatomy (SAA) is limited. We aimed to evaluate the technical success and safety of D-SOCP in patients SAA. Patients with SAA who underwent D-SOCP between February 2015 and June 2020 were retrospectively evaluated.

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Background And Aims: Placement of a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) between the gastric pouch and the excluded stomach allows for EUS-guided transgastric interventions (EDGIs) in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Although EUS-guided transgastric ERCP (EDGE) outcomes have been reported, data are scant on other endoscopic interventions. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes and safety of EDGIs.

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Background And Aims: There is growing interest in closure of larger mucosal defects, given the increasing use of endoscopic resection for early GI neoplasia and the advent of submucosal endoscopy, including peroral endoscopic myotomy. Existing closure methods include through-the-scope clips, over-the-scope clips, and over-the-scope suturing. Although over-the-scope clips and over-the-scope suturing allow closure of large defects, both require endoscope removal for device application and may have difficulty in treating lesions in the proximal colon or the small intestine.

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Video 1Cholangioscopy-guided double-guidewire technique for the management of complex malignant hilar obstruction.

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Background: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) by cautery-enhanced lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) has largely been limited to collections located < 10 mm from the luminal wall. We present outcomes of the use of a novel 15-mm-long cautery-enhanced LAMS for drainage of PFCs located ≥ 10 mm away.

Methods: This international, multicenter study analyzed all adults with PFCs located ≥ 10 mm from the luminal wall who were treated by EUS-guided drainage using the 15-mm-long cautery-enhanced LAMS.

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Background: Cricopharyngeal bars (CPBs) are a unique etiology of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Symptomatic patients are managed with endoscopic dilation or surgical myotomy. Cricopharyngeal peroral endoscopic myotomy (CP-POEM) is an emerging technique for the management of dysphagia due to CPBs.

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Background And Aims: Closure of endoscopic resection defects can be achieved with through-the-scope clips, over-the-scope clips, or endoscopic suturing. However, these devices are often limited by their inability to close large, irregular, and difficult-to-reach defects. Thus, we aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of a novel through-the-scope, suture-based closure system developed to overcome these limitations.

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Background: Most studies on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) for palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) utilized a 15-mm lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS). More recently, a 20-mm LAMS has become available. This study aimed to compare rates of technical and clinical success and adverse events (AEs) in patients undergoing EUS-GE using a 20-mm vs.

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COVID-19 has significantly impacted endoscopic assessment and management of multiple conditions. Our group recommenced treatment of highly symptomatic achalasia patients (Eckardt score ≥ 6) adopting a same-day discharge (SDD) algorithm and present early outcomes of its utilization. We enrolled all outpatients undergoing POEM at a single tertiary referral center.

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