Gastroenterology

Though bariatric surgery offers obese patients the opportunity to take off and keep off excess weight, those who experience rapid weight loss after surgery have a greater risk of developing gallstones.

Results from a new population-based study suggest the current screening guidelines for detecting undiagnosed celiac disease (CD) do not adequately identify the condition in children.

There are several known risk factors and "red flags" that should prompt clinicians to suspect nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and conduct appropriate testing.

The recently approved antivirals boast improved rates of sustained virologic response and fewer, less-severe side effects compared with older treatments.

Clinicians should be familiar with all current testing options and assessment tools and be prepared to offer support and guidance to patients who may be embarrassed or unwilling to discuss this aspect of their health.

Despite many technological advances, better training and education are the most important factors to boost the detection of adenomas in the colon and reduce interval colorectal cancer.

Without proper assessment and treatment, a patient with mild colitis or Crohn's disease can easily transition into more severe disease.

With renewed attention on maximizing return on every dollar spent on health care, gastroenterologists need to take a thoughtful approach that takes cost and the overall patient experience into account when they make testing and treatment decisions with patients who have inflammatory bowel disease.

Polyethylene glycol in conjunction with fiber supplementation is an effective treatment for occasional constipation in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

With fecal microbiota transplantation, patients with recurrent C. difficile infection can avoid prolonged, repeated courses of antibiotics. The procedure can also help to re-establish normal intestinal microbiome diversity, assisting patients in restoring colonization resistance.

Administering drops of the probiotic supplement Lactobacillus reuteri protectis in healthy infants results in fewer instances of colic, acid reflux, and constipation compared to placebo.

Two pediatric surgeons describe a stepwise approach to treating children whose abdominal pain goes beyond a minor problem.

Following a low-FODMAPs diet reduced symptoms for patients suffering from IBS, according to a study of 38 patients. Unfortunately,the diet might not be realistic for all IBS patients to take on.

While numerous patients require psychiatric interventions before and immediately after surgery, a new report addresses a different psychological process that can occur months or even years later: major quality-of-life (QOL) perception changes related to dramatic weight loss.

In 10 randomized controlled studies, patients who chewed gum after elective colorectal surgery had shorter lengths of hospital stay and were less likely to experience complications.

Patients treated for chronic hepatitis C have increased levels of impulsiveness that is associated with other mental disorders.

Revisit the articles from each medical specialty that attracted the most eyeballs in 2013.

In an attempt to close the knowledge gap on anal abscess and fistula, 2 surgeons have published a comprehensive review on those topics.

To analyze the risk factors for colectomy and post-operative mortality among Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) patients, a group of surgeons retrospectively reviewed CDC trends between 2001 and 2010.

The use of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery has become so widespread that some surgeons are concerned those in training have insufficient exposure to the open procedures it has replaced.

Patients who have experienced hemorrhage and sepsis seem to gain the most benefit from damage control procedures if the surgeon uses careful patient selection.

A diagnosis of obesity-related hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (OrHH) does not reduce the efficacy of bariatric surgery in men.

A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 56 children with Crohn's disease suggests pediatric patients treated with thalidomide have better rates of remission and response than those given placebo.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that women and men who underwent gastric bypass surgery underreported their post-operative weight by an average of 1 kg or less.

The FDA has approved the NS3/4A protease inhibitor simeprevir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C as part of combination antiretroviral therapy in genotype 1 infected adults with compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis.

Treatment with rivaroxaban reduced the long-term risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke in patients with ACS on a thienopyridine such as clopidogrel, regardless of PPI use.

Though fewer than 10% of surgeons include information about the possibility of postoperative adhesion in their counseling, a systematic review shows patients who develop adhesions experience several complications.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has endorsed Cancer Care Ontario guidelines for colorectal cancer survivor follow-up care, according to a study published online Nov. 12 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

A recent study suggests that the transvaginal approach to general surgery procedures is safe and cosmetically advantageous with no appreciable effect on future fertility or sexual function.

In his presentation, George Therapondos, MD, a hepatologist at the Ochsner Medical Center, detailed how to manage inpatients with cirrhosis that progresses to liver failure and gastrointestinal bleeding.