Brigham researchers found that patients with higher pre-operative levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin respond better to gastric bypass surgery than those with lower levels. Minimally invasive and bariatric surgeon Ali Tavakkoli, MD, says this suggests a crucial role for ghrelin in driving postoperative outcomes.

A study at the Mayo Clinic is the first to examine broadly and systematically the impact of patients’ limited English proficiency (LEP) on procedure-related gastroenterology care. In an editorial, Mass General Brigham clinicians comment on the study results, its limitations, and directions for additional research.

High-resolution anoscopy can be a helpful tool for identifying precancerous lesions in the anal canal. Colon and rectal surgeon James Yoo, MD, and infectious disease specialist Jennifer A. Johnson, MD, both of the Brigham, developed and recently hosted a course to educate colorectal fellows on the technique.

Select patients with complex ventral hernias may benefit from a technique that employs Botox injections to relax the abdominal muscles before surgery, enabling the surgeon to complete the hernia repair less invasively. The Brigham’s Eric G. Sheu, MD, PhD, and Daniel I. Glazer, MD, discuss the benefits of this approach.

Thomas R. McCarty, MD, MPH, Christopher C. Thompson, MD, and colleagues recently constructed a computer model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of various strategies for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that is refractory to standard-dose proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy.

Christopher C. Thompson, MD, director of endoscopy and co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and colleagues are studying a novel bariatric and metabolic procedure to weaken the antral pump, a major physiologic component of gastric emptying.

Sanjay Salgado, MD, Walter W. Chan, MD, PhD, and colleagues recently found no correlation between suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms and hypopharyngeal–esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance–pH (HEMII-pH) results.

Giovanni Traverso, MD, PhD, MBBCH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and MIT, and colleagues have incorporated CO into gas-entrapping materials (GEMs) that can be delivered safely to the digestive tract.