Abstract
In the current issue of the Journal of Laparoendoscopic & Advanced Surgical Techniques (JLAST), International Club of Young Laparoscopic Surgeons (ICYLS) members from three continents were invited to express their convictions and to report their experiences concerning different topics on upper gastrointestinal (GI) and bariatric surgery.
ICYLS is a club created by fellows from different parts of the world, founded at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Center in Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY, in the summer of 2002. The club promotes global connections among the young surgeons who are interested in minimally invasive surgery and surgical innovation. Its purpose is to conduct international research and to use their interest in the field of minimally invasive surgery to develop new techniques, devices, and to improve the training of young surgeons. Professor Michel Gagner continuously supervised the entire activity.
This special number of ICYLS from JLAST is meant to help general and bariatric surgeons to better understand different issues in the global treatment of obesity and in the upper GI surgery, addressing some technical aspects as well. Different subjects were included, such as complications after bariatric surgery. There are described the treatment of common bile duct lithiasis after bariatric procedures, abdominal hernias in morbid obese patients, revisional procedures for aphagia after gastric bypass, and the issue of gastroesophageal reflux disease and bariatric surgery is also thoroughly discussed.
Different pathologies of the upper GI were also discussed, such as the laparoscopic approach for recurrent hiatal hernias, benign tumors around the gastroesophageal junction and their management, and the resection for cancer after previous Barrett disease.
Finally, we thank Marco Fisichella for allowing us to share our experience through this amazing journal.