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Background: Gastric diverticula (GD) are the rarest form of gastrointestinal tract diverticulum, with an estimated incidence of 0.013–2.6%. GD are poorly understood and there are no established management guidelines. Only sparse updates have been published since the mid‐20th century. This paper reviews the current literature and provides some suggested guidelines for the management of GD. Methods: A search of Medline via OvidSP and Google Scholar for 'gastric diverticulum' and associated synonyms from the year 1950 onwards was performed. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort and case–control studies, and case series. Full text, English language manuscripts on adult populations were included. Results: A total of 103 manuscripts were included in the final selection – 77 individual case studies, 23 case series and three reviews. No RCTs, cohort or case–control studies were found. The case studies represent 305 patients, 50.8% female with average age 49.2 years (range 18–80). The most common symptom was abdominal pain (48.2%). The average maximum diameter was 3.97 cm (range 0.5–9). One hundred and four patients were managed operatively. Despite persistent recommendations in the literature that GD > 4 cm should be considered for resection, there are no data supporting this approach. Conclusion: The evidence pertaining to the management of GD is sparse. The decision for operative management should be individualized and based primarily on the presence of symptoms or complications which may be directly attributable to the GD. Where surgery is indicated, a laparoscopic approach, potentially with intra‐operative gastroscopy, is appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Boerhaave syndrome is a rare and life‐threatening condition characterized by a spontaneous transmural tear of the oesophagus. There remains wide variation in the condition's management with non‐operative management (NOM) and surgery being the two main treatment strategies. The aim was to review the presentation, management and outcomes for patients treated for Boerhaave syndrome at our institution and to compare these data with that previously reported within the Australasian literature. Methods: A retrospective case series was performed for consecutive patients diagnosed with Boerhaave syndrome at our institution between January 2000 and January 2020. A systematic review of the Australasian literature was also performed. Results: In case series, 15 patients were included (n = 2 NOM, n = 13 operative). The most common operative technique was primary repair with intercostal drainage via thoracotomy. Major complications occurred in 11 (73%) patients. Median Comprehensive Complication Index was 53.4 (interquartile range: 50). There was a significantly lower Comprehensive Complication Index associated with primary repair when compared to oesophageal resection (P = 0.01). There was one death, in the operative management group. Median length of hospital stay was 33 days (interquartile range: 58). In systematic review, 11 articles were included; four case series and seven case reports. From these, 23 patients met inclusion criteria. The majority of patients (83%) were managed operatively, with only four undergoing NOM. Seven patients died, representing an overall mortality rate of 30%. Conclusions: We provide an updated overview of the management of Boerhaave syndrome within Australasia. Aggressive operative management is associated with reasonable outcomes. The primary aim of this study was to assess the management and outcomes for patients diagnosed with Boerhaave syndrome within Australasia. Both a retrospective case series and systematic review of the Australasian literature were performed. We provide an updated overview of the management of Boerhaave syndrome within Australasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]