A Simple Technique of Gastric Pouch Resizing for Inadequate Weight Loss After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

Defining Global Benchmarks in Elective Secondary Bariatric Surgery Comprising Conversional, Revisional, and Reversal Procedures

OBJECTIVE

To define "best possible" outcomes for secondary bariatric surgery (BS).

BACKGROUND

Management of poor response and of long-term complications after BS is complex and under-investigated. Indications and types of reoperations vary widely and postoperative complication rates are higher compared to primary BS.

METHODS

Out of 44,884 BS performed in 18 high-volume centers from 4 continents between 06/2013-05/2019, 5,349 (12%) secondary BS cases were identified. Twenty-one outcome benchmarks were established in low-risk patients, defined as the 75th percentile of the median outcome values of centers. Benchmark cases had no previous laparotomy, diabetes, sleep apnea, cardiopathy, renal insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, immunosuppression, thromboembolic events, BMI> 50 kg/m2 or age> 65 years.

RESULTS

The benchmark cohort included 3143 cases, mainly females (85%), aged 43.8 ± 10 years, 8.4 ± 5.3 years after primary BS, with a BMI 35.2 ± 7 kg/m2. Main indications were insufficient weight loss (43%) and gastro-esophageal reflux disease/dysphagia (25%). 90-days postoperatively, 14.6% of benchmark patients presented ≥1 complication, mortality was 0.06% (n = 2). Significantly higher morbidity was observed in non-benchmark cases (OR 1.37) and after conversional/reversal or revisional procedures with gastrointestinal suture/stapling (OR 1.84). Benchmark cutoffs for conversional BS were ≤4.5% re-intervention, ≤8.3% re-operation 90-days postoperatively. At 2-years (IQR 1-3) 15.6% of benchmark patients required a reoperation.

CONCLUSION

Secondary BS is safe, although postoperative morbidity exceeds the established benchmarks for primary BS. The excess morbidity is due to an increased risk of gastrointestinal leakage and higher need for intensive care. The considerable rate of tertiary BS warrants expertise and future research to optimize the management of non-success after BS.

Bariatric revisional surgery: What are the challenges for the patient and the practitioner?

Bariatric revisional surgery represents an important new issue for obese patients because of the considerable rate of failure and complications following bariatric surgery. As the frequency of bariatric procedures increases, so too does the incidence of revisional surgery, which has become becoming increasingly important. The surgeon must know the indications and the results of the various revisional procedures in order to best guide the therapeutic decision. The current challenge is to correctly select the patients for revisional surgery and to choose the appropriate procedure in each case. Multidisciplinary management is essential to patient re-assessment and to prepare the patient for a re- intervention. The objective of this update, based on data from all the most recent studies concerning revisional surgery, is to guide the surgeon in the choice of the revisional procedure, depending on patient characteristics, co-morbidities, the previously performed procedure, the type of failure or complication observed, but also on the surgeon's own habits and the center's expertise. The collected results show that revisional surgery is difficult, with higher complication rates and weight-loss results that are often lower than those of first-intent surgery. For these reasons, patient selection must be rigorous and multidisciplinary and the management in expert centers of these difficult situations must be encouraged.

Midterm Outcomes of Gastric Pouch Resizing for Weight Regain After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass

PURPOSE

Resizing of the gastric pouch, with eventually resizing of the gastrojejunal anastomosis, has been proposed as revisional procedure to treat weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), in patients with large gastric pouch and/or large gastrojejunal (GJ) anastomosis. The aim of this study is to determine the midterm results and the safety of laparoscopic resizing of the gastric pouch after RYGB in cases where gastric pouch is > 200 ml and/or GJ anastomosis > 20 mm.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All patients who underwent gastric pouch resizing between January 2009 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed from a prospective database. The gastric pouch was resized to a volume of 30-40 ml.

RESULTS

A total of 48 patients had gastric pouch resizing after RYGB. The mean initial BMI was 42.9 ± 4.8 kg/m². Perioperative morbidity was 8.3% in this series. Mean follow-up was 5.4 years. The mean BMI was 30.0 ± 7.3 kg/m² at 1 year, 30.0 ± 6.0 kg/m² at 3 years, and 30.9 ± 5.7 kg/m² at 5 years. Mean %EBMIL at 1-, 3-, and 5-year follow-up was 51.9%, 55.1%, and 39%, respectively, in 48% follow-up rate. The obesity-related comorbidities disappeared in 67.3% of cases at maximum follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

In carefully selected patients with gastric pouch size > 200 ml and/or GJ anastomosis > 20 mm, and after extensive preoperative evaluation, gastric pouch resizing is a potentially effective option to treat weight regain due to anatomical factors after RYGB, with complication rate of 8%.

Conversion of Laparoscopic Roux en Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) to Single Anastomosis Duodenal Switch (SADS)

BACKGROUND

The surgical management of weight regain following RYGB remains controversial. Simpler modifications such as endoscopic suturing and banding the bypass have had variable efficacy. Distalization of the bypass has resulted in a high risk of malabsorption-related complications as reported by Amor et al. (Obes Surg. 27(1):273-274, 2017); Borbély et al. (Obes Surg. 27(2):439-444, 2017); Thomopoulos et al. (Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 0(0):1, 2018); and Tran et al. (Obes Surg. 26(7):1627-1634, 2016). Conversion to a procedure such as duodenal switch (DS) or SADS with greater average weight loss would be logical but is technically challenging and is related to a high complication rate especially with the reformation of the stomach. In this video, we present the technique that we have adapted to make this complex case reproducible minimizing operative risk.

METHODS

A 49-year-old female weighing 154 kg (BMI 57 kg/m2) with sleep apnea disease underwent a laparoscopic RYGB in 2009. She had an initial weight loss of 47 kg but had complete recidivism with a weight of 151 kg (BMI 56 kg/m2). Upper gastrointestinal (barium swallow study) and esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed no evidence of fistula, with a normal pouch diameter and length with stoma size of 2 cm. Blood test showed no significant micro/macronutrient deficiencies. With super morbid obesity refractory to RYGB, it was our belief that conversion to SADS was the best alternative.

RESULTS

We introduced a subcostal camera trocar with Optiview and we observed epiploic adherences to the previous anastomosis. We placed an additional trocar to remove adhesions in the re-operative field. We measured the 300 cm of the small bowel proximal to the ileocecal valve. We next divided the antecolic Roux limb from the gastric remnant preserving the left gastric artery and divided the pouch proximal to the gastrojejunal anastomosis. We identified and mobilized the remnant stomach preserving the 8 lowest branches of the right gastroepiploic artery. After reaching the angle of His, we were able to separate the remnant and the pouch. The pouch was reshaped using a 42Fr bougie for guidance. A gastrostomy was made and a matching opening was created near the lesser curvature on the remnant. We then began gastrogastric anastomosis. First, the posterior layer was done and then the bougie was placed through into the remnant. The sleeve and fundic resection was done. The bougie was replaced by an oral gastric tube and the anterior layer of the anastomosis completed. This was tested with methylene blue. We next divided the duodenum postpylorus, preserving the right gastric artery. We performed and tested a hand-sewn duodeno-ileal anastomosis with a common limb length of 300 cm. There were no intra- or postoperative complications and the patient was discharged after 2 days.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that this video shows a reproducible technique for this complex anastomosis. Preservation of the distal epiploics makes the gastro-gastric anastomosis safer but requires direct dissection of the duodenum.