Rare Entities of Histopathological Findings in 755 Sleeve Gastrectomy Cases: a Synopsis of Preoperative Endoscopy Findings and Histological Evaluation of the Specimen

Histopathological Examination of 404 Sleeve Gastrectomy Specimens at a Large UK Center and Systematic Review of the Published Literature

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) specimens are histologically analyzed to identify incidental pathologies. However, no guidelines recommend routine histology. This study evaluates the clinical utility of LSG sample analysis and if incidental diagnoses have a significant clinical impact.

METHODS

A single high-volume UK bariatric unit retrospectively gathered LSG data covering a 9-year period. All specimens were sent for histological analysis. Where incidental diagnoses were identified, patient records were reviewed to assess any clinical management alterations. A systematic review (2013-2023) was performed, exploring rates of incidental pathologies post-LSG. Publications were stratified into those performing routine pre-operative endoscopy, or not, and results compared to present data.

RESULTS

From 01/06/2013 to 12/12/2022, 404 patients underwent LSG. 365/404 (90.4%) had no pathology on histopathological analysis. Seven (1.7%) appeared macroscopically abnormal, with histology identifying 3 polyposis and 1 each of GIST, pernicious anaemia, sarcoidosis and gastritis. Ten (2.48%) appeared macroscopically normal but had incidental pathology. All patient management remained unchanged. Twenty-two (5.44%) were H. pylori positive. Forty-eight publications within wider literature reviewed LSG specimen histology. Fifteen, including 9662 patients undergoing pre-operative endoscopy, found pathological diagnoses in 0.5% and 1 malignancy. Thirty-three studies reporting 17,008 patients without pre-operative endoscopy identified pathologies in 0.45% and 7 malignancies.

CONCLUSION

There is little clinical utility in analyzing macroscopically normal gastric samples following LSG. The potential financial and environmental savings from limiting this practice are of great importance to worldwide bariatric teams. The authors recommend selectively sending LSG specimens only if abnormal gastric mucosa is identified when examining the extracted specimen.

Helicobacter pylori infection and staple-line leak in patients with class III obesity undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

Globally, over 50% of the population is affected by Helicobacter pylori, yet research on its prevalence and impact in patients with obesity undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is inconclusive. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of H. pylori infection in individuals with obesity undergoing LSG, evaluate the percentage of postoperative staple-line leaks, and explore the potential link between H. pylori infection and staple-line leaks.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis assessed adult patients with class III obesity who underwent LSG between 2015 and 2020 at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Patient characteristics with and without postoperative staple-line leaks were compared, exploring the link between H. pylori infection and these leaks.

RESULTS

Of the 2099 patients (mean age, 34.7±12.2 years; female, 53.5%) included, 35% had H. pylori infection and 2% experienced post-LSG staple-line leaks. Patients with H. pylori were older (36.1±11.8 vs 34.0±12.3 years, p<0.0001). Patients with leaks were older, mostly male, and had higher body mass index (p<0.05). However, only 29% of those with leaks were H. pylori-positive. A non-significant association was found between H. pylori infection and staple-line leaks (adjusted OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.60, accounting for age, body mass index, and sex).

CONCLUSIONS

Although over one-third of patients with class III obesity undergoing LSG had H. pylori infection, a non-significant association was observed with post-LSG staple-line leaks, suggesting routine preoperative H. pylori screening may not be necessary.

Frequency of Clinically Significant Findings in the Surgical Pathology Specimen Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy and Concordance with Preoperative Endoscopy: Insights from a Large Single-Center Experience

INTRODUCTION

Endoscopy prior to bariatric surgery is not always performed, and in sleeve gastrectomy (SG), the surgical specimen is not always sent for pathological examination. There is limited data on the frequency of clinically significant findings in SG specimens or correlation with preoperative endoscopy.

METHODS

We reviewed 426 consecutive SG patients to determine the concordance of preoperative endoscopy findings in patients with clinically significant postoperative pathology.

RESULTS

Preoperative endoscopy was performed on 397 patients (93.2%). Three hundred seventy-three patients had preoperative endoscopy and surgical pathology results available. Then, 20/373 (5.4%) patients had potentially significant postoperative pathology, including intestinal metaplasia, autoimmune metaplastic atrophic gastritis (AMAG), gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and/or gastric cancer. The overall incidence of AMAG in the entire cohort was 2.3%. Preoperative gastric biopsies (to include gastric body) identified AMAG in nearly 1/2 of patients. Patients with clinically significant postoperative pathology results had a median [interquartile range] of 3 [3-5] tissue blocks examined as compared to 3 [1-3] for the remainder of the cohort (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This is one of the largest studies describing clinically significant postoperative pathology after SG. AMAG, in particular, is of particular importance as it is associated with a 3-fivefold increase in risk for gastric cancer. The incidence of significant postoperative pathology in this population is small but potentially clinically significant and requires validation in larger studies. We recommend wider sampling in preoperative endoscopy (body and antrum), especially in patients being planned for gastric bypass, consideration for routine pathological examination of SG surgical specimens, with careful gross examination and targeted sampling.

Hiatal hernia repair after previous laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

BACKGROUND

Symptomatic hiatal hernia (HH) with pouch migration after previous laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an uncommon complication, with limited extant evidence for the utility of surgical repair.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the presentation and resolution of symptoms in patients with HH repair after previous RYGB.

SETTING

Multicenter University Hospital.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted from 2010 to 2022. Patients with prior RYGB who were undergoing subsequent isolated HH repair were included. Patients undergoing incidental HH repair during concomitant revisional bariatric surgery were excluded. Baseline characteristics and surgical outcomes were evaluated and presented as medians (25th-75th percentile).

RESULTS

Forty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. The time from RYGB to HH repair was 59 months (39-88). Body mass index at HH repair was 31 kg/m2 (27-39). The most common presenting symptoms of hernia were dysphagia (52%), gastric reflux (39%), and abdominal pain (36%). All HH repairs were completed with a minimally invasive approach (98% laparoscopic, 2% robotic). Nonabsorbable suture was used in 98% of patients, with bioabsorbable mesh in 30%. At a median 28-day (12-117) follow-up, 70% of patients reported full symptom resolution and 23% partial resolution. At follow-up, 2 patients had radiologic HH recurrence, with 1 requiring reoperation.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest series of isolated HH repair for symptomatic pouch migration after previous RYGB. Common presenting symptoms are dysphagia and reflux, and surgical repair yields a high rate of symptom resolution in the short term. Longer follow-up is needed to evaluate the durability of this intervention.

Association of Hypercholesterolemia With Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia, Findings After Sleeve Gastrectomy Pathology Review

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the relationship between comorbidities associated with obesity, body mass index (BMI), and development of intestinal metaplasia (IM) after vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All VSG specimens performed at an academic center between 2011 and 2018 were reviewed. All specimens underwent histopathologic assessment, while those with findings suspicious for IM underwent additional immunohistochemical work up. Baseline patient characteristics and demographic data were obtained from Iran National Obesity Surgery Database by retrospective review.

RESULTS

A total of 862 adult individuals underwent VSG during the study period and specimens were histopathologically examined. All patients had preoperative upper endoscopy. The most common histopathologic diagnosis was miscellaneous findings (57.8%) followed by no pathologic finding (36.7%). The minority of patients (5.5%) had IM. Although 40.5% of patients had positive Helicobacter pylori infection preoperatively, just 13.8% had still positive infection postoperatively. A significant association was found between IM and hypercholesterolemia (odds ratio: 1.95; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 3.5).

CONCLUSION

This study found a correlation between histopathologic changes in patients with IM and hypercholesterolemia. Prospective research studies are recommended to further examine this correlation.

Involvement of Helicobacter pylori in Preoperative Gastric Findings on a Bariatric Population

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in bariatric patients is common and related to gastric pathology. With preoperative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE), these pathologies and the presence of Hp are diagnosed. The histopathological study of the UGE biopsies is classified based on the Sydney System, a scoring system that stages chronic gastritis (CG) and precancerous gastric lesions. The objective is to assess the histological findings of gastric biopsies during routine UGE and to determine the involvement of Hp in gastric disorders in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. A multicenter retrospective review of prospectively collected databases was performed. The presence of CG, gastric atrophy (GA), and gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) in the study of the biopsies was assessed and correlated with Hp infection. The incidence of Hp among our bariatric population was 36.1%, and it increases with age. The percentage of patients with severe Hp infection is higher in patients with GA or GIM. The Hp eradication rate is also reduced when GA and GIM are present. A histological examination of all the biopsies did not show features of malignancy in any of the cases. Hp is not the only factor involved in the development of gastric pathology in bariatric patients.

Preoperative Assessment of Patients Undergoing Bariatric Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Saudi Arabia (SA) is one of the top countries in the world when it comes to the number of bariatric procedures performed each year. There is still some debate on whether to do regular or selective upper endoscopy during the preoperative examination. The purpose of this study was to explore various endoscopic findings and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients having laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) prior to surgery.

Methods

We investigated a cohort of 132 patients referred to the endoscopy unit from the bariatric surgery outpatient clinic for prebariatric esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) as a part of preoperative LSG. Data extraction from medical records included clinical data such as body mass index (BMI), gastrointestinal symptoms (that include heartburn, regurgitation, epigastric pain, and nausea), medical comorbidities, and laboratory investigations. It included data about the endoscopic findings of EGD procedure as esophageal, gastric, and duodenal findings results as well as the results of biopsy specimens that were taken.

Results

Out of 132 patients, 29 (22%) had a BMI of less than 40 kg/m2 whereas 103 (78%) had a BMI of 40 kg/m2 or above, with an average of 44.4 ± 6.4 kg/m2. The average age of participants was 33.6 ± 10.4 years. HP was detected in 36 patients (35.0%) with a slightly greater prevalence in patients with a higher BMI (33.7%) than in patients with lower BMI (35.0%). Collectively, 73 patients (55.7%) had positive endoscopic findings of various grades, sites, and combinations. Incompetent cardia (35.6%) was the most often seen esophageal finding, antral gastritis (34.1%) was the most frequently encountered gastric finding, and duodenitis 1st part was the commonest duodenal endoscopic finding (7.8%). Among asymptomatic patients, incompetent cardia was detected in 33.3%, antral gastritis was found in 30.1%, and around one-quarter of them were positive on HP testing (26.6%). Additionally, 16.1% of them had signs of reflux esophagitis, 17.2% had hiatal hernia, and 14.0% had nodular gastritis.

Conclusion

The current study revealed a high prevalence of positive endoscopic findings as well as HP infection upon routine endoscopic examination among patients undergoing bariatric surgery even those who were asymptomatic from any gastrointestinal symptoms.

IFSO Position Statement on the Role of Esophago-Gastro-Duodenal Endoscopy Prior to and after Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Procedures

One of the roles of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) is to provide guidance on the management of patients seeking surgery for adiposity-based chronic diseases. The role of endoscopy around the time of endoscopy is an area of clinical controversy. In 2018, IFSO commissioned a task force to determine the role of endoscopy before and after surgery for the management of adiposity and adiposity-based chronic diseases. The following position statement is issued by the IFSO Endoscopy in Bariatric/Metabolic Surgery Taskforce. It has been approved by the IFSO Scientific Committee and Executive Board. This statement is based on current clinical knowledge, expert opinion, and published peer-reviewed scientific evidence. It will be reviewed regularly.

Histologic and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Specimens Performed for Morbid Obesity

CONTEXT.—

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has quickly become the bariatric surgical procedure of choice for patients with obesity who have failed medical management. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy results in a gastric remnant that is routinely subject to pathologic examination.

OBJECTIVE.—

To perform a histologic and cost-benefit analysis of gastric remnants post-LSG.

DESIGN.—

All LSG cases performed at University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2019 were reviewed. Specimens that underwent routine histopathologic assessment and ancillary immunohistochemical analysis were analyzed. Baseline patient characteristics and surgical outcomes were obtained from our internal database. The total cost of specimen gross preparation, examination, sampling, and producing and reporting a hematoxylin-eosin slide was calculated.

RESULTS.—

A total of 572 patients underwent LSG during the study period and had their specimens examined histologically. A mean of 4.87 blocks generating 4 hematoxylin-eosin slides was produced. The most common histologic findings reported in LSG specimens ranged from no pathologic abnormalities identified together with proton pump inhibitor-related change. A minority of cases demonstrated clinically actionable histologic findings, of which Helicobacter pylori infection was the most common. The total cost for the complete pathologic analysis of these cases amounted to CaD $66 383.10 (US $47 080.21) with a mean of CaD $116.05 (US $82.40) per case. A total of CaD $62 622.75 (US $44 413.30) was spent on full examination of cases that had no further postoperative clinical impact.

CONCLUSIONS.—

There is a broad spectrum of pathologic findings in LSG specimens, ranging from clinically nonactionable to more clinically actionable. The vast majority of histologic findings had no clinical impact, with only a minority of cases being clinically significant. This study therefore recommends that LSG specimens be subject to gross pathologic examination in the vast majority of cases. However, sections should be submitted for microscopic analysis if grossly evident lesions are present and if there is a clinical/known history of clinically actionable findings.

Is Routine Preoperative Esophagogastroduodenoscopy Prior to Bariatric Surgery Mandatory? Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 10,685 Patients

BACKGROUND

This systematic review and meta-analysis searched, retrieved and synthesized the evidence as to whether preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (p-EGD) should be routine before bariatric surgery (BS).

METHODS

Databases searched for retrospective, prospective, and randomized (RCT) or quasi-RCT studies (01 January 2000-30 April 2019) of outcomes of routine p-EGD before BS. STROBE checklist assessed the quality of the studies. P-EGD findings were categorized: Group 0 (no abnormal findings); Group 1 (abnormal findings that do not necessitate changing the surgical approach or postponing surgery); Group 2 (abnormal findings that change the surgical approach or postpone surgery); and Group 3 (findings that signify absolute contraindications to surgery). We assessed data heterogeneity and publication bias. Random effect model was used.

RESULTS

Twenty-five eligible studies were included (10,685 patients). Studies were heterogeneous, and there was publication bias. Group 0 comprised 5424 patients (56%, 95% CI: 45-67%); Group 1, 2064 patients (26%, 95% CI: 23-50%); Group 2, 1351 patients (16%, 95% CI: 11-21%); and Group 3 included 31 patients (0.4%, 95% CI: 0-1%).

CONCLUSION

For 82% of patients, routine p-EGD did not change surgical plan/ postpone surgery. For 16% of patients, p-EGD findings necessitated changing the surgical approach/ postponing surgery, but the proportion of postponements due to medical treatment of H Pylori as opposed to "necessary" substantial change in surgical approach is unclear. For 0.4% patients, p-EGD findings signified absolute contraindication to surgery. These findings invite a revisit to whether p-EGD should be routine before BS, and whether it is judicious to expose many obese patients to an invasive procedure that has potential risk and insufficient evidence of effectiveness. Further justification is required.

Review of pathological findings in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy specimens performed for morbid obesity

BACKGROUND

Bariatric surgical procedures are employed when there is a failure of lifestyle modification in arresting obesity. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is quickly becoming the bariatric surgical procedure of choice. LSG results in a gastric remnant that is subject to pathological examination. The objective of this paper is to review the literature in regard to histological findings identified in gastric remnants post-LSG and identify the most pertinent histological findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed to identify relevant case series. Data gathered from relevant case series then underwent statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The most common histological findings in an LSG specimen were clinically indolent findings such as no pathological abnormalities identified followed by non-specific gastritis. A minority of cases demonstrated clinically actionable findings for which Helicobacter pylori represented the majority of these findings.

CONCLUSION

There is a broad spectrum of pathological findings in LSG specimens, ranging from clinically indolent to clinically actionable. The most common histological findings are clinically indolent and only a small portion are of clinical significance and, hence, actionable.

Incidental finding after laparoscopic gastric sleeve, the value of pathology

Gastric neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare tumors with a broad spectrum of symptoms; in recent years, the number of cases has increased due to the growing number of upper endoscopies. Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic and bariatric surgery one of the most effective therapies to control this illness. As more surgeries are performed, the number of histopathological samples will also increase. Incidental discoveries on these histopathological specimens are difficult situations to encounter as medical plans, prognosis and therapy will have to change accordingly. We present the case of a 43-year-old patient who underwent a laparoscopic gastric sleeve. On pathology, a NET was detected, and additional surgery was required. On follow-ups, the patient is doing well.

Compared to What? Is BMI Associated with Histopathological Changes in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Specimens?

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a risk for many different cancers. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is common, and benign or pre-malignant histopathology types are reported in the removed gastric specimens. We assessed whether higher BMI was associated with certain benign or pre-malignant histopathological changes.

METHOD

Retrospective chart review of all primary LSG patients (N = 1555). Demographic, clinical, and LSG histopathology data were retrieved. BMI of patients with specific benign or pre-malignant conditions in their gastric specimens was compared with the BMI of the rest of the patients with abnormal histopathology specimens and also compared with the BMI of patients with normal control specimens.

RESULTS

Females comprised 70% of the patients. Mean BMI were 46.3 (females) and 48 (males). Normal LSG specimens comprised 52%. Most common abnormal histopathologies were chronic inactive gastritis (33%), chronic active gastritis (6.8%), follicular gastritis (2.7%), lymphoid aggregates (2.2%), intestinal metaplasia (1.4%) and GIST (0.7%). After controlling for confounders (age, gender, H. pylori, diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension), no significant association was observed between the BMI of patients with specific benign or pre-malignant histopathology compared with the BMI of the rest of the patients with abnormal histopathologies and compared to the BMI of patients with normal histopathologies.

CONCLUSION

When confounders were taken into account, there appeared no significant associations between the BMI of patients with specific benign or pre-malignant histopathology compared with the BMI of the rest of the patients with abnormal histopathologies and compared to the BMI of patients with normal histopathologies of their gastric specimens. There was a very weak correlation between BMI and other covariates.

Histopathological Findings in Morbid Obese Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Does H. pylori Infection Effective on Pathological Changes?

AıM: To determine the prevalence of histopathological findings requiring clinical follow-up in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and evaluate the relationship between these findings and Helicobacter pylori as well as to add more data to the published literature in this regard. MATERıAL AND METHODS: Overall, 161 morbidly obese patients with body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m² who underwent LSG between May 1, 2014 and May 31, 2017 were retrospectively included in the study. The findings of the histopathological evaluation of the resected gastric material and the relationship between these findings and histopathologically detected H. pylori infection were investigated.

RESULTS

The study included 114 women (70.8%) and 47 men (29.2%). The mean age of the patients was 36.82 ± 10.41 years, and the mean BMI was 46.05 ± 3.76 kg/m². H. pylori infection was detected in 103 (64%), chronic gastritis in 156, chronic active gastritis in 47, intestinal metaplasia in eight, and atrophy in seven patients. The rate of H. pylori-associated chronic gastritis was 64%, that of chronic active gastritis was 24.2%, that of lymphoid aggregation was 62.2%, and that of intestinal metaplasia and atrophy was 3.1%. There was a significant relationship between H. pylori infection and chronic gastritis, chronic active gastritis, and lymphoid aggregation; however, no significant relationship was found between intestinal metaplasia and atrophy. CONCLUSıON: Clinicians should be aware of the histopathological findings requiring clinical follow-up for LSG-treated patients. Given the complications of H. pylori infection such as lymphoma and malignancy, periodic follow-up of patients and eradication therapy may be a suitable approach for treating intestinal metaplasia and atrophic changes.

Macroscopic Evaluation of Gastric Specimens After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy-an Optimum Screening Test for Incidental Pathologies?

Introduction

Obesity is a serious lifestyle disease with various comorbidities and an augmented risk of cancer. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has recently become the most popular bariatric procedure worldwide. While the cost-effectiveness is a major healthcare providers’ concern, the point of histological exam of each resected tissue may be questioned.

Material/Methods

We prospectively included patients who underwent LSG. Before the surgery, gastroscopy and abdominal sonography were performed to exclude malignancies. The gastric specimen was cut open after the surgery and inspected macroscopically, then sent for a microscopic examination.

Results

In 5 cases out of 115, macroscopic evaluation of the resected specimen performed by the surgeon suggested existing pathology, confirmed by a microscopic evaluation in 3 out of 5 cases. In the remaining 2 cases, pathological analysis did not reveal abnormalities. In 110 cases, the gastric specimen was recognized to be unchanged by the surgeon, 109 out of which were confirmed by the pathologist to be normal, in 1 case a hyperplastic polyp was found. The sensitivity of macroscopic evaluation reached 75% (95% CI, 19.4–99.4%, p = 0.625), with specificity of 98.2% (95% CI, 93.6–99.8%, p < 0.0001), and negative predictive value of 99.1% (95% CI, 95–99.9%, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

During LSG, a thorough visual inspection of the peritoneal cavity along with a macroscopic surgical evaluation of specimen in patients who had preoperative endoscopy with no findings allows to achieve very good specificity and good sensitivity. Therefore, this procedure may be useful as a screening test for incidental pathologies in bariatric patients and may exclude unnecessary histological examination.