Gastropleural fistula after single anastomosis gastric bypass. A case report and review of the literature

Rare Complications Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is the most effective and durable therapeutic intervention for patients with obesity. In recent years, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has become the most commonly performed primary MBS procedure owing to its technical feasibility and excellent short-term outcomes. Despite these favorable results and perceived advantages, SG is associated with several unique complications. Complications such as a postoperative leak or bleeding have been more commonly observed and reported than others, and their management approaches are well described. However, other complications following SG are far less familiar to surgeons, which may delay recognition and result in poor patient outcomes. Of these complications, we describe splenic injuries; esophageal perforation; staple line malformations; stapling of intraluminal devices; phytobezoar formation; gastro-colic, gastro-pleural and gastro-bronchial fistula; pancreatic leak; and portomesenteric venous thrombosis. It is paramount for surgeons to be aware of these underreported issues and have the resources to learn how to recognize and manage them when they arise. This review aims to describe rare (i.e., reported incidence <1%) and underdescribed complications after SG, focusing on causes, clinical presentation, prevention strategies, and management.

Approach to Acute Traumatic and Nontraumatic Diaphragmatic Abnormalities

Acute diaphragmatic abnormalities encompass a broad variety of relatively uncommon and underdiagnosed pathologic conditions, which can be subdivided into nontraumatic and traumatic entities. Nontraumatic abnormalities range from congenital hernia to spontaneous rupture, endometriosis-related disease, infection, paralysis, eventration, and thoracoabdominal fistula. Traumatic abnormalities comprise both blunt and penetrating injuries. Given the role of the diaphragm as the primary inspiratory muscle and the boundary dividing the thoracic and abdominal cavities, compromise to its integrity can yield devastating consequences. Yet, diagnosis can prove challenging, as symptoms may be vague and findings subtle. Imaging plays an essential role in investigation. Radiography is commonly used in emergency evaluation of a patient with a suspected thoracoabdominal process and may reveal evidence of diaphragmatic compromise, such as abdominal contents herniated into the thoracic cavity. CT is often superior, in particular when evaluating a trauma patient, as it allows rapid and more detailed evaluation and localization of pathologic conditions. Additional modalities including US, MRI, and scintigraphy may be required, depending on the clinical context. Developing a strong understanding of the acute pathologic conditions affecting the diaphragm and their characteristic imaging findings aids in efficient and accurate diagnosis. Additionally, understanding the appearance of diaphragmatic anatomy at imaging helps in differentiating acute pathologic conditions from normal variations. Ultimately, this knowledge guides management, which depends on the underlying cause, location, and severity of the abnormality, as well as patient factors. ©RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Endoscopic stent placement for the management of gastro-pleural and gastro-cutaneous fistula post laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a case report

BACKGROUND

Gastro-pleural and gastro-cutaneous fistulae formation are rare yet life-threatening complications post-bariatric surgery. To our knowledge so far only limited cases of gastro-pleural and gastro-cutaneous fistulae post gastric sleeve surgery have been reported in the literature with their corresponding management. Therefore, we are reporting a case of placement of an endoscopic stent in the management of gastro-cutaneous fistula post laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 42 years old Pakistani, female morbidly obese patient, underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Within a week after the procedure, the patient presented with dyspnea. Workup showed a gastric leak for which percutaneous drain placement was done. Later, gastro-pleural and gastro-cutaneous fistulae were formed for which endoscopic fistula closure was done using a metallic stent.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic stent placement is an emerging field and it is considered safe and effective for the management of complications related to bariatric surgery.

The rare thoracic complication: perforation of gastric fundus ulcer: a case report

BACKGROUND

Gastropleural fistula is an exceptionally rare condition, the incidence of which is currently unknown (Kunieda et al. in Intern Med 51(3):331, 2012,  https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.51.6823 , Iqbal et al. in Cureus 11(2):e4136, 2019, https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.4136 , Kathayanatt et al. in Lung India 37(2):174-175, 2020, https://doi.org/10.4103/lungindia.lungindia_242_17 ). The etiology varies from traumatic or iatrogenic injury to perforation in a herniated stomach due to ischemia, ulceration, or malignancy.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 27-year-old European male presented to our hospital with complaints of general weakness and shortness of breath. The patient had a single episode of hemoptysis before admission. A computed tomography scan demonstrated a left-sided pyopneumothorax, a defect in the left main bronchus, and signs of pneumonia in the lower sections of the right lung. Therefore, a rare complication of perforation of a gastric fundus ulcer with the formation of a subdiaphragmatic abscess, gastropleural fistula, gangrene of the left lung with circular necrosis of the left main bronchus and diastasis of its edges, and pleural empyema on the left is presented in this report.

CONCLUSIONS

Although, a radical surgery may be preferable for this suspected malignancy; it should be weighed carefully against the risk of sepsis and the morbidity associated with a prolonged procedure in a sick patient. Damage-control surgery may be a viable option for a very sick patient, with more extensive resection reserved for later, provided the risk of infection and bleeding has been mitigated.

Management of a Gastrobronchial Fistula Presenting 5 Years After a One-Loop Gastric Bypass

Anastomotic leaks and gastric fistulas are recognized complications after sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. They are, however, almost unheard of following a one-anastomosis gastric bypass. A gastrobronchial fistula, an exceedingly rare complication after bariatric surgery, has to date never been described following a one-anastomosis gastric bypass. Furthermore, there is no consensus regarding the management of this challenging complication. In our case, we present a patient who was discovered to have a gastrobronchial fistula 5 years after a one anastomosis gastric bypass. After 2 failed attempts at endoscopic stent placement, the patient was successfully managed with a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy over the fistula.

Manejo quirúrgico de una fístula gastropleural posterior a manga gástrica

Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 30 años de edad, sometida a un procedimiento de manga gástrica por laparoscopia en marzo de 2014, quien presenta, al tercer y cuarto años del procedimiento inicial, dos episodios de hemoptisis masiva, con falla en la segunda terapia de embolización, por lo que requirió una lobectomía pulmonar inferior izquierda. Al segundo día de este postoperatorio presenta salida de material de nutrición por las sondas de tórax, estableciéndose el diagnóstico de fistula gastro-pleural. Debido a falla con el manejo conservador, fue sometida a una resección quirúrgica de la fístula por vía laparoscópica, con gastrectomía proximal y reconstrucción en Y de Roux. A propósito de nuestra experiencia con esta paciente, se discuten en este artículo las estrategias de manejo para una fístula gastropleural, propuestas en la literatura a la fecha.

A French National Study on Gastropleural and Gastrobronchial Fistulas After Bariatric Surgery: the Impact of Therapeutic Strategy on Healing

PURPOSE

Gastropleural and gastrobronchial fistulas (GPF/GBFs) are serious but rare complications after bariatric surgery whose management is not consensual. The aim was to establish a cohort and evaluate different clinical presentations and therapeutic options.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A multicenter and retrospective study analyzing GPF/GBFs after bariatric surgery in France between 2007 and 2018, via a questionnaire sent to digestive and thoracic surgery departments.

RESULTS

The study included 24 patients from 9 surgical departments after initial bariatric surgery (21 sleeve gastrectomies; 3 gastric bypass) for morbid obesity (mean BMI = 42 ± 8 kg/m²). The GPF/GBFs occurred, on average, 124 days after bariatric surgery, complicating an initial post-operative gastric fistula (POGF) in 66% of cases. Endoscopic digestive treatment was performed in 79% of cases (n = 19) associated in 25% of cases (n = 6) with thoracic endoscopy. Surgical treatment was performed in 83% of cases (n = 20): thoracic surgery (n = 5), digestive surgery (n = 8), and combined surgery (n = 7). No patient died. Overall morbidity was 42%. The overall success rate of the initial and secondary strategies was 58.5% and 90%, respectively. The average healing time was approximately 7 months. Patients who had undergone thoracic surgery (n = 12) had more initial management failures (n = 9/12) than patients who had not (n = 3/12), p = 0.001.

CONCLUSION

Complex and life-threatening fistulas that are revealed late require a multidisciplinary strategy. Thoracic surgery should be reserved once the abdominal leak heals; otherwise, it is associated with a higher risk of failure.

Intrathoracic gastric fistula after bariatric surgery: a systematic review and pooled analysis

Even in the hands of highly experienced bariatric surgeons, perioperative complications are inevitable. Of these, leaks and fistulas are amongst the scariest complications. Intrathoracic gastric fistulas (ITGF) can be associated with serious morbidity, mostly when cases are misdiagnosed or detected with delay. This is a systematic review of the literature to investigate the clinical and surgical outcomes of morbidly obese adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of ITGF following bariatric surgery. A pooled analysis of 25 articles, encompassing 76 patients with post-bariatric ITGF, showed that the clinical outcome depends on the initial presentation, timing of the diagnosis in relation to symptom onset, and prompt and effective treatment. Any septic or unstable patient must undergo urgent surgical intervention, while stable patients might tolerate a step-up approach and watchful waiting for nonsurgical treatment. Among those who undergo surgery, treatment failure and the mortality rate are substantially high. Contingent upon a prompt management strategy, patients with postbariatric ITGF can generally have a favorable outcome in the long term.

Empyema Caused by Gastropleural Fistula Post Complicated Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Gastropleural fistula (GPF) can occur as a rare complication of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Here, we present the clinical presentation, radiological findings, and outcome of a 19-year-old female who underwent LGS in Mother and Child Hospital in Shiraz, Iran, but due to leakage in the proximal of the stapler line, the operation converted to a single anastomosis sleeve ileal (SASI) bypass to decrease intraluminal pressure and accelerate healing of leakage site. Three months later, the patient admitted with the impression of empyema and diagnosed finally with a GPF. Although the conversion of LSG to SASI bypass for post leakage may be efficient in controlling the intraabdominal leakage, it will not prevent GPF formation, so applying another surgery method such as classic bypass in this situation may be more effective in the management of stapler line leakage.

Acquired Thoracic Fistulas

Fistulas are abnormal connections between 2 epithelial-lined structures. Thoracic fistulas may result from nonanatomic communications between spaces within the thorax, such as the lung, tracheobronchial tree, pleural space, and mediastinal structures, or between thoracic spaces and extrathoracic structures, such as the gastrointestinal tract. Furthermore, thoracic fistulas may result in communication between thoracic spaces and the spine or vascular structures. Potential causes include trauma, infection, neoplasm, surgical intervention, or medical syndromes. In this article, we discuss various acquired thoracic fistulas and their potential causes, key multimodality imaging manifestations, and clinical significance.

Late Gastropleural Fistula after the Management of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Leakage

One of the rare but serious complications of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) with significant morbidity and mortality is gastropleural fistula (GPF). Here, we present a 34-year-old woman who underwent LSG. Due to leakage in the proximal site of the stapler line and splenic artery erosion into the site of leakage after 1 month, splenectomy and drainage catheter insertion was done. Three months later, she presented with dyspnea, fever, and lung abscess, GPF was diagnosed, and Roux-en-Y fistulo-jejunostomy was done. After 10 days, her clinical condition improved, but the patient expired due to hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Therefore, GPF along with other common complications should be seriously considered in patients developing post-LSG chronic respiratory symptoms.

Gastropleural fistula masquerading as chylothorax in a child with lymphoma

We report the case of an 8-year-old boy with diffuse large B cell lymphoma who developed a right-sided spontaneous pneumothorax with pleural effusion after recovery from septic shock. The pleural fluid was thought to be malignancy-associated chylothorax concomitant with complicated pleural effusion due to a milky-like appearance, a high level of triglycerides and Gram-negative bacteria staining in the fluid. He was put on total parental nutrition and octreotide for 2 weeks, but did not improve. The laboratory results also showed a persistent bacterial infection in the pleural fluid despite appropriate antibiotics. Eventually, a CT scan revealed a fistulous tract between the right pleural cavity and the stomach. Fistula repair was successful by right open thoracotomy with decortication. Even though the gastropleural fistula is a very rare condition in paediatric patients, the physician should consider this diagnosis in a patient who has an unusual presentation or refractory chylothorax-like pleural effusion.

Gastropleural Fistula: A Rare Complication of a Common Procedure

Weight loss surgeries are evident to be highly beneficial in patients with morbid obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥40.0 kg/m²) and severe obesity (BMI between 35.0 and 39.9 kg/m² with co-morbidities). While this results in significant mortality benefit, there is always the possible risk of postsurgical complications. Gastrobronchial and gastropleural fistulas are two rare, post-operative pulmonary complications associated with these surgeries. Our patient is a 54-year-old female who underwent a biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch. A few weeks later, she started developing a cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Computed tomography (CT) chest showed the presence of a loculated right sided hydropneumothorax. A gastrointestinal fluoroscopic contrast study performed showed a large fistula originating from the distal end of the stomach and ending towards the right pleural cavity. The fistula was successfully closed with the endoscopic fulguration of fistulous opening with argon beam coagulation and orthoscopic clipping, resulting in complete obliteration of the fistula tract. The right-sided hydropneumothorax was initially treated conservatively with antibiotics and chest tube drains followed by video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication with chest tube placement. Gastropleural fistula formation is rare but is nonetheless a serious postoperative complication of bariatric procedures and mimics pneumonia clinically. It is, therefore, essential to obtain detailed imaging work-up to rule out fistula formation, which, in turn, can be timely treated without causing further devastating results to the patient.

Gastropleural Fistula as a Rare Complication of Gastric Sleeve Surgery: A Case Report and Comprehensive Literature Review

Gastropleural fistula (GPF) is a rare, life-threatening complication of gastric sleeve surgery. GPF is an uncommon differential diagnosis to consider in a patient presenting with a picture of pneumonia. As such, GPF should be suspected in a patient with a history of nonresolving pneumonia who recently underwent gastric sleeve surgery. To the best of our knowledge, only eight cases of gastropleural fistulas after bariatric surgery have been reported in the literature. Herein, we report a case of gastropleural fistula after gastric sleeve surgery and review the pertinent literature. A gastropleural fistula is an exceedingly rare and life-threatening complication postbariatric surgery. Nonsurgical conservative management (total parenteral nutrition, percutaneous drainage, and antibiotics with endoscopic stenting) can be considered.