Dumping Syndrome and Postbariatric Hypoglycemia: Supporting Evidence for a Common Etiology

Postbariatric hypoglycemia, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass explored by continuous glucose monitoring

BACKGROUND

Abdominal pain and postbariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) are common after bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the potential relationship between abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and PBH more than a decade after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and whether continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with dietary intervention has an educational role in reducing symptoms.

SUBJECTS

At two public hospitals in Norway (one University Hospital) 22 of 46 invited patients who reported abdominal pain more than weekly took part. Recruited from a prospective follow-up study of 546 patients 14.5 years after RYGB.

METHODS

They used a CGM for two 14-day periods, with a dietary intervention between periods. The Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and the Dumping Severity Score (DSS) questionnaires were completed at the start and end of the study.

RESULTS

The 22 women had preoperative age 39.6 ± 7.7 years and body mass index (BMI) 42.0 ± 4.0 kg/m2, present age 54.6 ± 7.7 years and BMI 29.8 ± 4.8 kg/m2. The total GSRS score and DSS of early dumping decreased after the diet intervention. The number of events with Level 1 (<3.9 mmol/L) or Level 2 (<3.0 mmol/L) hypoglycemia did not change in the second period. Half of the patients had fewer, three had unchanged, and eight had more frequent events with Level 1 hypoglycemia after the intervention. Ten patients had Level 2 hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSION

Though inconclusive findings, a personalized dietary intervention reduces GSRS. This intervention was accompanied by lower mean absolute glucose in patients with recurrent abdominal pain after bariatric surgery. However, further studies are needed to explore the benefits of CGM in this setting.

Dumping Syndrome: Pragmatic Treatment Options and Experimental Approaches for Improving Clinical Outcomes

Dumping syndrome is a common complication after esophageal, gastric and bariatric surgery and has a significant negative impact on the quality of life of patients. This narrative review describes the clinical syndrome, pathophysiology, diagnosis and reports on standard and pragmatic therapeutical treatment options in order to improve the clinical outcome of patients with dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome consists of early and late dumping symptoms and can be diagnosed using clinical parameters with the help of the Sigstad's score, questionnaires or by provocative testing. The prevalence of dumping syndrome varies depending on the employed definition of dumping syndrome. Overall, dumping syndrome is more frequent nowadays due to increasing numbers of upper gastrointestinal and bariatric surgeries being performed. First treatment step includes dietary adjustment and dietary supplements, which are often sufficient to manage symptoms for the majority of patients. Next step of therapy includes acarbose, which is effective for late dumping symptoms, but the use is limited due to side effects. Somatostatin analogues are indicated after these two steps have failed. Somatostatin analogues are very effective for controlling early and late dumping, also in the long term. Glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonists, endoscopic and surgical (re)interventions are reported as treatment options for refractory dumping syndrome; however, their use is not recommended in clinical practice due to the limited evidence on and uncertainty of outcomes. These alternatives should be considered only as last resort options in patients with otherwise refractory and invalidating dumping syndrome.

Incidence and Intensity of Early Dumping Syndrome and Its Association with Health-Related Quality of Life Following Sleeve Gastrectomy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Dumping syndrome (DS) is a shared but underappreciated complication after metabolic-bariatric surgery. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of symptoms suggestive of DS and their relationship with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

METHOD

A retrospective cohort study was performed for all patients with a history of sleeve gastrectomy between July 2017 and July 2022 in our center. Basial clinic statistics were gathered from electronic medical database, the prevalence and severity of DS were assessed by Dumping Symptom Rating Scale (DSRS), and HRQOL is collected through the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36).

RESULT

In total, 133 of 202 patients completed the questionnaire (response rate 65.8%). A total of 64.7% (N = 86) of participants were female, aged 34.0 (IQR 26.0-39.0) years at completion of the questionnaire, with a mean body mass index of 35.8 (IQR 31.4-40.5) kg/m2. The prevalence of symptoms suggestive of DS was 45.9% (N = 61), and the associated protective factor was the time between surgery and study. Compared with the patients without DS, patients with DS scored significantly worse on four of eight SF-36 subdomains.

CONCLUSION

Symptoms suggestive of early dumping syndrome after sleeve gastrectomy are common and are associated with a worse health-related quality of life, which deserves clinical attention. Additional counselling, education, and care are needed to mitigate the decline in quality of life caused by dumping symptoms.

Dumping syndrome after bariatric surgery: prevalence, pathophysiology and role in weight reduction - a systematic review

Background

Dumping syndrome is a frequent and wellknown adverse event after bariatric surgery and covers a dynamic spectrum of early and late dumping. Accelerated gastric emptying is generally considered to be the cause of gastrointestinal and vasomotor complaints. However, there is much uncertainty regarding the exact pathophysiology of dumping. It has been speculated that the syndrome is a desired consequence of bariatric surgery and contributes to more efficient weight loss, but supporting data are scarce.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed in July-August 2021. The prevalence of dumping after the most frequently performed bariatric procedures was analyzed, as well as underlying pathophysiology and its role in weight reduction.

Results

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is associated with the highest postoperative prevalence of dumping. The fast transit induces neurohumoral changes which contribute to an imbalance between postprandial glucose and insulin levels, resulting in hypoglycemia which is the hallmark of late dumping. Early dumping can, when received in a positive way, become a tool to maintain a strict dietary pattern, but no significant relationship to the degree of weight loss has been shown. However, late dumping is detrimental and promotes overall higher caloric intake.

Conclusion

Dumping syndrome is common after bariatric surgery, especially after RYGB. The pathophysiology is complex and ambiguous. Currently available data do not support dumping as a necessary condition to induce weight loss after bariatric surgery.

Diet Management of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Bariatric Surgery

Morbid obesity is considered a civilization disease of the 21st century. Not only does obesity increase mortality, but it is also the most important cause of the shortening life expectancy in the modern world. Obesity is associated with many metabolic abnormalities: dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, cardiovascular diseases, and others. An increasing number of patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are obese. Numerous additional disorders associated with impaired kidney function make it difficult to conduct slimming therapy and may also be associated with a greater number of complications than in people with normal kidney function. Currently available treatments for obesity include lifestyle modification, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery (BS). There are no precise recommendations on how to reduce excess body weight in patients with CKD treated conservatively, undergoing chronic dialysis, or after kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyze studies on the bariatric treatment of obesity in this group of people, as well as to compare the recommendations typical for bariatrics and CKD.

Prevalence of Dumping Syndrome and Its Determinants Among Post-Bariatric Surgery Adult Patients at King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah, 2019-2020

Background Bariatric surgery is one of the most effective interventions for morbid obesity. Despite its benefits, unwanted consequences such as dumping syndrome (DS) have been reported following the procedure. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of DS and identify the factors associated with it in Saudi Arabia. Methodology This cross-sectional study collected data from patients who underwent bariatric surgery at King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2019-2020. A validated questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questionnaire included demographic items such as age and sex and items relating to DS such as nausea, vomiting, and palpitations. A modified version of the Sigstad diagnostic scoring system was used to confirm the diagnosis. Results Of the 240 investigated cases, two-thirds (67.5%) were females. The most reported symptoms were nausea (37.9%), vomiting (36.7%), desire to lie down (25.5%), restlessness (25.5%), and abdominal fullness (23.7%). Based on the modified Sigstad diagnostic scoring system, 75 (31.4%) patients met the criteria for DS. The bivariate analysis showed the prevalence was significantly higher in females (36.4%), those with university qualifications (40.3%), and those with high monthly income (62.5%) (p<0.05). Also, dietary behaviors in terms of frequency, size of meals, and drinking liquids with meals were significantly associated with the prevalence of DS, where the lowest prevalence was recorded among those who ate more than one small meal (10.9%), while the highest prevalence was found in those who ate more than one large meal (81.8%); also, the prevalence was significantly higher in patients who drank liquids with meals (40.8%) than those who drank liquids between meals (26.8%) (p<0.05). Conclusion In this single institutional study, we report a 31.4% prevalence of DS among our cohort. The predictors of the syndrome include gender, education level, monthly income, eating more than one large meal per day, and drinking liquids with meals. In the future, these predictors will be explained to patients before and after bariatric surgery to reduce the prevalence of such inconvenient syndromes.

Therapeutic Potential of GLP-2 Analogs in Gastrointestinal Disorders: Current Knowledge, Nutritional Aspects, and Future Perspectives

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Although Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 receptor agonists have been used for almost two decades in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2 and, lately, in obesity, recent years have seen an increasing interest in the pharmacological agonism of other proglucagon-derived peptides, including GLP-2. Herein, we aimed to review the available evidence on the effects of GLP-2 agonism from animal and clinical studies. Furthermore, we summarize the current clinical applications of GLP-2 agonists among patients with intestinal failure associated with short bowel syndrome (SBS-IF) as well as potential future expansion of their indications to other intestinal disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS

Evidence from preclinical studies has highlighted the cellular trophic and functional beneficial actions of GLP-2 on small intestinal and colonic mucosa. Subsequently, pharmacologic agonism of GLP-2 has gathered interest for the treatment of patients with conditions pertaining to the loss of intestinal anatomical and/or functional integrity to a degree requiring parenteral support, collectively referred to as intestinal failure. GLP-2 analogs positively influence nutrient absorption in animal models and humans, although continued therapy is likely needed for sustained effects. The degradation-resistant GLP-2-analog teduglutide has received approval for the treatment of SBS-IF, in which it may decisively reduce patient dependency on parenteral support and improve quality of life. Another two longer-acting analogs, glepaglutide and apraglutide, are currently undergoing phase III clinical trials. The use of GLP-2 analogs is effective in the management of SBS-IF and may show promise in the treatment of other severe gastrointestinal disorders associated with loss of effective intestinal resorptive surface area.