The Operative management in Bariatric Acute abdomen (OBA) Survey: long-term complications of bariatric surgery and the emergency surgeon's point of view

Experiencing Complications After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeries is a Risk Factor for Postoperative Emergency Department Admissions: a Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Emergency department admissions significantly burden hospital staff and countries' health system. Studies are encouraged for effective and correct utilization of emergency departments. Rational management of obesity-related medical problems and postoperative complications may reduce emergency department visits. This study aimed to determine the rates, characteristics, and antecedents of emergency room admissions after metabolic and bariatric surgeries (MBSs) performed in our hospital. According to our hypothesis, experiencing postoperative complications is the most common reason for emergency department admissions.

METHODS

The study was designed as a single-center, retrospective, cohort study. Metabolic and bariatric surgeries performed in our hospital between June 2021 and June 2023 were evaluated. Clavien Dindo Classification was used to classify complications. The reasons for emergency department admissions, re-hospitalization and surgical requirements, time relationships, and possible antecedents were examined in stages.

RESULTS

A total of 153 patients were evaluated in the study. The average follow-up period was found to be 609.63 ± 222.89. The emergency department admission rate following MBSs was found to be 31%, and the admission rate within the first month was 7.8%. The major complication rate following MBSs was 4.6%. Experiencing complications was the most important antecedent for admissions 1 month postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with complications after MBS, the discharge decision should be provided with stricter controls, and outpatient clinic controls should be planned more frequently. Providing training to patients on managing complications should be considered as a strategy that may reduce the number of emergency department visits.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN12624000810516.

[The role of early predictors in diagnosis of stapler suture and anastomotic failure in bariatric patients]

OBJECTIVE

To study the role of early predictors in diagnosis of stapler suture and anastomotic failure in bariatric patients and to determine the indications for redo laparoscopy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A single-center retrospective study enrolled 2011 patients who underwent surgery. All patients were categorized into two groups: group 1 (1983 patients) - standard postoperative period; group 2 (28 patients) - major inflammatory complications with redo laparoscopy.

RESULTS

We found no significant differences in BMI, weight and age between patients with and without complications. Conversely, high serum glucose, duration of type 2 DM over 5 years, tachycardia > 100 bpm and high VAS score of abdominal pain significantly increased the risk of complications. Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen has the greatest informative value. To ascertain critical value of each factor for between-group differentiation, we performed ROC analysis and demonstrated specificity of these indicators.

CONCLUSION

The challenge of early diagnosis of intra-abdominal inflammatory complications in bariatric patients is compounded by no typical symptoms and small informative value of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods. According to ROC analysis, combination of fever, hypotension, tachycardia and tachypnoea resulted AUC 0.80. Sensitivity 65% and specificity 82% indicated the need for immediate repeated surgery. However, availability of standardized surgical technique and clear algorithms for the entire team are essential for timely diagnosis and management of all potential complications in patients with serious postoperative bariatric complications.

High risk and low incidence diseases: Bariatric surgery complications

INTRODUCTION

Bariatric surgery complications carry a high rate of morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE

This review highlights the pearls and pitfalls of bariatric surgery complications, including presentation, diagnosis, and management in the emergency department (ED) based on current evidence.

DISCUSSION

Bariatric surgeries include restrictive procedures (e.g., adjustable gastric banding, endoscopic gastric balloon insertion, and sleeve gastrectomy) and mixed restrictive and malabsorptive procedures (e.g., roux-en-y gastric bypass and duodenal switch-biliopancreatic diversion). Several complications may occur, which may be associated with severe morbidity and mortality. These complications include anastomotic/staple line leaks, small bowel obstruction and internal hernia, marginal ulceration, biliary disease, and device-specific issues. History concerning the type of surgery, when and where it was performed, prior complications, changes in weight, and systemic symptoms is essential. Many signs and symptoms are subtle, but fever, tachycardia, and persistent vomiting are concerning for a severe complication. If there is concern for a complication, emergent consultation with the bariatric surgeon is recommended (preferably the patient's surgeon). Imaging studies can assist in the evaluation, including computed tomography with oral and intravenous contrast. Resuscitation in the ED and early intervention by a bariatric surgeon provide the best opportunity to reduce morbidity and mortality for patients with intra-abdominal pathology.

CONCLUSION

Understanding bariatric surgery complications can assist emergency clinicians in diagnosing and managing this potentially deadly disease.

Prior bariatric surgery is associated with lower mortality and resource utilization following small bowel obstruction

Background

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a complication of bariatric surgery. However, outcomes of surgical intervention for SBO among patients with prior bariatric surgery remain ill-defined. We used a nationally representative cohort to characterize the outcomes of the SBO management approach in patients with a prior bariatric operation.

Methods

All adult hospitalizations for SBO were tabulated from the 2018-2020 National Readmissions Database. Patients with a prior history of bariatric surgery comprised the Bariatric cohort (others: Non-Bariatric). Multivariable models were subsequently developed to evaluate the association of prior bariatric surgery with outcomes of interest.

Results

Of an estimated 299,983 hospitalizations for SBO, 15,788 (5.3 %) had a history of prior bariatric surgery. Compared to Non-Bariatric, Bariatric patients were younger (54 [46-62] vs 57 [47-64] years, P < 0.001) and were more frequently privately insured (45.1 vs 39.4 %, P < 0.001). On average, the Bariatric more frequently underwent operative management, relative to Non-Bariatric (44.8 vs 29.7 %, P < 0.001). Following risk adjustment, among those surgically managed, Bariatric demonstrated lower odds of mortality (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.69, 95 % Confidence Interval [CI] 0.55-0.87) compared to Non-Bariatric. Bariatric also demonstrated lower odds of infectious and renal complications. Furthermore, the Bariatric cohort had lower costs, length of stay, and non-home discharge.

Conclusions

Patients with prior bariatric surgery demonstrated a lower likelihood of mortality, decreased complications, and reduced resource utilization, relative to others. As the incidence of bariatric surgery continues to rise, future work is needed to minimize the incidence of SBO among these patients, especially in the current era of value-based healthcare.

Operative management of acute abdomen after bariatric surgery in the emergency setting: the OBA guidelines

BACKGROUND

Patients presenting with acute abdominal pain that occurs after months or years following bariatric surgery may present for assessment and management in the local emergency units. Due to the large variety of surgical bariatric techniques, emergency surgeons have to be aware of the main functional outcomes and long-term surgical complications following the most performed bariatric surgical procedures. The purpose of these evidence-based guidelines is to present a consensus position from members of the WSES in collaboration with IFSO bariatric experienced surgeons, on the management of acute abdomen after bariatric surgery focusing on long-term complications in patients who have undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

METHOD

A working group of experienced general, acute care, and bariatric surgeons was created to carry out a systematic review of the literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and to answer the PICO questions formulated after the Operative management in bariatric acute abdomen survey. The literature search was limited to late/long-term complications following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

CONCLUSIONS

The acute abdomen after bariatric surgery is a common cause of admission in emergency departments. Knowledge of the most common late/long-term complications (> 4 weeks after surgical procedure) following sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and their anatomy leads to a focused management in the emergency setting with good outcomes and decreased morbidity and mortality rates. A close collaboration between emergency surgeons, radiologists, endoscopists, and anesthesiologists is mandatory in the management of this group of patients in the emergency setting.

Reply to Papageorgopoulou et al. The Aftermath of Bariatric Surgery: Can the Average Emergency Surgeon Deal with Its Complications? Comment on "Zawadzka et al. Current Knowledge and Perceptions of Bariatric Surgery among Diabetologists and Internists in Poland. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 2028"

The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified obesity and overweight as an epidemic of the 21st century [...].

A Hub and Spoke Learning Program in Bariatric Surgery in a Small Region of Italy

Background

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (BS) are considered life-changing and life-saving treatments for obese patients. The Italian Society of Obesity Surgery (SICOB) requires at least 25 operations per year to achieve the standard of care in the field. Despite the increasing need to treat obese patients, some small southern regions of Italy, such as Molise, do not have enough experience in bariatric procedures to be allowed to perform them. Therefore, our aim was to run a Hub and Spoke Program with a referral center in BS to treat obese patients and provide a proper learning curve in BS in Molise.

Methods

In 2020, the “A. Cardarelli Hospital” in Campobasso, Molise, started a formal “Learning Model of Hub and Spoke Collaboration” with the Hub center “Ospedale Del Mare”, Naples. A multidisciplinary approach was achieved. Patients were supervised and operated under the supervision and tutoring of the referral center. We retrospectively reviewed our prospectively collected database from February 2020 to August 2021 in order to analyze the safety and effectiveness of our learning program.

Results

In total, 13 (3 men and 10 women) patients underwent BS with the mean age of 47.08 years and a presurgery BMI of 41.79. Seven (53.84%) patients were the American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) II, and 6 (46.16%) patients were ASA III. Twelve (92.31%) procedures were laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomies, 1 (7.69%) patient underwent endoscopic BioEnterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB) placement. One (8.33%) sleeve gastrectomy was associated to gastric band removal. Mean surgical time was 110.14 ± 23.54 min. The mean length of stay was 4.07 ± 2.40 days. No Clavien-Dindo ≥ III and mortality were reported. The follow-up program showed a mean decrease of 11.82 in terms of body mass index (BMI) value. The last 5 procedures were performed by the whole equips from “A. Cardarelli” under external tutoring without any impact on complication rate.

Conclusion

The setup of a proper Hub and Spoke Program may allow to perform BS to provide the standard of care. This approach may reduce health costs and related patient migration.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Post-Graduate Medical Education and Training in India: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Offered

Hands-on or practice-based learning is the foundational objective of postgraduate teaching and training. A skilled and competent postgraduate resident is critical to the country's health needs and is more relevant in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The postgraduate medical training in India is speciality-specific and based on a structured curriculum and syllabus to achieve precise educational goals and objectives. The impact of this pandemic on postgraduate medical education and training is controversial, challenging, unknown, and far-reaching. The exceptional contagious nature of the virus and country-wide lockdowns have tremendously decreased hospital visiting patients. Abolition of outpatient and inpatient services, disruptions in clinical postings, curtailment of elective operations and procedures have adversely affected the training of residents and fellowship students in India and abroad. Apart from this, research work, mentoring, academic conferences, and workshops that offer learning experiences to these residents have been cancelled or suspended, thus denying them a chance to achieve domain knowledge and enhance their skills. Although this pandemic has offered new learning modes like teleconsultation, videoconferencing, virtual simulations, digital podcasts, etc., how much actual knowledge transfer and skill gain will be achieved is unanswered. Despite this disruption, this pandemic has offered a golden opportunity to relook at the current PG resident education and training programme. The lessons learned from this adversity offer medical universities, medical educators, and regulatory authorities many opportunities to develop a novel and innovative curriculum that enables the current and future residents to achieve the necessary proficiency and competency.

Missing Jejunal Perforation During Small Bowel Measurement in Patient Operated by Laparoscopic One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass

BACKGROUND

Obesity surgery is justified as it produces sustained weight loss, increases life expectancy, and reduces the complications of obesity. For this reason, increasing numbers of patients are undergoing this surgery [1]. Complications following surgical treatment of severe obesity vary based upon the procedure performed and, although it is currently below 7% in more experienced centers, it may increase in more complex surgeries (such as revision surgery) and can be as high as 40% [2, 3]. Patients with early postoperative complications may be managed in specialist centers by the bariatric surgeon during the hospital stay [4]. Missing bowel injury may occur primarily during insertion of a Veress needle and trocar, use of electrosurgery and laser beams, suturing, and adhesiolysis [5]. Less frequently, the bowel perforation is due to the measurement of the loop and goes unnoticed. Perforation of the intestines due to any reason is a severe condition that can clinically present with free intraabdominal air, purulent or even fecal peritonitis, and abdominal compartment syndrome [6]. High clinical suspicion is crucial for early diagnosis. Early recognition of bowel injury and early intervention is crucial to reduce its morbidity and mortality [5].

METHODS

We present a case of a 50-year-old male patient with a BMI of 36.1 kg/m², hypertension, and dyslipidemia who was proposed for bariatric surgery. A laparoscopic one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) was performed with no intraoperative incidents. Few hours after the surgery, the patient manifests intense abdominal pain and tachycardia (120 bpm) so we decided to order an abdominal CT scan that showed signs of jejunal perforation (pneumoperitoneum, oral contrast extravasation, and small air bubbles next to the jejunum wall).

RESULTS

Emergency laparoscopy was done and showed generalized peritonitis caused by a 4-mm perforation in the mesenteric border of the jejunum with everted mucosa that was located 150 cm from the loop of Treitz. We decided to place three infraumbilical trocars to help us with washing, viewing, and surgical repair. We performed a 2-0 barbed simple suture of the perforation and extensive washing of the entire cavity with 10 L of serum. We left three drains. The patient made an uneventful recovery and was discharged 72 h after surgery with an established oral diet.

CONCLUSIONS

Missing intestinal perforation is an uncommon injury during bariatric surgery, but its early diagnosis is important to avoid endangering the patient's life. Simple postoperative tachycardia in obese patients should be taken seriously as it is a warning signal. Laparoscopic reoperation in these early diagnosed cases is safe and effective, since it allows visualization and washing of the entire cavity. Bowel injuries, which may occur as a result of the insertion of an insufflation needle or trocar, are a rare complication of laparoscopy. In the case we present, the perforation occurred during the small bowel measurement so we insist on the extreme caution that surgeons must take during every detail of the surgical technique. The use of atraumatic forceps, handling of the bowel strictly at the antimesenteric side, and the infusion of sufficient methylene blue in the anastomosis testing are gestures that can help reduce the risk.

Intraoperative decision making in bariatric surgery

BACKGROUND

Surgeons may encounter unexpected anatomical or pathological findings during various bariatric surgical procedures for which they must make prompt and critical decisions that had not been planned prior to the operation. In this practice review, we present our experiences with unexpected challenges and on-table decision making in bariatric surgery to share our knowledge with colleagues who may encounter the same challenges during bariatric surgery. This paper's content is of applied learning and practical value focusing on challenging intraoperative decision making; however, it does not discuss the details of the various techniques used during surgery.

METHODS

This work is a single-center retrospective review of operations carried out on patients who had unexpected intraoperative findings during bariatric surgery despite the implementation of detailed preoperative evaluations that would have otherwise suggested standard procedures. These findings resulted in abandoned surgery or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy instead of the intended Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

RESULTS

A total of 449 patients had received various bariatric interventions in our unit between 2012 and 2016. Eleven patients, representing approximately 2.4% of the total number of patients surveyed had met the inclusion criteria and were added to the final list for analysis. The mean age of the included patients was 40.82 years (range: 30-51 years), and seven of the patients, representing approximately 63.6% of the included cases, were female. The mean body mass index of the 11 cases was 40.8 (range: 38-48). Only two cases (18.9%) had had their surgery abandoned; the rest (81.1%) had received laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy instead of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. None of the 11 patients had perioperative morbidity or mortality.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative decision making for unexpected findings in bariatric surgery is challenging. In these circumstances, surgeons must make prompt and critical decisions, including abandoning the operation. The available literature on this subject is unsurprisingly limited because of the rarity of such findings.

Correction to: The Operative management in Bariatric Acute abdomen (OBA) Survey: long-term complications of bariatric surgery and the emergency surgeon’s point of view

The original article [1] contained an error in authorship whereby author, Fausto Catena was mistakenly listed as part of the institutional authorship of the OBA trial supporters instead of in the correct position of final author.