Effect of Early Use of Covered Self-Expandable Endoscopic Stent on the Treatment of Postoperative Stapler Line Leaks

BACKGROUND

Postoperative leaks are a dreaded complication after bariatric surgery (BS). Its treatment is based on nutritional support and sepsis control by antibiotics, collections drainage and/or prosthesis, and/or surgery.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to report our experience with coated self-expandable endoscopic stents (SEES) for leaks treatment.

SETTING

This study was performed in a University Hospital, (censored).

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of our BS database from January 2007 to December 2013. All patients with leak after BS treated with SEES were included.

RESULTS

We identified 29 patients; 17 (59%) were women, with median age of 37 (19-65) years, and preoperative body mass index of 40 (28.7-56-6) kg/m(2). Nineteen (65.5%) patients had a sleeve gastrectomy and 10 (34.5%) a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. All patients had a leak in the stapler line. Median time from surgery to leak diagnosis was 7 (1-51) days, and SEES were installed 8 (0-104) days after diagnosis. Twenty-one (72%) patients also had abdominal exploration. Median length of SEES use was 60 (1-299) days. Patients who had SEES as primary treatment (with or without simultaneous reoperation) had a shorter leak closure time (50 [6-112] vs 109 [60-352] days; p = 0.008). Twenty-eight (96.5%) patients successfully achieved leak closure with SEES. There were 16 migrations in 10 (34%) patients, 1 (3%) stent fracture, 1 opening of the blind end of alimentary limb (3%), and 5 patients (17%) required a second stent due to leak persistence.

CONCLUSIONS

SEES is a feasible, safe, and effective management of post BS leaks, although patients may also require prosthesis revision and abdominal exploration. Primary SEES placement is associated with a shorter leak resolution time.

Laparoscopic hand-sewn revisional gastrojejunal plication for weight loss failure after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

BACKGROUND

Revisional surgery has become a widely accepted alternative for weight loss failure/regain after bariatric surgery. However, it is associated to higher morbi-mortality and lesser weight loss than primary bariatric procedure. Our aims are to present a novel technique for weight loss treatment after failed laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and to report its short-term results.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of patients submitted to a revisional hand-sewn double-layer gastrojejunal plication (GJP) for treatment of weight loss failure/regain after LRYGB. Analysis of demographics, body mass index (BMI), and percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) at the 6th month complications, and financial costs involved was included.

RESULTS

Four patients were submitted to revisional GJP. Three patients were female and the mean age at revision was 30 ± 9 years (21-44). The median time interval between LRYGB and GJP was 51 months (24-120). The median BMI at the moment of GJP and the 3rd and 6th month was 35.6 kg/m2 (32.0-37.8), 32.2 kg/m2 (29.7-34.1), and 30.7 kg/m2 (28.1-32.1), respectively. The median %EWL at the 3rd and 6th month was 35.4% (13.6-38.9) and 46.2 % (45.1-55.5), respectively, reaching a cumulative (combined surgeries) %EWL of 62.9% (16.5-67.9) and 71.7% (65.1-77.6), respectively. There were no complications or mortality. Financial costs were significantly lower compared to revisional gastrojejunal stapled reduction (US $1400 cheaper).

CONCLUSION

Revisional GJP is a feasible, safe, and cost-effective novel procedure for treatment of weight loss failure/regain after LRYGB. Mid- and long-term results are necessary in order to establish its real effectiveness.

Long-term outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy as a primary bariatric procedure

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been established as a reliable bariatric procedure, but questions have emerged regarding its long-term results. Our aim is to report the long-term outcomes of LSG as a primary bariatric procedure.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of patients submitted to LSG between 2005 and 2007 in our institution. Long-term outcomes at 5 years were analyzed in terms of body mass index (BMI), excess weight loss (EWL) and co-morbidities resolution. Surgical success was defined as %EWL>50%. Also, we compared long-term results according to preoperative BMI, using Mann-Whitney test.

RESULTS

A total of 161 LSG were analyzed, and 114 patients (70.8%) were women. The median age was 36 years old (range 16-65), median preoperative BMI was 34.9 kg/m(2) (interquartile range [IQR], 33.3-37.5). A total of 112 patients (70%) completed 5 years of follow-up. At the fifth year, median BMI and %EWL was 28.5 kg/m(2) (IQR: 25.8-31.9) and 62.9% (IQR: 45.3-89.6), respectively, with a surgical success of 73.2% of followed patients. According to preoperative BMI, surgical success was achieved in 80% of patients with BMI<35 kg/m(2), 75% of BMI 35-40 kg/m(2), and 52.6% of BMI>40 kg/m(2), with significant lower %EWL in patients with BMI>40 kg/m(2) (P = .001 and .004). Dyslipidemia and insulin resistance resolution was 80.7% and 84.7%, respectively. A total of 26.7% of patients reported new-onset gastroesophageal reflux symptoms at 5 years.

CONCLUSION

LSG as a primary procedure is a reliable surgery. We observed positive long-term outcomes of %EWL and co-morbidities resolution. In our series, best results are seen in patients with preoperative BMI<40 kg/m(2).